Wildlife
Located within South Dakota's scenic Black Hills, Mount Rushmore is home to many different species of animals.
Guide Sections
Use Wildlife's guide sections to understand how this stop fits into the larger park plan.
Wildlife Details
Difficulty
Open
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Although the main attraction at Mount Rushmore is obviously the monument itself, there are several species of wildlife that call the area home, including deer, mountain goats, chipmunks and turkey vultures. Not native to the area, the local population of mountain goats can trace their lineage back to six goats, given as a gift to Custer State Park by Canada in 1924, that escaped from their pens and settled in the granite peaks of the Black Hills. There are now approximately 200 mountain goats in the area.