Mount Rushmore Doesn’t Allow Dogs. Look How Much I Care.
KEYSTONE, SOUTH DAKOTA = MONUMENTAL CUTENESS
So I’ve amassed a fair amount of pictures of Bean in front of famous things. I’m sure they’ll all make their way onto the site sooner or later. Stay tuned. 🙂 So far Bean has been to 13 states and counting.. pretty good for a dog. Aaaanyway, for our big trip out West the big get for me was gonna be a pic of us at Mount Rushmore.
As you make your way towards Mount Rushmore, the surrounding area starts to get super fun. For starters, you go under this showstopper of a bridge. The interchange is known as the Keystone Wye. More info on that here. ←
Then you get to go through this guy. It’s called Miner’s Gateway Tunnel. ↓
Then you enter this silly touristy downtown area. There are little shops.. jewelry, trinkets, leather.. a couple ice cream and fudge shops, and all of the exteriors look like a movie. There are also a handful or restaurants, and a few hotels. And a teeny tiny post office. The whole street is suh cute.
NATIONAL MEMORIAL VISITS: NINJA STYLE
When I pictured Mount Rushmore, I kinda just thought it was gonna be off the side of a highway, or off a forest trail. I was unaware of the fact that it’s actually at the end of a suuuuper fancy plaza. Entrance to see the memorial is free, but parking will run you $11. At the parking booth, they will give you a little informational pamphlet with a map in it. They will also tell you that your dog is only allowed in the stupid pet exercise area that is about as far away from the memorial as you can get. There are signs posted around that say no dogs past the first set of columns.
I chose to ignore these signs.
Little Bean and I went on through the columns, and were greeted by quite a few strangers who were happy to see/pet a doggie. I kept taking pictures the closer we got, seeing as how there was the chance we could get booted at any moment.
We kept a brisk pace, and it only took maybe 5 minutes to reach the memorial.
After seeing something so famous in books and on TV so many times, there’s that fear that it won’t be as cool in person. I’m happy to report that Mount Rushmore is actually pretty impressive. And the air around Keystone is reeeally something. Everything is so fresh and clean and sparkly.
Bean and I took in the view, and got our pictures. I’m pretty sure this one guy in a bright yellow jacket was a guard, but he didn’t kick us out. So props to that guy. Maybe he wasn’t, either way I was scared for a sec.
Well there you have it. Our Paws Buzz Go hang session at Mount Rushmore. Unfortunately I can’t tell you to go on ahead and bring your dog, but I CAN tell you it might be worth a try. 😉
INFO TIME ↓
Mount Rushmore National Memorial • 13000 Highway 244 • Keystone, SD 57751 • Mount Rushmore’s website
South Dakota Dept. of Tourism Instagram
This blog is really cool. I have bookmarked it. Do you allow guest posting on your blog ?
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Hi there 🙂 I hadn’t really considered it, but I’d be open to suggestions if you have any ideas! Thanks!
Mount Rushmore is still on my to-go-to list…it has been ever since I saw it in Hitchcock’s “North by Northwest” in my early teens. Love that movie. And LOVE taking my pups places…so maybe I’ll try to sneak them as close to the monument as I can as well 😉 Great pictures!
Thank you so much! You should definitely try! I figured even if I did get kicked out, I’d probably already have my pictures anyway. 😉 Ask for forgiveness not permission 😉 haha