The Legendary Parks, Monuments and Memorials of the Black Hills
Miles and miles of pine trees and shimmering mountain streams offer visitors an area packed with things to do. This is the Black Hills National Forest, two million acres of scenic splendor. Mount Rushmore and Crazy Horse are here, along with the wild buffalo of Custer State Park. Nearby Wind Cave National Park and Jewel Cave National Monument sparkle with incredible underground cave formations.
To the east lies the rugged beauty of the Badlands. And to the west, just across the border in the Black Hills of Wyoming, stands Devils Tower National Monument. It’s an awesome collection of vacation possibilities! Most of these classic attractions are within an hour’s drive of one another.
Mount Rushmore National Memorial
Imagine trying to capture the spirit of an entire nation in one sculpture. That is the challenge Gutzon Borglum (1867-1941) accepted when be began work on Mount Rushmore – America’s “Shrine of Democracy” – in 1927. Borglum and his team worked six and a half years on the actual carving, but paused in their efforts, due to financial shortages and World War II. The completion of the final masterpiece came 14 years later.
The Washington head was formally dedicated in 1930, followed by Jefferson in 1936, Lincoln in 1937 and Roosevelt in 1939. Borglum died in March 1941; the final dedication was not held until 50 years later. Son Lincoln Borglum supervised the completion of the heads. Today, Borglum’s massive granite carving is seen by nearly 3 million visitors annually, a symbol of the nation’s rich history, rugged determination and love of freedom.
Visitors to Mount Rushmore are typically overwhelmed by the magnitude of the carving. Washington, for example, soars 60 feet high from forehead to chin; each eye measures 11 feet wide; his nose is 20 feet long and his mouth is 18 feet across. Visitors can view the presidential faces from several lookout plazas around the memorial. For the closest look at the faces, follow the Presidential Trail, which will take you right to the base of the mountain. Also, the award-winning Mount Rushmore Audio Tour is available for visitors to rent at the Audio Tour Building during the summer months and in the Mount Rushmore History Association Bookstore located in the Information Center in the winter. The Mount Rushmore Audio Tour: Living Memorial incorporates a lightweight handheld wand that features narration, music, interviews, sound effects and historic recordings of Gutzon Borglum, Lincoln Borglum, Mary Ellis Borglum Vhay, Native Americans and several workers.
Visitors can listen to this self-guided tour while sitting in a favorite spot at the memorial or walking around the park on a suggested route. The entire tour lasts two hours, but visitors can listen to different portions of the tour as time allows.
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Courtesy of leisuregrouptravel.com
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