Tunnel Vision: When driving to the Mt. Rushmore National Memorial is in the Black Hills of South Dakota, visitors pass through tunnels, which open to a view of Mt. Rushmore. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com

Grand View Terrace: Grand View Terrace features the flags of all U.S. states and territories. The walkway leads to an open view of Mt. Rushmore. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com

By GARY WARREN
Photographer
Formerly of Los Alamos

Mt. Rushmore National Memorial is in the Black Hills of South Dakota about 30 miles from Rapid City.

The memorial features a large sculpture of four U.S. presidents carved into the granite walls of Mt. Rushmore. The sculpture was designed by Gutzon Borglum. 

The four presidents depicted are George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln. The carving of each face is about 60 feet tall. The project began in 1927 and was completed in 1941.

In addition to the sculpture, the memorial features a visitor’s center and museum as well as the Sculpture’s Studio. The memorial is operated by the National Park Service and is open year round.

Editor’s note: Longtime Los Alamos photographer Gary Warren and his wife Marilyn are traveling around the country and he shares his photographs, which appear in the ‘Posts from the Road’ series published in the Sunday edition of the Los Alamos Daily Post.

Close Up: A view of the four presidents seen close up from the Grand View Terrace viewing area. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com

Another Angle: The Presidential Trail allows visitors to walk and view the memorial from different angles. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com

Four Cool Dudes: As we were approaching Mt. Rushmore, we got a view from a distance of the memorial. The lighting at that time and from that angle created shadows on the eyes of all four presidents making them appear to be wearing sunglasses. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com