Mount Rushmore is about the last remaining iconic USA attraction I had not yet visited.  The monument is a very simple layout.  Not much question what this place is about.

Grand View Terrace with 50 USA flags in alphabetical order

The parking lot opens onto the Grand View Terrace, which contains all the flags of the 50 United States in alphabetical order, with the best view of Mount Rushmore at the end of the walkway.  There is no congestion of visitors trying to get tickets since admittance is free, however, parking is $10.  There is quite a good view of the monument from the main road prior to entering the park.

Close-up of the four presidents follows, from left to right.  These were taken with a 560mm lens.

George Washington

Thomas Jefferson, third president.

Theodore Roosevelt, 26th president

Abraham Lincoln, 16th president.

How does one sculpt granite so that the human eye has that glimmer or sparkle?

Close up of Abe’s eye, showing how the eyes have a sparkle to them.

The dense forest along a nearby tunnel has been trimmed down to provide a great long distant view of Mount Rushmore.

Mount Rushmore viewed through a tunnel on a near-by road.