Most visitors enter Mount Rushmore National Monument [1] via the wide entryway above the parking lot. There is a quieter way to approach the monument, however. As you leave the parking lot, the first structure that you encounter is a covered hallway that stretches to the left and right. Continuing straight ahead will bring you to the main entryway.
Instead, take a right, follow the hallway, and skirt the edge of the parking lot. (This would be the far right-hand side of the parking lot, closest to the monument as you face the presidents.) The trail is short, not more than a quarter of a mile. It is a concrete walkway, but it winds through the sweetly scented ponderosa pines and ends at the scenic Borglum Viewing Terrace [2].
Before taking the trail, you might want to stop at the Information Center [3] just inside the monument grounds to pick up a map to orient yourself. Alternatively, consider using the Nature Trail to return to the parking lot when it’s time to leave.
Links:
[1] http://www.moon.com/destinations/mt-rushmore-the-black-hills/mount-rushmore-and-the-central-hills/mount-rushmore-national-monument
[2] http://www.moon.com/destinations/mt-rushmore-the-black-hills/mount-rushmore-and-the-central-hills/mount-rushmore-national-monument/si/borglum-viewin
[3] http://www.moon.com/destinations/mt-rushmore-the-black-hills/mount-rushmore-and-the-central-hills/mount-rushmore-national-monument/si/the-informatio