Fireworks are scheduled to light up the night sky over Mount Rushmore on July 3, 2026, for the first time in six years.
The display is an answer to President Donald Trump’s goal to host “a grand celebration worthy of the momentous occasion of the 250th anniversary of American Independence.”
“Our nation will throw the biggest birthday party ever for the United States of America,” South Dakota Gov. Larry Rhoden said in a statement announcing the event.
But planning a seven-figure fireworks show in a region suffering from drought and high wildfire risk is not palatable for everyone.
And the Black Hills have for decades been the focus of an ongoing land dispute, as Native American tribes say the Black Hills are sacred ground and belong to them.
Seeing the Display
A ticketed lottery system to attend the fireworks display is set for April 8-12. Results will be announced on April 14.
About 4,100 tickets are available in the lottery, according to an email statement from the National Park Service. Tickets for admission and parking are free, but each ticket incurs a $1 nonrefundable recreation.gov service charge.
Tickets are limited to four per applicant.
The park will be closed to the general public. Only those with tickets will be able to attend.
Fire Risk
The National Park Service said in an email statement that a fire management plan is in place and that a National Park Service Incident Management Team and trained structural and wildland firefighter crews will be on site for the event.
Fire danger in western South Dakota has been high, with one wildfire burning near Custer State Park in the Black Hills National Forest and a second on the Black Hills National Forest’s western border Friday
The Qury Fire near Custer State Park had burned more than 9,000 acres and was 27% contained Friday, according to InciWeb.gov. Closer to Rapid City, the Coyote Flats fire, which started Wednesday afternoon and is 0% contained, has burned 385 acres.
According to its statement, the National Park Service has “evaluated potential impacts to forest wilderness and wildlife resources, completed fuel reduction treatments and confirmed established launch locations, clear zones and fallout areas.” Park Service officials will review a checklist the day of the event and confirm any safety or security concerns, the statement reads.
Fireworks have never been an easy topic at Mount Rushmore. The National Park Service first allowed fireworks at the memorial site in 1998.
The shows took place yearly for 11 years but then stopped after lingering debris from the exploded fireworks raised alarm. It took a lot of effort to deploy firefighters in the forest around the memorial to put out fires started by falling fireworks embers, the South Dakota Searchlight reported.
The fireworks returned in 2020, after more than a decade without fireworks at the memorial, when then–South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem collaborated with President Trump to bring back the display. Trump attended that fireworks show on July 3, 2020.
Land Dispute
The 2020 fireworks at Mount Rushmore drew national attention when protesters used three vans to block a roadway leading to Mount Rushmore.
Protesters cited Indigenous rights claims and public health concerns during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Native American leaders voiced opposition to the fireworks display, calling the Black Hills sacred and accusing the U.S. government of desecrating land that belonged to Native American tribes — land including Mount Rushmore and the Black Hills, which they say they lost due to broken treaties.
Twenty people were arrested and police towed away the vans to be processed by authorities.
Display Cost — Who Pays?
South Dakota spent $1.5 million on the Mount Rushmore fireworks display in 2020. The cost included the actual fireworks display as well as security and transportation.
The state’s tourism department and Governor’s Office sought private sponsorships and a cost-sharing agreement with the federal government for that display, according to media reports.
Katlyn Svendsen, Global Public Relations and Content Services Senior Director for Travel South Dakota, the official tourism arm of the South Dakota Department of Tourism, said in an email to Cowboy State Daily that the office was working on the contract for the 2026 fireworks vendor.
Neither Svendsen nor the National Park Service has said how much the 2026 fireworks display could cost, and they did not comment on how those costs might be shared across agencies.
Community Reaction
In the small community of Keystone, two miles from Mount Rushmore, Emma Groninger, the town’s director of tourism, expressed excitement and optimism at the planned fireworks display.
“Keystone is the perfect place for everyone who’s interested in the Mount Rushmore fireworks,” she said.
Local businesses expect to see an uptick in visitors, she said, and the town will expand some parking options. Additional portable restrooms will occupy city streets.
Keystone sees “both sides” of the Mount Rushmore fireworks controversy, she said.
“People love to celebrate America’s birthday,” she told Cowboy State Daily. “We wish there was a way to celebrate but also take care of the environment.”
Kate Meadows can be reached at kate@cowboystatedaily.com.
