(2026 Wild West Wander Ep 16)
When we started our Wild West Wander series at the end of March, we planned to attend our nation’s 250th birthday at Mt Rushmore. The celebration, scheduled for July 3rd, was to include patriotic speakers including President Trump, bands, fireworks and much more.
To avoid possible massive crowds, the park would be closed for the day and only those with tickets from an online lottery would be admitted. We were disappointed when we learned in mid-April that we did not get tickets. After considering heading home in mid-June after spending a week in Idaho’s Sawtooth Mountains, we decided to continue wandering the far west and to finish with Mt Rushmore on July 4.
We’re glad we did!
Crazy Big Crazy Horse
A few days before the 4th, we traveled a few miles from Custer State Park and Wind Cave/Jewel Caves to the Crazy Horse Memorial. The memorial honors the living heritage of the North American Indians and includes the Indian Museum of North America, the Native American Cultural Center, and a 40,000-square-foot Welcome Center.
The prominent feature of the memorial is a colossal mountain carving of Crazy Horse, the Oglala Lakota chief who led his followers in the Battle of the Little Bighorn defeat of Lieutenant Colonel George Custer and the Seventh U.S. Cavalry.
The world’s largest mountain carving is a work in progress. It was started in 1948 by Boston-born sculptor Korczak Ziolkowski and is continued today by members of his family. The face was completed in 1998 and work on the outstretched arm, hand and horse’s mane are ongoing.
The carving is impressive: Crazy Horse’s face is 87 feet, 6 inches high and the outstretched left arm spans 263 feet. Once completed, the sculpture will measure 641 feet in length and 563 feet in height. For comparison, the heads of the U.S. Presidents at Mount Rushmore are each 60 feet high.
Independence Day at Mt Rushmore
We camped closer to Mt Rushmore for several nights leading to up to July 4. We arose before sunrise on Independence Day, parked not far from the entrance to Mt Rushmore, ate breakfast and anticipated what the day would bring.
Here are a few reflections on our Independence Day experience:
Patriotic colors were on full display, from the flags lining the memorial plaza to lots of red, white and blue stars and stripes on hats, shirts, pants, dresses and even socks!
There were families, couples and singles; elderly, babies and all ages in between; veterans, leather-jacketed motorcycle riders, law enforcement officers and park rangers; people from all over America and the world we presume. The America 250 theme was everywhere, as were faith-based t-shirts and even a little MAGA wear.
People handed their phones and cameras to strangers to take their pictures with Mt Rushmore in the background.
I took a photo of a woman from New Jersey and learned she came from Cambodia 27 years ago.
A while later, after watching a boy take a picture of his dad, mom and sister, he joined his family so I could take a family photo. Originally from India, the family now lives in Chicago.
They, along with all of us, are part of the American story!
Re-enactors dressed as the four presidents on Mt Rushmore (Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln and Roosevelt) walked through the crowds, stopping for photos and autographs. During the day each gave a presentation of the accomplishments and challenges of their presidency in the memorial auditorium.
Around midday we walked back to our camper to eat lunch and rest. Pat returned to the memorial in the afternoon, while I worked on the RabbiTRAILS blog. After dinner, we found seats in an outdoor amphitheater and enjoyed a lively patriotic concert by the Air Force Academy Brass Ensemble.
As the sun set, the Park Service hosted a memorial lighting ceremony to honor our country and veterans of the US armed forces.
It was nearly 10 pm when the day’s events ended. Because overnight camping was not allowed in the parking lot, we drove the dark and winding road back to our campground.
As we turned in, we reflected on the experiences of the day and were thankful for our forefathers and for God’s incredible blessings on America.
We agreed July 4 at Mt Rushmore was the best experience of our 2026 Wild West Wander trip!
Heading Home
After more than three months of wild west wandering, it took us nearly a week to return home.
Next Week
Join us for a 2026 Wild West Wanderings recap: how many miles and nights, favorite places visited, favorite campsites, favorite hikes, cheapest and most expense gas, and more. And perhaps a preview of RabbiTRAILS in 2027 as well. Until then…
