Mount Rushmore National Memorial

The sculptor Gutzon Borglum began his efforts to make a sculpture in the Black Hills in 1924 (NPS, 2010). Borglum chose the Mount Rushmore location because of its smooth-grained granite, its 5,725 foot elevation (with relief well above the surrounding nearby uplands of the Black Hills), and its southern exposure on the mountainside, giving it sunlight most of the day. Click here to learn more about the geology of the Black Hills region.