Mount Rushmore in July - ilive4travel

Planning on visiting Mount Rushmore and thinking of visiting Mount Rushmore in July, then find out here what weather to expect in the park in July, how people decide to come visit, what is open and what you can do at the memorial in July.

July is the busiest month, especially around the 4th of July holiday, so be prepared to share the national memorial with many other people.

Mount Rushmore National Memorial in South Dakota, featuring the carved granite faces of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln, framed by green pine trees under a clear blue sky.

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Mt Rushmore Weather in July

July is the hottest month of the year in Mt Rushmore, the average temperature during the day is 84°F (29°C) and the average low for the day of 60°F (16°C), though in the past the temperature has got as high as 98°F (37°C) and the lowest temperature recorded was 46°F (8°C). It is normal though in July to experience many days over 86°F (30°C).

In July there is on average 10 days of rain during the month, though the amount of rainfall is not as much as it is in May and June. Sunset is around 8.20pm to 8.40pm and at 9pm you can watch the evening lighting ceremony.

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If you don’t have a car, make sure to take a tour of Mt Rushmore, Crazy Horse and Custer State Park. It’s an area that you can’t miss. Click here to book your tour.

Does Mount Rushmore do anything for the 4th of July?

Every year Mount Rushmore has a program of cultural events that runs on the 3rd & 4th of July at Mount Rushmore. You can listen to a cultural talk, watch some live music and even see the 4 presidents featured on the mountain walking through the crowds of people for photo opportunities.

It is free to attend the event, but you do need to pay the $10 parking charge and these two days are the busiest days of the year at Mount Rushmore, so if you want to park in one of the 4,200 parking spaces available then it is recommended to get there early.

On the 3rd July you will be able to watch a special lighting ceremony in the evening, though don’t expect to see fireworks, only once have fireworks been allowed by the National Park Service since 2008.

Mount Rushmore Opening Hours in July

In July the park is open the same as June and most of August with it’s summer hours. You are able to enter the grounds and parking structure at 5am to 11pm, though at 5am you won’t find anything else open.

The visitors center, information center and sculptors studio are open from 8am, with the sculptors studio closing at 8pm and the others at 10pm. Make sure to visit the visitors center to find out the times of the rangers talks at the sculptors studio for that day.

The large gift shop is open from 8am to 10.30pm if you are wanting to take home a souvenir or buy a present for someone special during your trip. You can also enjoy something to eat from Carvers Cafe from 9am to 9pm.

Also make sure to stay into the evening to watch the lighting ceremony which begins at 9am and with the mountain lit up from 9.30pm until 11pm.

Distant view of Mount Rushmore in South Dakota, with the carved faces of four U.S. presidents, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln, set against rugged granite cliffs. There are green pine trees in the foreground under the monument which is under a bright blue sky with scattered white clouds.

Is July a good time to visit Mount Rushmore?

If you are wanting to experience Mount Rushmore in hot weather, though it is the 3rd wettest month of the year and the busiest month of the year for visitors, then July is a good time to visit.

If you want to experience Independence Day at a patriotic place in the states, then Mount Rushmore could be a good choice, you will see special events held that are not held on any other days of the year.

Also everything at the park is open, so you can see everything at the park in July, listen to the rangers talks and see the evening lighting ceremony. If you don’t want to experience these 2 things or see the sculptors studio, then you could visit at any other time of the year.

How many people visit Mount Rushmore in July

July is the busiest month in the park with 844,074 visitors visiting the park in July 2023 and 830,581 visitors in July 2022. The busiest two days of the year at the park are also in July with it being the 3rd & 4th of July celebrations attracting 63,000 people in just two days.

On average in July there are around 20,000 people visiting the park a day, though you can expect weekends to be much busier than weekdays.

If you want to avoid the crowds then it is recommended to visit early in the morning before the crowds get there, you could walk the presidential trail and then visit the visitors center once it opens at 8am.

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How long do I need to visit Mount Rushmore in July

I would recommend allowing at least 3-4 hours to visit Mt Rushmore in July, there are crowds of people and you may need to wait to watch the video at the visitors center to learn the history of the park and to see one of the talks by a ranger at the sculptors studio.

If you are planning to watch the evening lighting ceremony then you may need to budget more time as the ceremony itself is 30 minutes, before the mountain is lit up.

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