Mount Rushmore National Memorial is a popular place to visit in South Dakota. The faces of the prominent USA presidents make millions of visitors come to the Black Hills area each year. But where to stay near Mount Rushmore for the best experience?
Keystone is the place to stay closest to Mount Rushmore. In addition, other options for where to stay when visiting Mt Rushmore are Hill City, Custer and Rapid City.
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Jump to
- Keystone – Nearest Mt Rushmore
- Hill City – Second closest town
- Custer – A little further away
- Rapid City – The bigger city
Keystone
From Keystone it’s just 3 miles (5 km) by car to Mount Rushmore National Memorial. No other option for where to stay near Mount Rushmore is as convenient. As the drive is so short from your Mt Rushmore hotel in Keystone to the memorial you effortlessly can travel between them.
To stay near Mount Rushmore gets even more important if you plan to catch the popular nightly lighting ceremony when you visit. The lightshows at Mount Rushmore is a very appreciated summer tradition.
In Keystone you also find all the Mount Rushmore hotels and restaurants that you need for a great visit. And the town has a charming Wild West feel and fun things to do that gives that special dimension to a Mount Rushmore stay.
Side attractions include Rushmore Tramway Adventures, Rush Mountain Adventure Park, National Presidential Wax Museum and the 1880 Train. Mount Rushmore is certainly not the only attraction in the Keystone area.
In short, Keystone is the best place to stay near Mount Rushmore National Memorial if you look for the ultimate access. No other option for where to stay near Mt Rushmore is located as close as Keystone. In addition the small city with Mount Rushmore hotels also offers fun attractions for time you don’t spend at the memorial.
- Distance: 3 mi / 5 km
- Driving time: ≈ 10 min
- Pick Keystone for: The hotels closest to Mt Rushmore.
Favorite location. When it comes to access, there is no better option for where to stay near Mount Rushmore than Keystone. The South Dakota town is located just an easy ride away from the famous national memorial.
Best hotels in Keystone
Roosevelt Inn Mount Rushmore
Roosevelt Inn is an extremely convenient place to stay near Mount Rushmore. The Mt Rushmore hotel sits on the southern end of Keystone, which minimizes the driving time to the memorial. It’s so close that the lodging literally is just down the road from Mt Rushmore.
Comfort Inn & Suites Keystone
The Comfort Inn in Keystone sits in the town’s central part and is a comfortable place to stay near Mount Rushmore. From the central Mt Rushmore hotel, you’re perfectly located for exploring all of Keystone including restaurants and shops. And the inviting pool and hot tub is an appreciated bonus for the time you’re not out exploring.
Hill City
Hill City is another very popular town to stay in when visiting Mount Rushmore. The 12 miles (19 km) to drive makes it the second closest town to stay in for Mt Rushmore, only beaten by Keystone.
Just like Keystone you find all you need for a great Mount Rushmore stay in Hill City. The Mount Rushmore city offers a Wild West ambience and the places to eat, drink and sleep for a great vacation.
A bonus with staying in Hill City for Mt Rushmore is that the historic 1880 Train is based here. That means that the morning train on the legendary 1880 line between Hill City and Keystone departs from Hill City. So when you stay at a Mount Rushmore hotel in Hill City you can smoothly begin your day with a historic train ride.
Other popular attractions and reasons to pick Hill City for where to stay near Mount Rushmore are the State Railroad Museum, @The Black Hills Institute and the Civilian Conservation Corps Museum. The authentic things to do makes Hill City a very popular town to stay in near Mount Rushmore for couples and other travelers that look for a more sophisticated experience.
Both Keystone and Hill City are great options for where to stay near Mt Rushmore National Memorial. You can’t go wrong here. Mount Rushmore hotels in Hill City don’t sit as near the national monument as the hotels in Keystone but the city’s side attractions are unique and at least as good.
- Distance: 12 mi / 19 km
- Driving time: ≈ 20 min
- Pick Hill City for: The second closest Mount Rushmore lodging.
Best hotels in Hill City
Comfort Inn & Suites Hill City
At Comfort Inn in Hill City you have all you need for a comfortable time in the Black Hills. From the Mount Rushmore lodging you have walking distance to Hill City attractions and places to grab a bite. Still it’s off the main road making it a peaceful Mt Rushmore place to stay at. In addition the appreciated hotel facilities include an indoor pool and a hot tub.
Custer
Of all the options for where to stay near Mount Rushmore the city of Custer is located furthest south. The city is a great town to hang your hat and unwind in when exploring the Black Hills area.
It’s 20 miles (32 km) from Custer to Mount Rushmore and that makes the city less near the famous monument than Keystone and Hill City. But Custer is a great choice especially if you plan to visit more attractions in the Black Hills area than just Mount Rushmore.
On the road from Custer to Mount Rushmore you pass Crazy Horse. Crazy Horse Memorial is another famous mountain monument in the Black Hills. And no other city gives you better access to Crazy Horse than Custer.
Another of the area’s big attractions is Custer State Park. From Custer you have great access to the beautiful nature in the South Dakota state park.
So when you pick Custer for your Mount Rushmore lodging, you get a great package including not only good access to Mount Rushmore but also to the Crazy Horse Memorial and Custer State Park. Custer is not only a good option for where to stay near Mt Rushmore but also for experiencing the entire Black Hills area.
In Custer you not only find good Mt Rushmore hotels but also restaurants and diners that make you want to come back for more.
All in all, Custer is in many ways a center of adventure in the Black Hills area. The good access to not only Mt Rushmore but also Crazy Horse and Custer State Park makes it a great option for where to stay near Mount Rushmore.
- Distance: 20 mi / 32 km
- Driving time: ≈ 30 min
- Pick Custer for: A good Mt Rushmore and Black Hills base.
Rapid City
Distance wise the 23 miles (37 km) from Rapid City to Mt Rushmore makes it the alternative for where to stay near Mount Rushmore that is located furthest away from the memorial.
But Rapid City is by far the biggest city of all the options for where to stay near Mt Rushmore. With that comes more Mount Rushmore hotels and things to do for the time you’re not spending at the memorial.
A highlight for the whole family in Rapid City is Bear Country USA. If you drive through the wildlife park you get to see wolves, elk, buffalo and of course lots of black bears from the comfort of your car.
From Rapid City you also have relatively good access to highlights in Badlands National Park compared to the other options for where to stay near Mt Rushmore. That makes Rapid City a great choice for where to stay near Mount Rushmore if you want one single base for both Mt Rushmore and Badlands NP.
As Rapid City is located further away from Mount Rushmore and has a bigger selection of hotels the city is also an option for where to stay near Mount Rushmore on a budget.
To sum up, Rapid City doesn’t offer the very best access to Mount Rushmore. But Rapid City is the best option for where to stay near Mt Rushmore if you want a bigger city with more things to do. Rapid City also a great alternative for where to stay near Mount Rushmore on a budget.
- Distance: 23 mi / 37 km
- Driving time: ≈ 30 min
- Pick Rapid City for: A bigger city with more things to do and budget-friendliness.
Budget location. Rapid City is a popular option for where to stay near Mount Rushmore on a budget. As a bonus the city also gives you better access to highlights in the striking Badlands National Park.
Where to stay near Mount Rushmore FAQ
Here you find the answers to some frequently asked questions about where to stay near Mount Rushmore, South Dakota.
If you want to stay as close as possible when visiting Mount Rushmore the best options are Keystone and Hill City. No other city gives you as great access to Mt Rushmore Memorial. But for more Black Hills attractions Custer and Rapid City are also great options for where to stay when visiting Mount Rushmore.
You can visit Mount Rushmore Memorial in just a few hours. But if you visit during the warmer months of the year it’s also fun to go to Mount Rushmore after dark to see the nightly lighting ceremony. And the Black Hills region has much more to offer than just Mount Rushmore. Therefore it’s recommended to stay at least three nights at Mount Rushmore to take in the beauty of the Black Hills area.
Keystone is the town closest to Mt Rushmore. The 3 miles (5 km) from Keystone to Mount Rushmore National Memorial take around 10 minutes to drive.
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