Seeing Mount Rushmore / Black Hills from a plane4 ★
The four presidents' faces are 60 ft tall, carved between 1927 and 1941. From the air the Black Hills are the easier catch: look for a dark island of pine forest, over 100 miles long, rising from the tan Great Plains.
12 of our routes pass it. South Dakota · rated 4 of 10
The easy pick
Denver to Rapid City: sit on the left, on the way down.
Which side, by route
| Route | Side | When |
|---|---|---|
| Atlanta to Bozeman | Right | 149 min after takeoff |
| Atlanta to Spokane | Right | 163 min after takeoff |
| Denver to Williston | Right Best seat for the whole flight: left | 37 min after takeoff |
| Denver to Rapid City | Left | on the way down |
| Houston to Edmonton | Left Best seat for the whole flight: right | 117 min after takeoff |
| Minneapolis to Sacramento | Left | 70 min after takeoff |
| Sacramento to Minneapolis | Left | 113 min after takeoff |
| Salt Lake City to Minneapolis | Left | 54 min after takeoff |
| San Francisco to Minneapolis | Left | 119 min after takeoff |
| Seattle to Charleston | Left | 106 min after takeoff |
| Seattle to Omaha | Right Best seat for the whole flight: left | 106 min after takeoff |
| Seattle to Nashville | Left Best seat for the whole flight: right | 108 min after takeoff |
From the real paths of every nonstop on these routes in the last 10 days, at the usual time of day. Where the best seat for the whole flight is on the other side, you'd trade this sight for more elsewhere.
Questions
Which side of the plane do you see Mount Rushmore / Black Hills from?
It depends on the direction: the left on most of our routes (8 of 12). The table lists each route's side.
When can you see Mount Rushmore / Black Hills from a plane?
Near the airport, on the climb or on the way down, and mid-flight on longer routes: see the table for each route.
Do clouds matter?
Yes. These answers assume a clear day. Within 3 days of your flight, pick your exact flight in the app for the cloud forecast.
More
Badlands National Park Devils Tower Laramie Peak Cloud Peak Atlanta (ATL) Denver (DEN) Houston (IAH) Minneapolis (MSP) All routes