Can anybody tell me what direction the faces of Mount Rushmore face? for picture purposes, facing east would be a better morning photo op, facing west-afternoon. Planing a trip that direction this summer, Rushmore, Devils tower, Yellowstone, western Wyoming and return home from there.

What, no lighthouses????

No lighthouses is right! Traitor!

Some of the smarter 'lights' in America's Galaxy, however.

I believe as you are looking at the faces, you are looking to the Northwest so the faces are angled somewhat towards the east. Here's a park map, note the "North" indicator, lower right:
http://www.nps.gov/moru/ppmaps/k10625%7E1%2Ejpg

Here's the official NPS site:
http://www.nps.gov/moru/

Here's a photo album showing the faces at various times of day.
http://www.travelsd.com/parks/rushmore/photos.htm

Here's a live webcam:
http://www.travelsd.com/website/webcam/rushmore.htm

I was last there on July 4, 1975 while on my way to a camping trip in the Bighorn Mountains of Wyoming (not the Little Bighorns of Custer fame.) The American Indian Movement was having a demonstration at Mount Rushmore (which is built on land sacred to the local tribe.)

I wish I could find that photo I took showing Russell Means, leader of AIM and other leaders with the faces of Rushmore in the background.

Don't forget to rent "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" before you go to Devil's Tower. The Trailer:
http://www.imdb.com/Trailers?0075860&screenplay&E11257&5&3

Yellowstone is one of the most amazing places on earth. Keep in mind you are walking on the top of a volcanic caldera -- one of the largest on earth. It's known to have blown 3 times -- the most recent 600,000 years ago. http://vulcan.wr.usgs.gov/Volcanoes/Yellowstone/description_yellowstone.html

Thanks for the info John, I think we all ready have close encounters on VHS (still unopened I think) we have the TV and VCR for the car, so that will be the movie prior to Devils tower.

Dave & Seagirt, Michelle and the kids have gone along on all my lighthouse trips over the years although not always their first choice for a trip, We have seen almost every light in Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Illinois, Indiana, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Rhode Island, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and a few in Ohio, New York, Massachusetts, Connecticut, California and probley a few other places I am not remembering. From the looks of things there should be plenty of nature and wild life to photograph. So it's time for me to give them the first choice for vacation..... well, second choice, I can't afford to fly the four of us to Hawaii, so Wyoming here we come. I will look for a lighthouse when crossing the Mississippi River at Lacrosse on the way out and the Quad cities on the way back.

If you divert through Colorado Springs or Pueblo I can show oyu at least one lighthouse in each town!!

Mark: I have been to S.D.; WY; and points west many, many times over the years. I taught in NH, drove cross country, stopping off in my home state of WI, and continued on to various western states and the Pacific coast.

Some things have definitely changed over the years, and the main one is the amount of people now visiting the western states, especially our national parks. It used to be easy to find a motel as you traveled along out West. Now you need advance reservations in the popular spots at least. I strongly suggest, if you don't already have them, that you make reservations now for the Mt. Rushmore area and definitely inside of Yellowstone and my recommendation of the Tetons.

Yellowstone is so huge, that you would waste much time if you stayed outside the park boundaries and drove into it each day. The lines are long
with vehicles waiting to pay admission to go through the various park entrance stations. I assume that you will be visiting this park for more than one day, as there is no way you can see even its main features in one day. A good location to stay is at the famous Old Faithful Lodge. This is the historic building right next to the geyser. It has been updated and there are various types of accommodations there. But if this is your trip of a lifetime there, try your hardest to stay right inside the historic lodge, rather than any outbuildings. The atmosphere inside is inspiring. And you are handy for seeing Old Faithful geyser and taking the hikes around the surrounding geyser basin. Another place to stay is a lodge up near Mammoth Hot Springs, for exploring the hot spring terraces. Don't forget to visit the famous upper and lower waterfalls of the canyon. There are accommodations in the southern section near the big lake, but that makes for a longer drive to see the best parts of the park. Friends have been there since the big fire, and say the remnants of it are still visible and sad to see.

Take LOTS of film along with you, as it would be expensive to buy more out there at tourist prices. There is so much to photograph. It will probably be warm, so take a good cooler along to keep your film in while the car is parked. Pack it in double layers of ziplock bags if you have any ice in the cooler; but better yet keep it on an upper level if the cooler comes with an inset tray so as not to get it damp. Henry and I do semi-professional photography and have easily gone through 50 rolls of 36mm slide film in this area of the West in a few weeks time. You can always go home with left over film, but it is hard to buy it when you are out in the boonies and prices are super high.

There should be lots of wildlife to see out there, especially elk and bison in Yellowstone; and moose in the Tetons. The bison will be grazing and moving right past you. Do NOT be tempted to stand close or approach them to get a closer photo (bring a long telephoto for this), as they DO charge at the tourists. Every year tourists are injured, and some even have been killed, a few right in the geyser basin near Old Faithful area.

Just to the south of Yellowstone are the MOST beautiful mountains in the U.S. This is Teton Nat. Park. These mts are different in that they rise straight up from the flats that you are on; whereas most mts. rise gradually through series of foothills leading up to them. Therefore, you get much more dramatic mt. pictures. This is one of the most scenic parks, with lakes and oxbow bends in the Snake River. There is much to do here for kids, like rafting on the river or horseback rides up into the mts. Jackson Hole (town) is famous for winter elk, and the old antler racks are collected and form a famous archway into the park. Look for old time melodrama theater here. The most beautiful view is from atop Signal Mt. Again, advance reservations needed. There is a resort or motel on the lake at Signal Mt. as well as a nice campground. Don't miss it, being that close.

North of Yellowstone, by maybe 20 miles, across the border into Montana, are two fun towns for the kids, called Virginia City and Nevada City. They are restored but authentic old gold-mining towns, with lots of history, stagecoach and train rides, and even a building that has many, many old-time music machines and player pianos (bring lots of change to hear them).

Use your Search engines to look up those two cities above; and the Tetons and Yellowstone for places to stay.

South Dakota: Mt. Rushmore: I would call the park and ask about when the light hits the faces for the MONTH that you hope to be there, as light direction changes throughout the year. I would also ask if they are still putting on the evening light show. That is AWESOME. I can remember driving around a bend in the road and seeing this huge profile of George W. lit up against the night sky. With our new security restrictions, they might just not have the night show anymore. Do check and don't miss it if it is still being held.

Not that far away is another mt. carving going on. Crazy Horse, a horse and an Indian. It is not govt funded, but strictly private donations, so it is taking forever to complete it. There is a fee to get in, so you might want to look on the web to see if enough progress has been made that you can "see" the shape of what will be.

Fees: you will have to pay to get into Mt. Rushmore, Tetons, and Yellowstone as federal parks. At your first entrance fee station , wherever it may be, ask about buying the annual golden eagle pass that gets you into ALL federal parks and federal historic sites in the U.S. for a year. It usually covers everyone in your car.

Other neat S. D. sites along I-90. Mitchell has the famous Corn Palace. This building goes back a long ways. It is covered with a different mural design each year, all covered by corn, wild grasses, seeds, grains. It is the agricultural equivalent of covering the Rose Bowl floats with floral petals and seeds. Makes a striking photo. Look at website and call to ask WHEN the murals are finished for viewing based on harvest time for corn there; as the building is stripped of its old murals each year at some point on the calendar, to ready it for the new seasonal murals.

Wall Drug: you will see signs along the highway for this place for hundreds of miles. It is famous and has grown and grown from its original size. It sells about everything a tourist would want; serves food; and is fun to visit. It became successful by offering free ice water to thirsty travelers back in the good old days.
Check this out also on the search engine.

Black Hills: pretty IF you have never been to see the western mts. Tourist sites including a steam train ride in the general area.

BEWARE: Sturgis is close to Mt. Rushmore. This is the "home" of the largest motorcycle rally each year in the U.S. Last year over 450,000 cyclists showed up. I know someone who goes each year, and he says don't visit this general area of the west the week before, during, and after this rally, as all accommodations are filled; roads are clogged with motorcycles; and the quiet open spaces are spoiled by the loud noise of all the cyclists. On the search engine, it said this year's rally was Aug. 4-10. Check it out and plan accordingly.

LaCrosse: I have been there, but it was before I was interested in lighthouses, but don't remember seeing any. This is not the prettiest Wis town on the Miss River. It was once famous for Heileman Beer. Everyone came to see the huge "six pack" tanks outdoors. It has been sold, but the tanks might still be there with a different name. If you ever want to see Wis other than lighthouses, let me know, as this state has more diversity of sites than most states. They just don't bother to do much promoting, so out-of-staters don't know what they are missing.

I looked at the map and your area of Hammond is right s. of Chicago, so I assume YOU know how bad traffic can be trying to get around the bend of the lake, and around Chicago, especially at vacation time on a Friday afternoon or an early Sat. AM. Lots of luck. In miles, going on I-90 and /or the Tri State over to Rockford might be shorter; but we have found that in TIME, it is shorter to go west on I-80; north on I-39 up to Rockford and then Madison, WI, and cut off on I-90 to LaCrosse. It misses a lot of heavy traffic by comparison. We will be doing some of that route in June as we drive up I-57 from MS to I-39 to the Minocqua lake country of n. Wis.

Have a good trip. You are going to one of the most beautiful western areas in the U.S. I have been in every state, some of them many times, and you can never get bored with returning over and over to the Tetons and Yellowstone. Your kids should enjoy the history, nature, and ecology they will see and experience (this from an ex-teacher!)

Barb

Well, seeing as it's a National Park trip (one of my other big interests-lighthouses are #1), I guess it's OK. But this is your last chance!