Pets

Aerial photo of the grounds at Mount Rushmore National Memorial.

We realize that many of our visitors enjoy traveling with their pets. However, because of the large numbers of people who visit each day we also have concerns for the comfort and safety of all our visitors, pets and wildlife.

To balance these needs, pets on a leash (no longer than six feet) are permitted only in the parking garages and the areas adjacent to them. These areas are shaded orange on the park facilities map, and include:

• at the entrance to the main visitor area, by the benches at the main pergola (the row of large columns at the walk-in entrance)
• all sidewalks and green spaces in between the parking garages

Pets on a leash are also permitted on the Blackberry Trail, located directly across South Dakota Highway 244 from the parking garage.

To help keep Mount Rushmore clean for those who visit after you, please pick up after your pet with bags that are provided on each side of the parking garage.

While kennel services are not available at Mount Rushmore, they are available in nearby communities.

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 on accessibility at the memorial please visit our Accessibility page.