A few miles from Rushmore, a far larger sculpture honoring the Lakota leader has been underway for more than seventy years. For travelers drawn to the Mount Rushmore State, this is a stop that rewards a slow look.

When finished, the carving is planned to stand 563 feet high and 641 feet long, dwarfing Mount Rushmore.

What sets it apart

Sculptor Korczak Ziolkowski began the work in 1948 at the invitation of Lakota elders. For those who know the region well, it is a quiet point of pride.

The nonprofit project accepts no federal funding and is financed largely by visitor admissions.

Why it matters

What ties it all together is a distinctly South Dakota balance between the wild and the worked-over. However you come to it, this is a place that stays with you long after the drive home.