Mt. Rushmore and Crazy Horse Memorial

[zzzippper]

I'm reading some fairly negative reviews online, especially about CH. CH is only 1/4 complete but they charge $26 per person. Are these good vacation destinations?

 

[Pete99004]

I'm reading some fairly negative reviews online, especially about CH. CH is only 1/4 complete but they charge $26 per person. Are these good vacation destinations?

Rushmore is - CH was only 1/4 done when I was there in 1967! I don't think that one will ever be completed. I always felt that area was just a great big tourist trap, but that is just me. Many people find it a fun destination. Personally I feel that there are many more interesting back road (historical) places in Colorado - not very far for you.

Pete

Check out this book I found back in the 80's for a few interesting side trips:
Back-roads of Colorado Paperback


by Boyd Norton (Author), Barbara Norton

its still available on Amazon.

 

[36general]

Crazy horse will never be completed... It's worth seeing, but only from the road. Grab a pair of binoculars and save the $26. Then it's worth it.

 

[Marshwheeling]

I have been out to the Black Hills and western South Dakota about fifty times since 1973. In all of those trips, I have been to Crazy Horse once and Rushmore once, and that was plenty. If you have never been there, I guess they are worth seeing once, but I would not make that the point of my vacation.

OTOH, the Black Hills is one of the world's great vacation destinations, in my opinion. If you ride a motorcycle, even better; an off-road motorcycle, still better yet. The overwhelming majority of my trips have been on a bike or with one or two trailered up behind my van. I have also done family vacations with no bikes involved and still had a wonderful time.

There is no end of fun things to do without ever going into a tourist trap. I know people from Colorado who vacation there.

 

[RodGD]

Go to Rushmore, use binoculars to look at CH from the road. What ever you do don't miss going on some cave tours. Jewel cave is my favorite. Also go to Custer and see the museum. Last I was there it was in the old court house and managed by the senior citizens club. I got to talking to one old fellow and he took me down into the basement to see old wooden barrels full of guns! Must have been six or seven full of rifles and revolvers. Wouldn't let me touch any however. They did have a fair amount of firearms on display in the regular collection.

 

[Airpark]

I have been to Rushmore several times, I use the Golden Years Senior Card and it is Free. You pay a small fee for parking there. I enjoy the diarama down town of how they built it.

Also enjoed The Badlands and Wall Drug, a world wide known Tourist Trap. Food there is not bad and they have some very nice collections or guns and brands on the walls of the place.

To get the Golden Years Senior card, the next time you visit any national park just ask the Ranger at the entrance. I think it only cost $10.00 and is good for life.

For some very interesting motorcycles stop by Sturgis.

Deadwood and Devils Tower are both worth the trip.

As someone else posted the Black Hills are all encompassing in beauty.

 

[badge]

To me Mt. Rushmore is one of the most awe inspiring of the National Memorials/Parks. Crazy horse was ok but not worth 26 clams. Wall Drug is a decent stop albeit a tourist trap.

 

[brucev]

My wife and I went out west a few years ago. We spent a good bit of time at Mt. Rushmore and the Crazy Horse memorial. It was a wonderful way to spend part of our trip. I very much enjoyed Rushmore and Crazy Horse. We also spent time at Yellowstone. If we ever get the chance, I'd love to return. I do not consider the prices charged unreasonable. People pay similar type prices to go to Six-Flags, etc.

 

[GRIZZLYBEAR]

IMHO Crazy Horse and Mount Rushmore are worth seeing once. I took the wife and kids to one vacation to see them in '73 or '74. I don't remember what the cost was but it must have been worth price.

 

[dougb1946]

Crazy Horse is a fine example of marketing. Why would you be in a hurry to finish it when it provides employment for a family. Push a few rocks around, blow up a small amount of TNT, open the ticket booth.. Granted, when I saw it, it was a lot lower priced, but you needed a lot more imagination to see it then.
The Rushmore carvings are worth the trip, especially when you drive away and see them in the mirror, while driving through a tunnel. A little startling.

 

[UncleEd]

Correct me if I'm wrong:

Mt. Rushmore, government project

Crazy Horse, private project

 

[vito]

I few years I went to Mr. Rushmore in early November, just when the first snow had started. We were one of only two cars in the entire huge parking lot. The view was impressive from the visitor center, and something I had always wanted to see.

On the same trip we went through the Badlands, which was incredible, especially since it was totally deserted. Never got to see Crazy Horse but I don't think I missed much.

We did also drive through Custer State Park. Since the roads were starting to get snow covered it became a real adventure as the snow thickened and I had trouble seeing where the road was and where it wasn't. We encountered a huge herd of bison on the road, and because I was fearful of getting lost and isolated in this huge state park (the rangers had already closed their stations for the winter and we did not see another vehicle the entire time we were in the park) we weaved among these huge animals rather than waiting for them to get off the road. My young son was terrified as we drove within 3 feet of some of the bison. When we finally made it back to Rapid City that night it felt like we had survived a near-death experience.

Overall it was a great 4 day road trip of over 2,000 miles to and from northern Illinois. My wife and I are going back to that area this summer to visit Yellowstone and Grand Tetons national park and doing it a bit more luxuriously this time! I hope we don't have to worry about snow in July, and we will be staying at the Inns right inside the national parks.

 

[Brian41]

I saw Mt Rushmore and Crazy Horse a couple years ago with some hunting buddies and enjoyed it very much. When we pulled into Mt. Rushmore I offered to pay for the truck full of us not knowing the price. I paid it but wasn't so willing to open my mouth and make such offers for Crazy Horse.
I also stopped at Wall Drug myself on the way and had a good time even if I bought nothing.
Once was enough for all three of them but would do it again if say my wife was with me so she could see them.

 

[mtgianni]

I love Mt Rushmore and have seen Crazy Horse once. Check out the caves, Custer St park, the Hot Springs, Devils Tower and the Needles while you are there. The best thing about Wall Drug is the restrooms are relatively clean.

 

[Marshwheeling]

For my money, Custer Park is the best part of the Black Hills, and the Wildlife Loop is the best part of that. You can have close encounters with bison, Big Horn sheep, wild burros, and at a distance, antelope. The loop road is one of the most entertaining motorcycle roads you can find anywhere. The scenery is heart-breakingly beautiful.

You can extend the experience by taking Red Valley Road out of the southeast corner of the park near the buffalo corrals. It leads down through the back side of Wind Cave park, which has its own herd of buffalo, and lots more antelope.

 

[ACP230]

I have been to Rushmore twice, once at 12 and once when my youngest son was around that age. I'd like to go back. Did not make Crazy Horse.

Had a fine time in Theodore Roosevelt National Park in ND too.

A real tourist trap is Wall Drug in Wall, SD. I was also there at 12.
When my wife and I took the kids to Wall Drug after going to Rushmore
I was amazed at how much bigger it had gotten. Plan to go back there
also.

 

[acco40]

For my money, Custer Park is the best part of the Black Hills, and the Wildlife Loop is the best part of that. You can have close encounters with bison, Big Horn sheep, wild burros, and at a distance, antelope. The loop road is one of the most entertaining motorcycle roads you can find anywhere. The scenery is heart-breakingly beautiful.

You can extend the experience by taking Red Valley Road out of the southeast corner of the park near the buffalo corrals. It leads down through the back side of Wind Cave park, which has its own herd of buffalo, and lots more antelope.

Bring a couple of bags of carrots for the Begging Burros at Custer State Park! I love the Blackhills area of South Dakota!

 

[Bullet Bob]

Hey, quit knocking Wall Drug! They know what they are, and are proud of it. When I lived in South Dakota 1980-85, we used to stop at Wall Drug for breakfast sometimes when headed east for antelope or pheasant. Nice folks. I'd like to have the money they've made off of jackalopes alone.

Loved Mt Rushmore; Crazy Horse, let me know when it's done.

If you go and do Custer State Park, be sure and take some binoculars, lot's of bird life to see in addition to the other animals.

Or heck, you could come this way and go to Stone Mountain. Heck of a laser light show at night, and Elvis sings Dixie while the horses start to move - or at least he used to, may not be correct enough anymore.

 

[UncaGrunny]

Mount Rushmore was never actually finished, either; it was originally supposed to continue down the mountain to depict the Presidents down to the waist.
Funding pulled in 1941 for some other project...

 

[Comrad]

Mount Rushmore was never actually finished, either; it was originally supposed to continue down the mountain to depict the Presidents down to the waist.
Funding pulled in 1941 for some other project...

And the Hall of Records behind the heads.

 

[Marshwheeling]

Hey, quit knocking Wall Drug! They know what they are, and are proud of it. When I lived in South Dakota 1980-85, we used to stop at Wall Drug for breakfast sometimes when headed east for antelope or pheasant. Nice folks. I'd like to have the money they've made off of jackalopes alone.

Loved Mt Rushmore; Crazy Horse, let me know when it's done.

If you go and do Custer State Park, be sure and take some binoculars, lot's of bird life to see in addition to the other animals.

Or heck, you could come this way and go to Stone Mountain. Heck of a laser light show at night, and Elvis sings Dixie while the horses start to move - or at least he used to, may not be correct enough anymore.

Wall Drug is what it is, which has always been a must stop for travelers across South Dakota.I always stopped there on my way out to college in the '60s. My rancher buddy went to school in Wall, through high school. More than just a tourist stop, it is a commercial center for surrounding ranchers.

When we were ranching, sometimes we would make the 18-mile drive into town for Saturday night fun. I remember one night when a couple of 30-somethings from Wisconsin were lining up shots of Beam rye for three of us fat old guys who had showed them a thing or two about wrestling a dirt bike around the cedar draws and Bentonite ridges of the breaks. We were fortunate to have a non-drinking driver, because we needed one.

Of course, if you want a beaded belt that says "Wall Drug" on it, there is only one place to go, just 554 miles from here.

 

[mc5aw]

I went out to Sturgis a few years back and visited Mt. Rushmore. It is impressive, and a place to definitely stop and walk around. I also planned to visit Crazy Horse, but the admission fee was crazy horse hockey. I'm quite certain far more people are put off by the oppressive price than those who actually pay. Sad really, as Crazy Horse should be Part 2 of the mandatory monument tour when visiting the area, but Mt. Rushmore is simply a better value.

 

[87supraman]

Going there this weekend. Good to know about the $26 fee. Have been once before, but just a quick trip driving through and skipped CH. You have to have some serious will power to not stop at Wall Drug if you are crossing SD.

Sent from my SCH-I645

 

[Ranger514]

I have been to Rushmore several times, I use the Golden Years Senior Card and it is Free. You pay a small fee for parking there. I enjoy the diarama down town of how they built it.

Also enjoed The Badlands and Wall Drug, a world wide known Tourist Trap. Food there is not bad and they have some very nice collections or guns and brands on the walls of the place.

To get the Golden Years Senior card, the next time you visit any national park just ask the Ranger at the entrance. I think it only cost $10.00 and is good for life.

For some very interesting motorcycles stop by Sturgis.

Deadwood and Devils Tower are both worth the trip.

As someone else posted the Black Hills are all encompassing in beauty.

The Golden Age Pass is good for free entry to National Park units that charge an "Entrance Fee." That includes bigger Parks like Yellowstone, Badlands, Grand Canyon, Yosemite, etc. You have to be 62 or older to be able to obtain the pass, and it's well worth the $10.

At Mt. Rushmore National Memorial, the Rushmore Society has a contract to maintain the parking structure, and they currently charge $11 per car or motorcycle as a "Parking Fee." Some of that money goes to help maintain the structure, and some goes toward new projects at the Memorial.

 

[reddogge]

In 2008 we took a bus trip to the National Parks and MR and CH were included. One of the parks was Custer but the bus only stopped at the last stand hill and the visitor center. I was dissapointed because I wanted to see the whole battlefield.

 

[photocosmo]

I took the family to see both of the aforementioned attractions last summer and found them BOTH to be inspirational and gratifying. I don't know where everyone comes up with the $26.00 per head price tag to see CH but for a family of 5, I can assure you all that I did NOT shell out $130.00! There are some tour buses that take you real close to the monument and maybe that's what everyone is complaining about. We went thru the visitor center saw a good movie about the memorial and got a fine view of it too, so I would definitely check Crazy Horse out! As has been mentioned the contrast between the two projects is quite striking. For one thing CH is about 10 times larger than Rushmore! Also the scenic route between the two is beautiful.
We drove from Keystone to Deadwood one full-moon night on a nearly deserted two lane road that passed a bunch of old ghost towns and visited the Deadwood cemetery overlooking town at dusk and THAT experience was PRICELESS. Three 20-something kids and no radio or I-pod; just good old fashioned conversation and at some points awesome silence. Overall I'd say "Do It All!"

 

[steveno]

there is a sign with the mileage pointing to Wall Drug in front of the train station in Amsterdam. this was back in the early 1970's and wasn't a place I would have expected it so I was a little surprised. I used to have a picture of it

 

[Ranger514]

there is a sign with the mileage pointing to Wall Drug in front of the train station in Amsterdam. this was back in the early 1970's and wasn't a place I would have expected it so I was a little surprised. I used to have a picture of it

Wall Drug mileage signs are posted all over the world. There's even one in Antarctica. As the story goes, any time one of the locals enlisted, they could write the Wall Drug with their posting location, and the owners would have a mileage sign made up and shipped to them for posting. Same went for foreign visitors who wanted to take a mileage sign back home to post, or locals who were going to visit foreign lands. The Heustead family got that enterprise going back in the Depression era by using signs to advertise Free Ice Water to travelers.

 

[Marshwheeling]

In 2008 we took a bus trip to the National Parks and MR and CH were included. One of the parks was Custer but the bus only stopped at the last stand hill and the visitor center. I was dissapointed because I wanted to see the whole battlefield.

Errr, the Little Big Horn battlefield is not in Custer park, it is a couple hundred miles away Montana.

 

[sheepdawg]

I've been to Rushmore and the Badlands and they are well worth the visit. Would have made Rushmore twice but my wife's job wouldn't let her off that week. We would have been there 9-11-01. I always think of that when Rushmore is mentioned.

With my wife working that week I painted the house instead. That's what I was doing when I heard the planes hit the World Trade Center.