Updated October 2026
Best Time to Visit Mount Rushmore National Memorial
National MemorialSouth Dakota
Best month to visit
September
69°F / 50°F avg high / low
Our recommendation
Visit Mount Rushmore in September
September offers the lightest crowds of the park's good-weather months. For comparison, July is the most crowded month (~3.0× the average month) and January is the quietest.
- Annual visits
- 1.9M
- 2025
- Busiest month
- Jul
- 3.0× avg
- Quietest month
- Jan
- 0.1× avg
- 10-yr trend
- steady
- -0.6%
How crowded is Mount Rushmore by month?
Relative crowd level by month (1.0 = the park's average month), from NPS visitation records 1979–2025.
Month-by-month crowd, weather & daylight
Mount Rushmore National Memorial weather by month →
| Month | Crowd level | Best-time score | Avg high / low | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Very quiet | 2 Poor | 37°F / 19°F | 9.1 h |
| February | Very quiet | 4 Poor | 36°F / 18°F | 10.2 h |
| March | Very quiet | 46 Fair | 44°F / 25°F | 11.6 h |
| April | Very quiet | 49 Fair | 50°F / 32°F | 13.2 h |
| May | Average | 57 Fair | 60°F / 42°F | 14.5 h |
| June | Very busy | 58 Fair | 71°F / 52°F | 15.3 h |
| July | Very busy | 52 Fair | 79°F / 59°F | 15.0 h |
| August | Very busy | 62 Good | 78°F / 58°F | 13.8 h |
| Septemberour pick | Very busy | 60 Good | 69°F / 50°F | 12.3 h |
| October | Quiet | 48 Fair | 55°F / 37°F | 10.8 h |
| November | Very quiet | 43 Poor | 44°F / 27°F | 9.4 h |
| December | Very quiet | 1 Poor | 37°F / 20°F | 8.7 h |
Climate normals (1991–2020) from the nearest NOAA station (USC00395870, ~0.4 mi away).
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About visiting Mount Rushmore
Mount Rushmore National Memorial is a National Memorial in SD and one of the busier parks in the system, drawing about 1.9 million recreation visits in 2025. Visitation has held fairly steady over the past decade. Crowds concentrate sharply by season: July is the busiest month at about 3.0× the park's average month, while January is the calmest at roughly 0.1× — a 27-to-1 swing between high and low season. Roughly 63% of the year's visitors arrive in the three summer months of June, July and August alone, so timing a trip outside that window is the single biggest lever on how crowded the park feels. Weather swings from an average high-season warmth near 69°F in July down to about 27°F in February, with the wettest stretch in May and meaningful snowfall around April. About 5 months a year see comfortable average temperatures in the 50–80°F range, which is part of why crowd timing and weather timing don't always line up. The sweet spot is September: the lightest crowds of the park's good-weather months. Visit then and you trade a little peak-season certainty for noticeably shorter lines and easier parking than the July rush. Daylight ranges from about 8.7 hours in midwinter to 15.3 hours near the summer solstice, which shapes how much ground you can cover in a day. These crowd figures are drawn from 1979–2025 of National Park Service visitor-use records, paired with 1991–2020 NOAA climate normals, and are updated as new monthly data is released.
Park overview
Majestic figures of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln, surrounded by the beauty of the Black Hills of South Dakota, tell the story of the birth, growth, development and preservation of this country. From the history of the first inhabitants to the diversity of America today, Mount Rushmore brings visitors face to face with the rich heritage we all share.
Weather & conditions
Weather at Mount Rushmore can be highly variable in any season. Summer high temperatures range from 70 to 100 degrees Fahrenheit. Fall high temperatures range from 45 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit. Winter high temperatures range from 20 to 40 degrees Fahrenheit. Spring high temperatures range from 30 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Typically, July and August are the warmest months and January and February are the coldest. March and April receive the most snow, while May and June receive the most rain.
Park overview text courtesy of the National Park Service — official park site.
Where to stay near Mount Rushmore
Hotels, cabins, lodges and vacation rentals near Mount Rushmore National Memorial — live availability and prices to plan your trip. September is our pick for the best balance of light crowds and good weather. Full lodging guide: when to book, gateway vs in-park, and the crowd calendar that drives room rates.
Top-rated places to stay near Mount Rushmore
Prices for Oct 30–Nov 1, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
Availability and prices from Stay22 partners (Booking.com, Vrbo, Expedia). We may earn a commission from bookings, at no extra cost to you.
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Getting there — nearest airports
Updated October 2026The closest airport to Mount Rushmore National Memorial is Rapid City Regional Airport (RAP), about 31 mi (47 min drive) away.
| Airport | Distance | Drive time | Airlines |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rapid City Regional Airport (RAP)Best for flights | 31 mi | 47 min | Allegiant Air, American Airlines, Delta, United Airlines |
| Chadron Airport (CDR) | 101 mi | 2 hr 9 min | Frontier Airlines, Great Lakes Airlines, United Airlines |
| Alliance Airport (AIA) | 160 mi | 3 hr 19 min | Frontier Airlines, Great Lakes Airlines, United Airlines |
| Western Nebraska Regional Airport (BFF) | 197 mi | 4 hr 2 min | Frontier Airlines, Great Lakes Airlines, United Airlines |
| Pierre Regional Airport (PIR) | 217 mi | 3 hr 49 min | Frontier Airlines, Great Lakes Airlines, United Airlines |
Which airport should you choose?
- Shortest drive: Rapid City Regional Airport (RAP) — about 47 min from the park.
Frequently Asked Questions
September offers the lightest crowds of the park's good-weather months at Mount Rushmore National Memorial. The park is busiest in July (about 3.0× the average month) and quietest in January.
July is the busiest month at Mount Rushmore National Memorial, running roughly 3.0 times the park's average monthly visitation.
January is the quietest month at Mount Rushmore National Memorial, at about 0.1× the average month — a good choice if you want to avoid crowds.
Mount Rushmore National Memorial recorded about 1,905,649 recreation visits in 2025. Visitation has been steady over the past decade (-0.6%).
Based on 1991–2020 climate normals, the warmest month at Mount Rushmore National Memorial averages about 69°F (July). See the month-by-month table above for the full picture.
Rapid City Regional Airport (RAP) is the closest airport to Mount Rushmore National Memorial, about 31 mi (47 min drive) away.
There is no airport inside Mount Rushmore National Memorial. Fly into Rapid City Regional Airport (RAP) and drive the rest of the way — about 47 min.
Nearby parks to visit
Keep exploring
Water quality of lakes near Mount Rushmore
If you are planning to swim, paddle or fish on this trip, these graded lakes are within a 40-mile drive. Grades are A–F from EPA and state-agency sampling.
- Canyon Lake water qualityGrade — · 15 mi · SD
- Lak Reservoir water qualityGrade — · 33 mi · WY
- Howell Reservoir water qualityGrade — · 38 mi · WY
- M W Lake water qualityGrade — · 38 mi · WY
- Bear Butte Lake water qualityGrade — · 40 mi · SD
Sources: National Park Service Visitor Use Statistics (1979–2025), NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020. Crowd index = a month's visits ÷ the park's average month.