Best Time to Photograph Mount Rushmore + Best Viewpoints of Mount Rushmore

Mt Rushmore is probably the most photographed site located in South Dakota.  This is a guide to the best time to photograph Mount Rushmore, as well as some of the best viewpoints of Mount Rushmore. Note: all photographs on this page are unedited and uncropped to give you an idea of what the lighting is like at different points in the day. If you see pictures online of lit up faces with the sunset in the back, it is heavily photoshopped.

 Best Time to Photograph Mount Rushmore:

Morning

If you only have time for one visit, you should visit in the morning as this is the time the east facing presidents are lit.  It is the best time of day to visit Mount Rushmore to get your shots of the faces. At sunrise, the faces can have a pink glow.  I was told the monument was not open until 6am, but when I visited around that time, the gates to the parking lot were open so I suspect parking is free before 6am and the monument can be visited.  In early morning, there’s a sharp shadow on Theodore Roosevelt but the other faces are bright.  This shadow shrinks throughout the morning.  By 9am, the tourist groups start arriving and it can get quite busy.

Afternoon

As the afternoon goes on, the faces get darker as the sun goes behind the mountain. 

Sunset

I was looking forward to sunset but was quite disappointed.  There’s no light on the presidents’ faces and the mountain is too high to get a good view of the sunset.  I even drove to watch the sunset from a higher point on Iron Mountain Highway, but it wasn’t the best view. 

Night

This is my second favorite time to visit.  The monument is awash with white light after dark.  I like the Mount Rushmore photos best just before it gets completely dark.  From Memorial Day weekend through September, there’s a nightly Mount Rushmore lighting ceremony.  It’s very patriotic.  There’s a video shown in the amphitheater, and then they turn on the lights. This post contains affiliate links.  This website earns a small commission for items purchased through these links with no additional cost to you. 

Best Viewpoints of Mount Rushmore – the best Mt Rushmore Pictures

There is no Mount Rushmore entry fee, but there is a $10 parking fee.  The good news is that this pass is good for one year, tied to your license plate number, so you can visit at different times during the day to get the best Mt Rushmore pictures – all of your Instagram and family Mount Rushmore photos. 

With the $10 Mount Rushmore Parking Fee:

• The Mount Rushmore Visitor Center – take the stairs or elevator down to the visitor center. There’s a movie and plethora of other information about the history of the area, the rock, and the construction.  Floor to Ceiling windows give one of the most close, direct views and there’s a plaza outside.
• Avenue of Flags – as you approach the monument from the parking lot, you can take shots of the faces between the 50 flags. There is a plan to redesign this area.

• Presidential Trail – This is an easy to moderate trail down to the rock fall under the monument. A chance to get up-nose shots.
• Amphitheater – the further down in the seating, the more up-nose shots you can get.

• Near the Artists’ Studio – there’s a viewing terrace just up from the studio that has a nice view of the monument with framing by trees. 

Without paying a Parking Fee:

• The pull out between the town of Keystone and the entrance – there are a few spots on the way up to the monument. It’s not possible to park on the opposite side of the road at this spot so stop on the way up.
• The Profile – one of my favorite views – the profile of George Washington. You can access this spot from a pull out and small parking lot less than one mile west of the main entrance.  A couple favorite times to shoot – at nighttime, it’s lit.  At sunset, the face is dark, but the rock on the backside of Mount Rushmore has a sunset glow.

• Iron Mountain Road – Road Tunnels. There are several tunnels on Iron Mountain road and two of them have great views of Mt. Rushmore.  There’s a couple parking spots near each on the southern end of the tunnel so you can stop to get pictures of the mountain framed by the tunnel.

• Iron Mountain Road – Norbeck Pass. At the very top of the pass is a great, if a bit distant, viewpoint.

• Iron Mountain Road – Meadow.  As you drive towards Custer State Park from Norbeck Pass, you will see a meadow on your left with the last grand view of Mount Rushmore as you descend the road to Custer Park. 

Where to Stay When Visiting Mount Rushmore

The closest place to stay is the town of Keystone, SD.  There’s a large choice of hotels and lots of shops and restaurants.  Especially handy if you’re staying for the lighting ceremony and if you want to visit the National Monument at various points in the day.  Check Rates and Availability Now.

Do you know of any secret spots to photograph Mount Rushmore?  What’s your favorite view of Mt Rushmore?  Leave your thoughts in the comments below.  And check out these free things to do in the Black Hills.

Best Time of Year to Visit Mount Rushmore

The best time to visit is the shoulder seasons – like May-June and September-October. Not that the lighting show doesn’t start until the weekend of Labor Day. Mount Rushmore is busiest in early August when the annual Sturgis motorcycle rally takes place, it’s best to avoid in the days before and after the rally as hotels are full and the best sights are very busy.

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