Mount Rushmore National Monument
- Mount Rushmore - Custer State Park -
Visiting Mount Rushmore: A Return Trip After 50 Years
April 29, 2025
Decades after my childhood family vacation to Mount Rushmore, I found myself returning to this iconic American landmark. This time, not from the back of a station wagon, but from behind the wheel. As the granite faces of Washington, Jefferson, Roosevelt, and Lincoln came into view, so did the memories of that first trip many years ago.
We arrived on a beautiful Monday morning, with a few clouds scattered across the sky that only enhanced the view of the monument. Unlike my first visit, this time I had the opportunity to explore the area in depth. In addition to taking in the view from the main observation deck, we hiked the scenic Presidential Trail, which offers several unique vantage points of the carving and surrounding Black Hills.
As we left and I caught a glimpse of Mount Rushmore in my rearview mirror, it truly hit home as I was seeing the same view I remembered from my childhood. This return to Mount Rushmore National Memorial was both nostalgic and awe inspiring, a reminder of the power of travel to reconnect us with our past.
