Mount Rushmore & Black Hills: Day Tour with Meals & Live Show

Summary

Mount Rushmore sunrise, Needles Highway drive, cowboy breakfast and music show

You’ll start your day with cowboy breakfast at Fort Hays before seeing Mount Rushmore glow in morning sunlight. Ride scenic highways through the Black Hills, taste buffalo stew at Custer State Park, and squeeze through tunnels carved in stone. End with a hearty chuckwagon supper and live music show — it’s a long day but one you’ll remember.

What’s the experience like?

The day started earlier than I’m used to — we checked in at Fort Hays just after sunrise, still rubbing sleep from our eyes. The smell of coffee hit me first, then pancakes frying on a big griddle. I don’t know if it was the cool air or the homemade biscuits and gravy, but breakfast tasted like something out of an old Western. Our guide, Ron (who’s apparently been doing this forever), handed us our tickets and joked about “cowboy portions.” He wasn’t kidding.

By 9am we were rolling toward Mount Rushmore. The bus was comfortable enough for a nap but nobody wanted to miss that first view — those faces really do catch the morning light differently. I caught myself staring longer than I meant to. There were families taking photos, kids running around with sticky fingers from breakfast. Ron pointed out how Gutzon Borglum designed the whole thing to face east; funny how you don’t notice details like that until someone local mentions it.

Afterwards we wound along Iron Mountain Road — three narrow tunnels where you can see Mount Rushmore framed perfectly through the rock. It’s a weird feeling watching the bus squeeze through with just inches on either side. Lunch was at Custer State Park’s Game Lodge; I tried buffalo stew for the first time and honestly, still think about it sometimes (it’s rich and smoky — not what I expected). The afternoon drifted by as we rode Needles Highway, all jagged granite spires and pine trees brushing against the windows. People actually gathered to watch our bus inch through the Needles Eye Tunnel — made me grateful not to be driving.

Sylvan Lake was a quick stop for coffee; there was this hush over the water except for ducks flapping around. We had about an hour at Crazy Horse Memorial too — it’s huge even unfinished, almost hard to take in all at once. Back at Fort Hays that evening, supper was hearty (I went back for seconds) and then came the music show: fiddles, old country songs, some jokes that landed better than others. Not sure if it was exhaustion or just being full of good food but everything felt warm and easy by then.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1 — Mount Rushmore and Black Hills tour

• Check in at Fort Hays Headquarters
• Enjoy all you can eat cowboy breakfast
• Bus departs for Mount Rushmore
• Explore Mount Rushmore National Memorial
• Drive along Iron Mountain Road
• Lunch at Game Lodge in Custer State Park
• Drive Needles Highway and pass Needles Eye Tunnel
• Rest stop and coffee break at Sylvan Lake
• Visit Crazy Horse Memorial
• Chuckwagon Supper and live music show at Fort Hays

Top questions

What meals are included on this Mount Rushmore tour?

You get an all-you-can-eat cowboy breakfast in the morning and a chuckwagon supper with the evening music show.

How long do you spend at Mount Rushmore?

You have just over an hour to explore Mount Rushmore National Memorial on your own.

Is transportation included during the tour?

Yes, transportation is provided by air-conditioned bus with restroom onboard throughout the tour.

Are entry fees covered for attractions?

Entry fees for Mount Rushmore, Custer State Park, and Crazy Horse Memorial are included in your ticket.

What is special about Needles Highway?

The Needles Highway features dramatic granite spires and very narrow tunnels like Needles Eye Tunnel that the bus squeezes through.

Do you get free time during stops?

Yes, you have free time at major stops like Mount Rushmore and Crazy Horse Memorial to explore on your own.

Is lunch included? Where is it served?

Lunch is served inside Custer State Park at the historic Game Lodge; buffalo stew is recommended.

What kind of entertainment is at dinner?

The evening includes a Branson-style variety music show after your chuckwagon supper at Fort Hays.

What’s included

Your day includes check-in at Fort Hays Headquarters with paper tickets for meals and seats, an all-you-can-eat cowboy breakfast to start things off right, comfortable bus transport with air conditioning and restroom onboard, entry fees for Mount Rushmore National Memorial, Custer State Park (including lunch at Game Lodge), Crazy Horse Memorial admission, plus a hearty chuckwagon supper followed by live music entertainment before heading home in the evening.