#6 of 8 trails in Mount Rushmore
Mount Rushmore National Memorial, SD
A short one-way forest route toward Mount Rushmore.
Overview
Map & elevation
Plan your hike
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.
More stories near here in the app
“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.”
Trail guide
Willow Creek Rushmore Trail #5 is a 1.9-mile point-to-point route in the Black Hills National Forest, running east from the Trail No. 9 North junction to Centennial Trail #89. Hikers and horseback riders use it as one section of a longer approach toward Mount Rushmore. The #5 corridor itself ends on Centennial, not at the memorial terrace or the carved faces.
The west-to-east direction is the natural downhill line. The route crosses one creek and is rated moderate. Its mapped profile has about 110 feet of climbing and 640 feet of descent. Allow about 1 to 1¼ hours for the #5 segment itself.
The listed 1.9 miles is one way. The approach from Willow Creek Trailhead to the west junction on Trail No. 9 North, and any return or continuation from Centennial #89, add distance. This is a connector, not a loop, so plan your next trail or ride before setting out.
Potable water is not available at Willow Creek Trailhead, and restroom details are not listed. Pets are permitted on Black Hills National Forest trails. The trail is also used by horses, so expect to share the corridor.
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 · 3.3 mi awayClose views of the carving, plus 422 stairs around the loop.
EasyPresidential Trail (Stair-Free Route)0.4 mi · 24 min · 3.3 mi awayA close view of the carved faces without the full stair loop.
EasyNature Trail0.4 mi · 18 min · 3.4 mi awayA wooded link to Borglum's Sculptor's Studio.
ModerateBlackberry Trail1.5 mi · 45 min · 3.4 mi awayA wooded creek walk, then a steady climb back.
ModerateHorse Thief Lake via Blackberry and Centennial Trail3.8 mi · 2.5 hr · 3.4 mi awayA creekside forest route leads from a granite memorial to Horsethief Lake.
ChallengingMount Rushmore via Centennial Trail10.7 mi · 6 hr · 5.7 mi awayA long Centennial approach to the Mount Rushmore memorial.
Picnic area · 2.1 mi awayBreezy Point Overlook & Picnic AreaA shaded picnic spot with a short walk to two spire views.
Sight · 2.5 mi awayWrinkled Rock Climbing AreaSeveral granite climbing formations beside a scenic byway.
Scenic pullout · 3 mi awayProfile ViewA quick roadside stop for Washington’s rock-framed profile.
Sight · 3.1 mi awayYouth Exploration Area and Lakota, Nakota, and Dakota Heritage VillageA short stop for Lakota, Nakota, and Dakota interpretation.
Sight · 3.1 mi awayTalus TerraceRushmore's closest public view, beside 450,000 tons of carving debris.
Sight · 3.2 mi awayMount Rushmore National Memorial AmphitheaterWatch the memorial light up from a seat below the faces.
Visitor center · 3.2 mi awayLincoln Borglum Visitor CenterTrace the carving from plaster models to workers’ photographs.
Sight · 3.3 mi awayGrand View TerraceA clear, close look at all four faces from the terrace.Parkwolf’s Mount Rushmore ranking
The audio tour guide for the drive, plus offline maps, trails, and wildlife heatmaps for when the signal drops.
