We postponed our Mt. Rushmore trip.

Hatchdog · 05-09-2020, 08:15 AM

We had a trip to Mt. Rushmore and Deadwood planned for the end of May into June. Rushmore is open but the interpretive areas and ranger talks are suspended. Deadwood’s attractions are mostly “open TBD” and Jewell Cave is closed. So we reluctantly decided to postpone out trip until September. We had reservations at four campgrounds, two in Montana and two in South Dakota and all four were able to re-schedule our stay. I have to say everybody I spoke with couldn’t have been more friendly and helpful.

WFD · 05-09-2020, 08:43 AM

Going to be a lot of that this summer I think!

ernest917 · 05-09-2020, 09:21 PM

We arrive in Custer, SD on Monday and report to The Crazy Horse Memorial on Wednesday the 13th.... We will then begin training in all the “new” preventive measures that will be in place for their opening on the 18th!!!

Looking forward to spending the next 5 months there....

Reverse_snowbird · 05-09-2020, 10:03 PM

It's disappointing, but probably a smart move.

babock · 05-09-2020, 10:43 PM

We will be there in September. Doing a 17 day trip

Hatchdog · 05-10-2020, 09:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ernest917

We arrive in Custer, SD on Monday and report to The Crazy Horse Memorial on Wednesday the 13th.... We will then begin training in all the “new” preventive measures that will be in place for their opening on the 18th!!!

Looking forward to spending the next 5 months there....

Planning on visiting the Crazy Horse Memorial on out trip so hopefully we will “see” you there.

CHICKDOE · 05-10-2020, 09:26 AM

we will be there in september also. we're really looking forward to the trip. we've had three reservations already cancelled on us in april and may.

kayo · 05-10-2020, 12:49 PM

I start work as a RANGER at Devils tower on June 1, almost a month late. I was told that we most probably would not be doing any programs this summer, and some serious questions whether the visitor center would be open

atemplesr · 05-10-2020, 12:51 PM

Make sure you walk around the base. Fantastic! The Movie Close Encounters, the command center in the movie was in the location where the gift shop is. I had to ask. Look for climbers on the side of the mountain. When I was there the oldest person to climb it was almost finished with the climb. I believe he was 93 or close to it. His Sons were climbing with him. Nice campground (State?) in the park. More expensive KPA one just before you get in. Enjoy

atemplesr · 05-10-2020, 12:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ernest917

We arrive in Custer, SD on Monday and report to The Crazy Horse Memorial on Wednesday the 13th.... We will then begin training in all the “new” preventive measures that will be in place for their opening on the 18th!!!

Looking forward to spending the next 5 months there....

Save your entrance tickets. They will get you in for the light show at night. If they still do it. Go early for the light show. Park your car in the upper parking lot. We put lawn chairs in front of our car.

kayo · 05-10-2020, 04:33 PM

We were there several years ago when we took our boys on a big western trip. We were staying in the campground in our backpacking tents and watched the most spectacular thunder and lightning display above and behind the column

Tundra 2014 · 05-10-2020, 05:26 PM

We were there last year in mid.-September. Great time to be there. We spent a week in Custer State Park, Bluebell campgrounds. We Wass a very large variety of wildlife everywhere in Custer. The Bison Round up is some time around that time. We did a jeep tour about 2 days before the round-0up and I think that was great timing. We got to see the area they had gathered the Bison in w/o getting stuck in the 20k people that come for the round-up. Make sure to take the time to spend a day driving through the Badlands, impressive. Be sure to driver through Custer w/o trailer and see some of the tunnels and "Pig-tail" tressels and bridges.

moff34 · 05-10-2020, 06:12 PM

We spent the winter planning and making reservations for a 65 day trip covering Yellowstone NP, Glacier NP, Roosevelt NP, and Rushmore as well as sights in Nebraska, Colorado, Kansas, New Mexico, and Arizona. We should have been at Rushmore the first week of June.

I have just finished cancelling, including all of our side trips, all reservations.

It’s disturbing how many places were only giving partial or no refunds even though they are currently closed and not sure if they would be open when we were scheduled to be there.

milton_w_herron · 05-10-2020, 06:46 PM

Sounds just like my cancellations. Maybe next year.

scayne62 · 05-11-2020, 08:56 AM

right or wrong we are continuing our trip to that area, we arrive June 6 and leave the 15th, it is a family vacation with both my brothers and family, mom and dad. We will do what we can and enjoy our time together otherwise. Not a lot we can do about any of it but I cannot let it stop my life. We can enjoy and be safe at the same time. Hoping to boondock at walmart in soix city IA on the way there.

Oldbears · 05-11-2020, 09:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hatchdog

We had a trip to Mt. Rushmore and Deadwood planned for the end of May into June. Rushmore is open but the interpretive areas and ranger talks are suspended. Deadwood’s attractions are mostly “open TBD” and Jewell Cave is closed. So we reluctantly decided to postpone out trip until September. We had reservations at four campgrounds, two in Montana and two in South Dakota and all four were able to re-schedule our stay. I have to say everybody I spoke with couldn’t have been more friendly and helpful.

I feel your pain Hatchdog. Sorry about your trip, but we'll live to play another day. September will be a fantastic time to visit that area.

Today, we would have been on our way back from a trip to Arches National Park, which was the trip we planned to celebrate our 25th. wedding anniversary. **sigh** Our annual trip to the drag races in June was cancelled. And back in March, my husband was on a plane halfway to Gainesville, FL for the drag races when they got word that the FL gov. had shut down sporting events (but yet they left the beaches open....

) No refund on the tickets, plane fare down the toilet, and the added expense of a rental car to drive back home. And the worst...we had two loved ones pass away back home in Michigan (not Covid related), and we couldn't travel to say our goodbyes or attend a service.

I've tried not to complain...knowing so many people have things much worse. (But it still sucks!) So, we'll just muster through, do our part to keep ourselves and others safe, and wait for better days. By some miracle I managed to snag a new reservation for Arches in October, and even got a better site. So I'm staying optimistic that it all worked out for the better.

KSH · 05-11-2020, 10:57 AM

We just left mt. Rushmore yesterday. It was beautiful. Crazy horse was closed but you can drive into the parking lot. MT. Rushmore was open, visitor center was closed but you can hike up there. Towns were partially open, most stores and half the restaurants are open. We stayed for a week. Well worth it.

Sbosserman · 05-11-2020, 12:46 PM

I have seen both Mount Rushmore and Crazy Horse monuments, but I must say the Crazy Horse is sooooo much more impressive regarding the actual physical size of the head alone. The Crazy Horse head is almost 9 stories tall but Mount Rushmore heads are about 6 stories tall. Crazy Horse's outstretched arm is 227 feet long! Absolutely jaw dropping awestruck when I first set eyes on it after juts seeing Mount Rushmore.

Tundra 2014 · 05-11-2020, 02:17 PM

We feel your pain. We diid the trip you had planned in 2019-63 days. We also hit Yellowstone, Grand Teton and ended at the New Mexico Ballon Festival in October.
We had to cancel a trip in March, to the Gulf Coast due to virus w/ many of the TX, LOU state parks closing down, 45 day trip. Hopefully this will improve soon.

RickV · 05-15-2020, 02:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by scayne62

right or wrong we are continuing our trip to that area, we arrive June 6 and leave the 15th, it is a family vacation with both my brothers and family, mom and dad. We will do what we can and enjoy our time together otherwise. Not a lot we can do about any of it but I cannot let it stop my life. We can enjoy and be safe at the same time. Hoping to boondock at walmart in soix city IA on the way there.

👍 Same here we will get to Rapid City for a month on June 7th and have every intention of going. May have to make some changes to where we go in mid July due to Montana's Self Quarantine bull.

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