- The governor of South Dakota has revealed that there will be a fireworks display at Mount Rushmore in celebration of the nation’s 250th birthday in 2026. The announcement was made in a post on X.
- The last time there was a fireworks celebration at Mount Rushmore was in 2020.
- The National Park Service had rejected previous requests due to the risk of forest fires and pollution to waterways.
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Fireworks will return to Mount Rushmore in South Dakota in 2026 for a Fourth of July celebration. South Dakota Gov. Larry Rhoden announced the news in a post on X over the weekend.
How did the governor announce that fireworks are coming back?
He wrote, “Just got off the phone with Secretary Burgum… he confirmed that we will have fireworks at Mount Rushmore for America’s 250th birthday.”
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Doug Burgum is the new secretary of the interior under the Trump administration. He’s also the former governor of North Dakota.
When were fireworks at Mount Rushmore last held?
It will be the first time there will be fireworks in the Black Hills of South Dakota since President Trump visited in 2020. At the time, Trump described the mountain as a magnificent, incredible and majestic monument.
Fireworks had taken place each year from the 1990s until 2010, when the National Park Service, under the Obama administration, halted displays. It cited the risk of wildfires as well as pollution to nearby waterways.
What is the risk of having fireworks near a national forest?
The Black Hills National Forest contains many ponderosa pine trees. According to the National Park Service, the trees are highly flammable, and burn with great intensity if it’s a dry summer. The Mount Rushmore National Memorial and Black Hills National Forest do not allow burning of campfires or fireworks by visitors.
Former South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem submitted various requests over the past few years to resume fireworks. However, the Park Service, under former President Joe Biden, denied those requests.
What is the history of Mount Rushmore?
According to the Grand Forks Herald, it took 400 workers about 14 years to carve the images of former Presidents George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Thomas Jefferson and Theodore Roosevelt into nearly half a million tons of rock.
Mount Rushmore opened in 1941.
Recent figures from the National Park Service indicated that Mount Rushmore drew about 2.4 million visitors in 2023, with July being the busiest month.
