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Offered languages
- English
You visit Mount Rushmore, one of our nation's national treasures, and Custer State Park, one of our nation's largest and most diverse state parks. This is the perfect tour for families looking to combine sightseeing with a history of the area. You'll be provided with the history of the Black Hills in the context of the western expansion across North America. Custer State Park is home to an abundance of wildlife and a free roaming 1,500 herd of bison. You'll also be provided with the historical background for how the faces of four important founding fathers came to be carved on Mount Rushmore.
What's Included
Meeting and pickup
Itinerary
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Black Hills National Forest (Pass by)
The entire day trip is within the Black Hills National Forest that covers an area 125 miles long and 65 miles wide, a 1.25-million-acre forest! You spend about 2 hours driving time that is interspersed between the sites you visit as outlined below. Along the way, you take in the beauty of the Black Hills that encompasses rugged rock formations, canyons, gulches, open grassland, and mountain lakes, including learning about the rich history of the area, including Custer's expedition to the area in 1874.
Admission ticket free -
1Custer State Park Visitor Center
You will stop here for a short break to stretch the legs, watch a film on the history of Custer State Park, then head out to find the buffalo and other wildlife on the Wildlife Loop Road.
1 hour • Admission ticket free -
2Custer State Park
Next stop is Custer State Park, a 72,000 acre state park and wildlife refuge. The park is home to a herd of 1,500 bison and a variety of other wildlife that roam free over the varied terrain that includes rolling prairie grasslands and rugged mountains.
2 hours • Admission ticket included -
3
This is an overlook of one of the more beautiful overlooks in Custer State Park. The Mount Coolidge Fire Lookout Tower built by the Civilian Conservation Corp's in the late 1930's is in view.
10 minutes • Admission ticket free -
4
You stop for about an hour at the Legion Lake Restaurant for lunch. There is a sit down restaurant, a snack bar, and a coffee shop to choose from. Eat inside or enjoy a short stroll around the lake.
1 hour • Admission ticket free -
5Iron Mountain Road
You drive the Iron Mountain Road, one of the most scenic and beautiful drives in the Black Hills! It winds through the countryside, traversing through three tunnels, navigating up and down switch-backs and pig-tail-bridges with views of Mount Rushmore along the way. The summit, also called the Peter Norbeck Scenic Overlook, provides a wonderful view of Mount Rushmore about a mile away. A breathtaking view! You can also see Black Elk Peak, the highest point in South Dakota at 7,200 feet above sea level. It is also the highest peak east of the Rockies.
15 minutes • Admission ticket included -
6Mount Rushmore National Memorial
The last stop is Mount Rushmore National Memorial where the rich history of the United States is told through the lives of presidents George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham enshrined on Mount Rushmore. Through their lives we learn about the birth, growth, development and preservation of this country. The memorial is surrounded by the beauty of the Black Hills.
1 hour 15 minutes • Admission ticket included -
Keystone (Pass by)
You drive through this little historic mining town before heading back to the pickup locations at the Heartland RV & Campground and Rapid City.
Admission ticket free -
7Rapid City
The tour ends back in Rapid City at your pickup locations.
1 minute • Admission ticket free
Additional info
- Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Tags
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Cancellation Policy
- For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
- If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
- Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.
- This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund.
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
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