Is Mount Rushmore Open Year-Round? Weather, Hours, and Closures

Seeing Mount Rushmore in person is an unforgettable experience, and you can see it any time of year! If you’re looking to experience this amazing memorial for yourself, you might be wondering if you’ll encounter any closures.

You can visit Mount Rushmore year-round, but the grounds are only open during certain hours of the day, and everything closes down overnight.

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My name is Ash, and I’m a former park ranger. Visiting Mount Rushmore and the Black Hills is one of my favorite family vacations — you’ll find us here often!

I’ve got a lot of information for you about visiting Mount Rushmore year-round, including the hours, closures, and weather you can expect while you’re here.

Is Mount Rushmore Open Year-Round?

The good thing about Mount Rushmore is that it’s open year-round, so you’ll be able to see the memorial on any day you’d like! However, Mount Rushmore is not open 24 hours a day. You have to visit during specific hours to enter the memorial grounds and explore.

For example:

• The Information Desk and Visitor Center are open year-round, but the operating hours vary throughout the year
• The Memorial Grounds and parking garages are open year-round but you can’t stay overnight
• Ranger programs do not run year-round
• Trails may be closed due to construction or unsafe conditions

You’ll want to be sure that you know the operating hours for Mount Rushmore so you can get in to see everything, so let’s talk specifics!

Operating Hours for Mount Rushmore National Memorial

Mount Rushmore Memorial Grounds and Parking Hours

To get in and experience Mount Rushmore up close, the memorial grounds need to be open. The hours vary depending on the season, but the grounds are typically open from 5 a.m. – 11 p.m. from mid-March through September and 5 a.m. – 9 p.m. during the off-season.

During those open hours, you’ll enter the memorial through an entrance station, park in the parking structure, and then walk to Mount Rushmore to reach all of the can’t-miss activities.

The Mount Rushmore grounds are open every day year-round, even on major holidays like Christmas!

Mount Rushmore Entrance Station Hours

Mount Rushmore has an entrance station that you’ll go through to get close access to the memorial. This entrance station collects a parking fee and then leads directly to the parking structure.

Because the memorial grounds are only open during specific hours (as mentioned above), the entrance station is only open during those hours as well. There is no after-hours or overnight access to Mount Rushmore National Memorial.

Everyone is required to pay the parking fee — your national parks pass (America the Beautiful Annual, Senior Pass, etc.) doesn’t work here. You’re not paying an entrance fee (which is what those passes cover)…you’re paying a parking fee. That was a surprise to me the first time I visited Mount Rushmore!

Mount Rushmore Visitor Services Hours

Mount Rushmore National Memorial not only includes the faces on the mountain — you’ll find several interpretive buildings, restaurants and gift shops, and some great ranger programs!

These visitor services are available when the memorial grounds are open but on shortened hours. And if you visit on Christmas, only the memorial grounds will be open. None of these buildings/extra services are available that day.

You can find the following visitor services at Mount Rushmore:

• Information Center — you’ll pass this building first as you enter the memorial grounds. You can learn more about the memorial and pick up a self-guided tour here.
• Visitor Center — this is the main visitor center where you can find exhibits all about Mount Rushmore, talk to a ranger, get a jr. ranger book, and catch a ranger program.
• Sculptor’s Studio — if you want to learn all the creation of Mount Rushmore and how it was built, come here for a great ranger program and to see a smaller version of the memorial.
• Cafe — when you get hungry, you can come here for a variety of food options. Don’t forget the ice cream!
• Gift Shop — this large gift shop has everything you need to remember your time at Mount Rushmore.
• Ranger programs — you can join some fascinating ranger programs here during the peak season (June-September). My favorite is the Evening Lighting Ceremony. Ranger programs don’t run year-round.

You’ll find the specific operating hours for each of these services here.

Common Closures at Mount Rushmore

Common Road Closures at Mount Rushmore

The road that leads to Mount Rushmore is kept open year-round, so you can visit the memorial any day!

South Dakota winters can be harsh, so you may encounter inclement weather and bad road conditions if you’re trying to get to Mount Rushmore during the off-season.

Common Trail Closures at Mount Rushmore

All of the hiking trails at Mount Rushmore are available year-round too! However, trails can be slippery, dangerous, or completely impassable during the winter months — especially the Blackberry Trail.

You’ll want to check the current conditions at the memorial before you go to make sure you know of any last-minute closures before you go.

What is the Weather Like at Mount Rushmore?

You’re high in the Black Hills when you visit Mount Rushmore, so the weather will be different here than at other nearby places. You’ll find more precipitation and lower temperatures than in Rapid City (which can be so nice during the summer!), so you’ll want to prepare for changing weather conditions while at Mount Rushmore.

Take a look at this graph that shows the average temperatures and precipitation levels at Mount Rushmore:

	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sept	Oct	Nov	Dec
Avg High (F)	37	36	44	50	60	71	79	78	70	55	44	37
Avg Low (F)	18	18	25	32	42	52	60	58	50	37	27	20
Avg Snow (“)	7	9	10	13	2	0	0	0	1	5	6	7
Avg Rain (“)	0.5	0.8	1.4	2.6	4.8	3.6	3.6	2.3	1.8	1.8	0.6	0.5

Winter at Mount Rushmore

Mount Rushmore is cold in the winter, and starting in November, the memorial gets a lot of snow each month through April—sometimes even more than 10 inches in a month! Temperatures drop below freezing nearly every day during the winter, so bring your warmest winter clothes!

If you decide to brave the cold, you’ll be treated to a much quieter experience at Mount Rushmore than most people usually get.

Spring at Mount Rushmore

Spring is a very short season at Mount Rushmore—April is actually often the snowiest month of the year here! Temperatures are still likely to be near freezing in April and warm up to around 60 degrees in May.

You’ll want to be prepared for any type of weather if you are visiting Mount Rushmore in the spring. You might encounter beautiful sunny days or a snowstorm this time of year!

Summer at Mount Rushmore

Summer is the high season in the park, which means that everything is open and operating on extended hours. It’s extremely crowded and busy at this time, and temperatures are usually in the 70s or 80s. This is much cooler than other nearby national parks like Wind Cave and Badlands.

If you’re visiting in the summer, expect to enjoy beautiful sunny days and comfortable temperatures at Mount Rushmore!

Autumn at Mount Rushmore

Autumn weather at Mount Rushmore changes drastically between September and October—the temperature stays pretty warm until October, when the memorial starts getting a lot more snow and rain. Plan on any kind of weather if you’re planning your trip to Mount Rushmore in the fall!

So now you may be asking yourself, when is the best time to visit Mount Rushmore?

There are a lot of variables to think about when planning your trip to the memorial. Click here to see my specific recommendations for the best times to visit Mount Rushmore.

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