Mount Rushmore – Kyle Simnitt

This past summer my family and I drove to South Dakota. For most of our trip, we stayed at a lodge that was within viewing distance of Mount Rushmore. One day during the trip, we drove 5 minutes by car to Mount Rushmore and viewed it from up close at the base. I will admit, movies and pictures make it seem a lot closer than it is from the park. Mount Rushmore is a National Memorial that is open to the public, but is on federal land. Other than the large stone sculpture itself, the memorial includes a small trail where you can get a bit closer, an amphitheater, a museum, and a gift shop. One last cool thing I would like to mention is all of the state flags that are lined up when you walk up to the actual main viewing area. All 50 state flags are flying on either side of you and it really adds to the experience.

In the museum, the Parks Service has a presentation every 30 minutes that details the creation of Mount Rushmore and the process in which it underwent. I thought that the museum was a neat part of the experience because it taught me about the specific process and history that is all wrapped up in the park itself. The presentation involves a member of the National Park Service describing the specific process the sculptor Gutzon Borglum and his workers underwent to make the faces out of the raw mountain. This is something that I thought was very cool because it explained how they were able to accomplish this feat with the equipment and technology of their time. This technology included drilling precise holes and inserting sticks of dynamite to blast the rock away. 

Within the museum, there are a few other amazing things to note. One thing is a bronze sculpture that is the original design by Gutzon Borglum that was the basis for the larger stone sculpture. It was interesting because the original design included much more of the President’s bodies instead of just mainly their faces. Another interesting thing that is shown in the museum is the original drawings for the vault that was supposed to house The United States Constitution and The Declaration of Independence. This is something that I never actually knew about and thought it was interesting to learn.

Since we went during the summer, it was a little bit hot during our trip but luckily, the day that we visited Mount Rushmore it was a little bit rainy so it wasn’t too bad. I would recommend that you go during the spring or fall when it isn’t too hot, but the weather isn’t really a problem. 

Overall, I would highly recommend traveling here and recreating because it is something that I believe everyone should see in their life if they have the ability to do so. It is an experience that is hard to encapsulate with feelings that are difficult to describe. I enjoyed experiencing a part of history and what this sculpture represents.