October 2, 2025
Mt. Rushmore National Monument was a must-see for us. With the shutdown, we weren’t sure if it would be open, but we decided to go check it out.
It was another gorgeous day for a drive to the monument. We’re constantly amazed at how peaceful it is while driving through the area—sometimes it feels like we have the park all to ourselves. Visiting during the off-peak season has truly been the best decision for us. The route takes us through several tunnels carved and blasted into solid rock, and we captured some stunning views at an overlook spot.
Mt. Rushmore was an incredible place to visit. It’s amazing to think about the immense time and effort it took to create such a monumental work. Starting in the 1920s and finishing in the early 1940s, countless hours went into carving the faces of four great presidents, forever etched into history.
The attention to detail is stunning, from Lincoln’s beard to Teddy’s monocle, the workmanship is more than impressive. We read how over 450,000 tons of rock were removed with over 150,000 pounds of dynamite used to create the monument, and the countless hours of jackhammering that happened over the course of nearly 20 years of work.
The monument was open to the public, but the Visitor’s Center was closed, so we couldn’t get our Passport book cancellation stamp. Fortunately, the gift shop was open, and we managed to get a stamp for our book there. We took a lot of photos, and the guards then opened up the .6-mile Presidential Trail loop, and we decided to take the hike, capturing lots of good photos of the monument along the way.
It was a truly worthwhile visit to see this National Monument.
2025 Airstream Travels 
Glad you were able to visit! I wondered about the shut down, but glad it worked out!
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