Accessibility

Mount Rushmore ADA Parking Map (Click on map to view larger image)

ADA Accessible Parking

Arriving at Mount Rushmore

When you arrive, enter the parking area through lane 4. Lane 4 is marked for RVs, buses, trailers, and accessible parking and has a staff member to direct you where to go.

Drop off

If you need to unload a passenger with a mobility impairment, use lane 4 to get directions to the drop off zones. You may unload mobility-impaired passengers next to the main entryway. After unloading, follow the post drop off route (shown on the map on the right) back to the entrance and park in the parking garage (fee area).

Accessible Parking Locations

Signs at the entrance to each level indicate whether that level has accessible parking spaces. The top levels of both parking structures (level 3 and level 6) have the most accessible parking spots. A wheelchair ramp near level 6 provides access from the upper parking levels to the entrance pergola. Elevators are located near the stairs in the parking garage to provide access to all levels.

For more information about parking please visit our parking page.

 

Mount Rushmore wheelchairs inside the Information Center.

NPS Photo

Wheelchairs

Manual wheelchairs (both standard and wide sizes) are available to check out inside the Information Center. Wheelchairs are available first-come, first-served and are free to use. National Park Service employees cannot take responsibility for any personal items such as canes or walkers. To avoid any members of your party having to go back and forth we suggest utilizing the drop off zone in order to leave these items in your vehicle.

Mobility Impairments

Amphitheater and Lincoln Borglum Visitor Center

Elevators are located on either side of the Grand View Terrace and provide access to the Lincoln Borglum Visitor Center and Amphitheater.

Sculptor's Studio

Depending on security issues, the Sculptor's Studio is wheelchair accessible from the remote parking area. Check with a ranger in the Information Center. If available, you will drive your car to the accessible parking at the Sculptor’s Studio. The Sculptor’s Studio closes earlier than the other buildings. Plan your trip accordingly.

Trails

The Presidential Trail is surfaced to accommodate wheelchairs from the Grand View Terrace to viewing areas at the base of the mountain about 0.2 miles. The remaining 0.4 miles of trail leading away from the mountain to the Sculptor’s Studio is not accessible for mobility impairments and consists of 422 stairs.

The Nature Trail is not wheelchair accessible.

Parking Facility

Elevators are available on all levels. A wheelchair ramp located next to level 6 near the stairs provides access to the main entrance.

Carvers' Café and Gift Shop

The Carvers' Café and the Gift Shop are wheelchair accessible.

 

Hearing Impairments

American Sign Language Interpretation

American Sign Language interpretation is available by request. This service is free of charge. Please email us to request an interpreter. Requests must be received no less than 14 days prior to your visit.

Videos

Closed captions are available in English on all videos provided at Mount Rushmore including: videos throughout the Lincoln Borglum Visitor Center, the 14-minute movie "Mount Rushmore: The Shrine", and "Freedom: America's Lasting Legacy” which plays during the Evening Lighting Ceremony.

 

Mount Rushmore brochure in Braille format.

NPS Photo

Visual Impairments

Brochures in braille are available at the Information Center or Lincoln Borglum Visitor Center. You may also download a copy in Braille Ready Format.

An audio described version of the brochure is also available by downloading the UniDescription app. The app is free and available on the iOS platform and Android platform.

 

Service Animals

Service animals, as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act requirements, are permitted to accompany visitors with disabilities in all areas open to the public at Mount Rushmore National Memorial.

The 2010 revision to Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) defines a “service animal” as a dog that has been individually trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of an individual with a disability, including a physical, sensory, psychiatric, intellectual, or other mental disability.

The work or task a dog has been trained to provide must be directly related to the person’s disability. A dog that is in training to become a service animal is not considered a service animal.

National Parks: Accessible to Everyone

Emotional Support Animals

• Comfort or emotional support animals do not qualify as service animals. The key difference between a service animal and a comfort animal is that a service animal is trained to do work or perform tasks, whereas a comfort or emotional support animal is not.

• Service animals in training, comfort animals, and pets are subject to the park’s pet regulations and are not allowed past the entrance pergola. For more information about where your pets are allowed check out our Pets page.