1 active Mount Rushmore alert
- InfoSculptor’s Studio Heat AdvisoryThe Sculptor’s Studio may close temporarily during periods of high heat. - The closure protects visitors and staff from high heat.Official details
Overview
About Wrinkled Rock Climbing Area
Why stop
- Several granite formations and routes are reached from one day-use stop.
Heads up
- No water or picnic tables, and parking can be limited on busy days.
Map
Where it is
Loading the Mount Rushmore map
Full mapPlan your stop
Before you go
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Mount Rushmore Tour Guide
Your drive to Wrinkled Rock Climbing Area, narrated.
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
Wrinkled Rock Climbing Area0:00 / 0:18
“You're coming up on Wrinkled Rock Climbing Area, a day-use stop with granite formations reached from a gravel lot. It's mainly for climbers, rather than another view of the carved faces.”
Plays as you drive up to Wrinkled Rock Climbing Area in the Parkwolf Mount Rushmore Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Washington's Profile View
- Grand View Terrace and the Visitor Complex
- Blackberry Trailhead: Creek Walk or Lake Hike
- A Record for the Distant Future
- 5 audio storiesacross Mount Rushmore’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor Mountain Goat, Mule Deer, White-tailed Deer, and 7 more
- Works offlinemaps, 8 trails, 18 places, and audio download before you lose signal
- CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
“We recently toured Badlands, Custer State Park, Mount Rushmore and more! We learned so much from this app as we toured each of these sites. The audio tours are worth the money.”
Guide
More about Wrinkled Rock Climbing Area
A climbing stop, not an overlookThis day-use climbing area sits on national-forest land, just west of Mount Rushmore’s boundary…
This day-use climbing area sits on national-forest land, just west of Mount Rushmore’s boundary on the north side of Highway 244. Several granite formations are reached from the gravel lot, making it a good stop if you climb or want a closer look at the Black Hills’ rock. It is not another viewpoint of the carved faces; climbing the memorial’s sculptures is prohibited.
Bring water and plan for day useParking can be limited on busy weekends and holidays.
Parking can be limited on busy weekends and holidays. There is one vault toilet, but no water or picnic tables, so bring a drink and plan meals elsewhere. This is day use only, and camping is prohibited here and within a half-mile; older campground references are out of date.
The rock behind the nameThe climbing area has been part of recreation along the Peter Norbeck Scenic Byway for nearly…
The climbing area has been part of recreation along the Peter Norbeck Scenic Byway for nearly two decades, and the Black Hills Climbing Coalition helps maintain nearby routes. The narrower crag specifically called Wrinkled Rock is a rounded granite hump reached by a short approach. Its name refers to the dikes crossing the face; the route A Wrinkle in Time follows one of those winding lines across the rock.
Wildlife
Wildlife in Mount Rushmore
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.
