Presidential Trail, South Dakota, United States

5Grover R 5:00 PM Oct 16, 2021

Best Way to See the Monument from Every Angle plus Exercise
Rushmore is incredible and something every American needs to see. However, once you seen it, what else is there to do. There is a great trail that takes you directly underneath the statues. Not only will it provide you a multiple of viewing locations, it is also the only way to visit the sculptor's studio that will show you the original sculpture made by Gutzon Borglum. Rangers also have programming talks here to explain how the work was done. From the terrace, there are two ways to go. If you are pressed for time or want to avoid many stairs, choose the left walkway as it is a sidewalk trail to the base of the mountain. If you want the full experience and the Sculptor's Studio, choose the right walkway for the entire loop. I will caution there are a lot of stairs but there are some amazing views this way.

5Disneybus 5:00 PM Jul 5, 2021

Options on navigating the trail
The Presidential trail loops from the center viewing platform around the base of the Monument back to the platform. For those challenged by the 422 steps on the right side path we recommend taking the left path (all cement) to the base of the Presidents, then coming back in reverse direction. We're in our seventies and did the complete loop, and found the steps challenging but doable, with rests in between on provided seating. You absolutely need to experience the trail to be looking up at the Presidents to appreciate the Monument. A ranger is available at the base to answer questions. A bonus on the trail, if you navigate the steps, is the Sculptor's Studio, where you go inside to learn from a ranger how the Memorial was sculpted.