From Rapid City: Mount Rushmore Illumination Ceremony
About this activity
Highlights
- Mount Rushmore National Memorial
- Illumination of Mount Rushmore
- Mount Rushmore Night Lighting Tour.
- Private evening pickup in Rapid City.
- Ranger-led night ceremony experience.
Full description
Witness the stirring Mount Rushmore Lighting Ceremony, also known as the Mount Rushmore Evening Lighting Ceremony—a memorable ranger-led event honoring veterans and illuminating the majestic Presidents. Our guides share fascinating stories about the area, drawn from personal experience. With easy access to the monument, attentive service, and the awe-inspiring Mt Rushmore Lighting, you can relax and truly soak in the experience.
Included / Excluded
- Air-conditioned vehicle
- Bottled water
- Snacks
- Private transportation
- Admission to Mount Rushmore
- Gratuities
Meeting point
We'll pick you up directly from your accommodations in Rapid City. The driver should arrive 5 minutes early in a My XO Adventures vehicle.
Important information
Know before you book
- Pricing is based on a single group, and not per passenger.
- Insurance for your entire vacation is highly recommended
- Always check your credit card for travel protection and benefits.
Know before you go
- Bring weather appropriate clothing. (Jacket, layers)
- If you are a Veteran, be prepared to walk on stage to be honored.
- Lighting Ceremony start time varies throughout the year.
Cancellation policy
Up to 48 hours before the beginning of the activity: full refund Less than 48 hours but more than 24 hours before the beginning of the activity: 50% refund Less than 24 hours before the beginning of the activity or no show: No refund
Reviews
An unparalleled experience for wildlife professionals and enthusiasts alike! My son and I, both biologists, recently joined Logan for the Wildlife Biologist’s Field Expedition in the Badlands and outer prairie lands of South Dakota. To put it simply, we had an amazing time. This tour is truly one-of-a-kind; it is the only one in the region that provides such deep access to both the Badlands and the surrounding prairie ecosystems. What really set this experience apart was how Logan customized the entire day to match our specific interests. It was immediately evident that Logan isn’t just a guide—he has genuine, extensive field experience in tracking and working with wildlife, and his knowledge of both biology and local history is top-notch. The logistics were perfect. We traveled comfortably in his roomy, air-conditioned van, which allowed us to navigate between optimal wildlife viewing locations with ease. He even provided extra sets of high-quality binoculars, which were a great touch. Throughout the trip, he took professional-grade photos of the wildlife and shared them with us, providing a fantastic memento of the day. We had incredible sightings, including prairie dogs, burrowing owls, bison, a bald eagle, several pronghorns, and mule deer. If you are a wildlife enthusiast looking for a professional, expert-led expedition, I cannot recommend Logan’s tour enough.
My husband and I enjoyed TWO tours (Wildlife Biologist’s Field Expedition: The Badlands Uncovered & Spirit of the West: Devil’s Tower & Spearfish Canyon) with our guide Logan who was unbelievably knowledgable and made conversation so easy! Logan made our first experience in South Dakota & Wyoming so memorable and special. Logan tailored to all our interests and assisted us with making choices that suited our curiosity. Logan did a great job communicating with us prior to our tour, which eased all my stress. During the tour Logan was so invested in giving us the best experience possible, it was evident Logan takes pride in the job he does! I absolutely recommend these tours, in fact, I wish I could have Logan as a guide for every tour going forward. Thank you Logan for an absolutely incredible experience! You made our trip out here extra special.
Excellent,though our tour was suppose to start at 0530 PM, XO adventures after going through the weather immediately advised us to prepone our visit so we could able to see BADLANDS in-depth & no words to express about Daniel He was too good , knowledgeable, very punctual & was always more than happy to take beautiful, different poses photos in this amazing land & he has great experience in driving through this amazing terrain during difficult weather times as we experienced that during our return trip , lot of thunderstorms