we would like to see Mt Rushmore. we live in New York. what is the best way to get there? I would rather not drive, but airfare to Rapid City is too expensive.Are there any other airports not too far?

I just did this myself. I flew from JFK to Denver, rented a car, and drove about 6h 30m to Mt. Rushmore in South Dakota.

My flight on JetBlue was approx $400. I had combined it with a trip to Yellowstone and to the Crazy Horse monument. We stayed in Deadwood, SD, which was about a 90 minutes drive away from Mt. Rushmore. It's a charming Wild West town, and is the only entire town that's on the National Historic Registry.

Before I go on, is Mt. Rushmore part of a larger trip?

I agree, Denver is the closes BIG city that is near Mt. Rushmore. But if you have to rent a car and drive, it could cost a lot in gas, too. However, there is a lot to see in the Black Hills. I would do more than just Mt. Rushmore, I would go to some of the caves, Deadwood (of course! ) and drive through the park and enjoy the beautiful scenery. I would go before it gets too cold though, since winters in South Dakota can be brutal.

The drive from Denver isn't all that bad, really. I live in Wyoming. Many people don't realize that towns can be an hour apart here, so be prepared.

Deadwood has some fun festivities going on in the fall. If you like music, the Deadwood Jam is really popular.

When are your dates? I did a check for flights in Septemeber and the flight was $370, less than mcnyc's flight to Denver.

We live in Rapid City and have flown out of Denver a few times, but the drive does take a better part of the first and last day of your vacation.

Sioux Falls SD is 6 hours away, Omaha NE is 8. However you could drive interstate hwy all the way to Rapid City from either of them.

I would much rather drive from Sioux Falls than Denver. It's an easy drive, like the above poster said interstate all the way.

Rapid City is pretty close to everything and there are a lot of nice places to stay too.

Check United's airfare. They are having a fall sale. You would connect in Chicago and on to Rapid City. I got a great price from CT for mid September travel.