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#5 of 11 sights in Mount Rushmore
Scenic pullout · Mount Rushmore National Memorial
A quick roadside stop for Washington’s rock-framed profile.
Overview
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Plan your stop

The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Mount Rushmore Tour Guide
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Mount Rushmore National Memorial. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
Recorded for this place
Washington's Profile View“Washington's Profile View is coming up, a roadside pullout where you see his carved face from the side. Stop for a few minutes if you'd like a different angle, but don't expect a view of all four presidents.”
Plays as you drive up to Profile View in the Parkwolf Mount Rushmore Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
Guide
Profile View is a roadside pullout on SD-244 where George Washington’s carved face appears in profile among the surrounding granite outcrops. It’s a quick extra angle on the memorial, not a replacement for the head-on view from the main terrace. I’d stop if you’re already driving this way; keep the main viewing area for the full memorial visit.
It works as a preview before the memorial or a last look on the way out, and most visitors treat it as a stop of just a few minutes. Take care when pulling back onto SD-244; traffic is the practical catch here. The site is listed as wheelchair accessible, though its access details don’t describe the route or surface.
Washington’s side view is set against the natural rock around him. Leave some of those outcrops in the frame; that rock framing is what makes this view different from the familiar head-on look.
Wildlife
87 sightingsMountain GoatMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
44 sightingsMule DeerMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
20 sightingsWhite-tailed DeerMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
14 sightingsTurkey VultureMost seen around 1 PMSighting map
32 sightingsMarmotMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
11 sightingsBrook TroutMost seen around 8 PMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Mount Rushmore. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
Keep exploring
ModeratePresidential Trail0.6 mi · 36 min · 0.3 mi awayClose views of the carving, plus 422 stairs around the loop.
EasyPresidential Trail (Stair-Free Route)0.4 mi · 24 min · 0.3 mi awayA close view of the carved faces without the full stair loop.
ModerateBlackberry Trail1.5 mi · 45 min · 0.4 mi awayA wooded creek walk, then a steady climb back.
ModerateHorse Thief Lake via Blackberry and Centennial Trail3.8 mi · 2.5 hr · 0.4 mi awayA creekside forest route leads from a granite memorial to Horsethief Lake.
EasyNature Trail0.4 mi · 18 min · 0.4 mi awayA wooded link to Borglum's Sculptor's Studio.
ModerateWillow Creek Rushmore Trail #51.9 mi · 1.2 hr · 3 mi awayA short one-way forest route toward Mount Rushmore.
ChallengingMount Rushmore via Centennial Trail10.7 mi · 6 hr · 4 mi awayA long Centennial approach to the Mount Rushmore memorial.
Sight · 0.1 mi awayYouth Exploration Area and Lakota, Nakota, and Dakota Heritage VillageA short stop for Lakota, Nakota, and Dakota interpretation.
Sight · 0.2 mi awayTalus TerraceRushmore's closest public view, beside 450,000 tons of carving debris.
Sight · 0.2 mi awayMount Rushmore National Memorial AmphitheaterWatch the memorial light up from a seat below the faces.
Visitor center · 0.2 mi awayLincoln Borglum Visitor CenterTrace the carving from plaster models to workers’ photographs.
Sight · 0.2 mi awayGrand View TerraceA clear, close look at all four faces from the terrace.
Sight · 0.3 mi awayAvenue of FlagsPick out your flag on the walk to the main terrace.
Sight · 0.3 mi awayHistoric View TerraceAn original Rushmore viewpoint, a little away from the main terrace.
Store · 0.3 mi awayMount Rushmore Gift ShopBrowse Black Hills Gold and local goods alongside familiar souvenirs.Parkwolf’s Mount Rushmore ranking