Profile
Blog
Photos
Videos
We got up, ate breakfast and started to take the Iron Mountain Road to Mount Rushmore but when we got more than half way up the road we saw that the gates were closed and the road was closed until midday. We did get to see Mount Rushmore from a distance, though. So we turned around and took the Playhouse Road which took us into Keystone and then to Mount Rushmore. During all of this, we did get to also see a herd of bighorn sheep pretty close which was really neat.
We took a few pictures, completed the Junior Ranger program, watched the brief movie and walked the Presidential Trail. Liam is into taking photos so he has been in charge of all the pictures when we stop and site see.
Nearby Mount Rushmore is a great climbing area so we drove there, about 5 minutes away, made chili and ate it for lunch then went climbing. We were in the Wrinkled Rock Climbing Area of the Black Hills National Forest and climbed two routes on the Toy Boat Rock.
It was about 4 pm by now so we decided to leave and take the Needles Scenic Highway which took us through aspen trees changing colors, unique rock formation and very small old tunnels. We stopped at Sylvan Lake to see it and take a few photos and then took Playhouse Road back to Iron Mountain Road which was now open. The road took us up the mountain and had really cool tunnels that would frame Mount Rushmore in the distance. The road took us back into Keystone where we ate pizza, again.
By this time it was dark so we drove the short distance back to Mount Rushmore to see it at night under the stars and with the lights on it. I found viewing it at night better because you could see more details. We took a few photos and then drove back to the Stockdale Campground in Custer State Park where we were still camping. We got back after 8 pm and took warm showers and then went to bed.
- comments