Private Mount Rushmore Lighting Tour w/ Former Park Ranger
Custer
About
Experience Mount Rushmore in its most powerful setting — illuminated against the evening sky with your private guide who served as a National Park Ranger and once delivered the official evening program.
Your private evening begins with scenic travel into the Black Hills and ascending Iron Mountain Road, where granite tunnels frame distant views of the the president's faces. Upon arrival, you’ll explore the memorial in person.
You’ll hear the deeper stories of engineering challenges, the unfinished chamber behind the faces, tools still embedded in the granite, and the human drama behind the carving of the mountain itself.
As twilight settles, you’ll attend the official Evening Lighting Ce...
Highlights
4 hours and 30 minutes
Offered in English
Free Cancellation
Mobile Ticket
4 hours and 30 minutes
Offered in English
Free Cancellation
Mobile Ticket
What's Included
Soda/Pop
All taxes and fees included
Bottled water
Snacks
Pickup and drop-off from your lodging
Private transportation in a Jeep Wagoneer
Parking Fees
Former National Park Ranger guide
Dinner
Gratuities
Meeting Points
Departure
Mystic Ranger District
8221 Mt Rushmore Rd, Rapid City, SD 57702
Return
Important Information
•
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
•
Please contact us if you select 'Extended pickup' which is 20 to 40 miles away from Rapid City.
Cancellation policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
•
For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
•
Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.
•
If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
•
This experience requires a minimum number of travelers. If it’s canceled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund.
•
Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.
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Items | Private Mount Rushmore Lighting Tour w/ Former Park Ranger
Private Mount Rushmore Lighting Tour w/ Former Park Ranger
Custer
Select Date & Travelers
From
$195
$185.50
Price varies by group size
About
Experience Mount Rushmore in its most powerful setting — illuminated against the evening sky with your private guide who served as a National Park Ranger and once delivered the official evening program.
Your private evening begins with scenic travel into the Black Hills and ascending Iron Mountain Road, where granite tunnels frame distant views of the the president's faces. Upon arrival, you’ll explore the memorial in person.
You’ll hear the deeper stories of engineering challenges, the unfinished chamber behind the faces, tools still embedded in the granite, and the human drama behind the carving of the mountain itself.
As twilight settles, you’ll attend the official Evening Lighting Ce...
Highlights
4 hours and 30 minutes
Offered in English
Free Cancellation
Mobile Ticket
4 hours and 30 minutes
Offered in English
Free Cancellation
Mobile Ticket
What's Included
Soda/Pop
All taxes and fees included
Bottled water
Snacks
Pickup and drop-off from your lodging
Private transportation in a Jeep Wagoneer
Parking Fees
Former National Park Ranger guide
Dinner
Gratuities
Meeting Points
Departure
Mystic Ranger District
8221 Mt Rushmore Rd, Rapid City, SD 57702
Return
Itinerary
1
Iron Mountain Road
We wind along historic Iron Mountain Road, navigating its famous pigtail bridges and granite tunnels—each designed to frame Mount Rushmore in the distance. If time allows, we pause at Norbeck Overlook for sweeping views across the pine-covered hills, building anticipation before the presidents' faces come into view.
30 minutes
2
Presidential Trail
Upon arrival, you explore the memorial together in the quiet light of evening. Your guide previously served as a National Park Ranger and delivered the evening program at Mount Rushmore. You’ll hear stories rarely shared with general visitors—the near-fatal carving accidents, tools still embedded high in the granite, hidden chambers behind the faces, and the engineering required to sculpt the mountain. Binoculars are provided to examine details most visitors miss.
30 minutes
3
Sculptor's Studio
If open, enjoy seeing the 1/12 scale model used to design Mount Rushmore up close inside Gutzon Borglum's second studio.
20 minutes
4
Mount Rushmore National Memorial
The evening program begins with a ranger presentation and short film, followed by the lighting of the monument against the night sky. Veterans are invited forward for recognition, and the evening concludes with the retirement of the American flag—a meaningful close to the ceremony.
