Visitor numbers are down in the Black Hills this summer. Industry officials are blaming the colder spring weather for the decline. At Mount Rushmore June 2014 visitor numbers are down more than 4% in comparison to the same month last year. Cheryl Schreier is Mount Rushmore’s park superintendent. She says it’s hard to speculate on the exact cause of reduced numbers, but it’s likely the weather has the greatest impact.
“We had a very cold damp spring and very cool temperatures as everybody has been experiencing up until about now, and some of those days when it rains and especially if we have any foggy weather, and of course it makes it really difficult for people to see Mount Rushmore and the sculpture,” says Schreier.
Mount Rushmore numbers for July are also trending lower than last year. The Badlands National Park is also seeing a decline with this June off more than 4% compared to 2013.