There are multiple closures in place Thursday at Mount Rushmore National Memorial, per a United States Department of the Interior memo obtained by the Journal. Rapid City Mayor Jason Salamun confirmed Thursday Vice President JD Vance is visiting the Black Hills.Ā
The restrictions began at 5 a.m. Thursday and continue through 9 p.m. in the following locations:
The administrative building parking lot, the grand view terrace, the avenue of flags, the parkās amphitheater, the sculptorās studio, three rows of parking spots on the top level of the northwest portion of the Washington and Lincoln parking facility structures, the ānature trailā that connects the parking structures to the Borglum view terrace, the trail from Highway 244 to the presidential trail; the presidential trail to the Lakota, Nakota, and °®¶¹app heritage village, and the wilderness areas adjacent to these trails and other areas depicted in red on the map.
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A map shows areas that may be restricted near Mount Rushmore on Thursday.Ā
The closure and public use limits are to provide for operational activities related to a "dignitary visit." During the closure and public use limits, visitors may be held in place or asked to pass through a temporary screening location including through a magnetometer.
Visitors entering these areas will also be subject to a public use limitation and are prohibited from bringing the following items past the designated screening location:
ā¢ Aerosols
ā¢ Ammunition
ā¢ Animals other than service/guide animals
ā¢ Backpacks, bags and soft-sided coolers exceeding size restrictions (18ā x 13ā x 7ā)
ā¢ Bicycles
ā¢ Balloons
ā¢ Hard-sided coolers of any size
ā¢ Drones and other unmanned aircraft systems
ā¢ Explosives
ā¢ Firearms
ā¢ Flammable liquids
ā¢ Folding Chairs or Camp Chairs
ā¢ Glass, thermal or metal containers
ā¢ Knives
ā¢ Laser pointers
ā¢ Mace/Pepper spray
ā¢ Multitools (Leatherman, Gerber, etc.)
ā¢ Packages
ā¢ Range Finder
ā¢ Razors
ā¢ Recreational motorized mobility devices
ā¢ Selfie Sticks
ā¢ Signs exceeding size restrictions (20ā x 3ā x 1/4ā)
ā¢ Structures
ā¢ Supports for signs and placards
ā¢ Toy guns
ā¢ Tripods and monopods
ā¢ Umbrellas (umbrellas without metal tips will be permitted)
ā¢ Weapons of any kind
ā¢ Any other items determined to be potential safety hazards
If the restrictions are not needed, they will be lifted as soon as practicable, according to the Department of Interior.
The park's designated demonstration areas in the walkway and amphitheater may be temporarily unavailable, but other designated areas will remain accessible. For most of this closure, members of the public seeking to utilize designated First Amendment areas affected by this closure and public use limit may do so subject to security screening.
