Mount Rushmore is a Nationally Significant Monument in the National Park System. Honors four outstanding United States presidents. The presidents' faces are carved into a cliff in the Black Hills about 25 miles southwest of Rapid City, South Dakota. The sculpted faces are six stories tall, so they are seen from about 60 miles away on a clear day. This national monument was the vision of Doane Robinson, the official state historian of South Dakota. His idea was a huge granite monument that would bring people to South Dakota to see the beauty of the state. He wanted to depict heroes of the American West such as Red Cloud, Lewis and Clark and Buffalo Bill Cody on the side of a granite mountain. Robinson enlisted the help of South Dakota politicians, Mayor Boland, Congressman Williamson, and Senator Norbeck to get federal lands set aside for the project. They went to Washington D.C. and managed to convince the government to allow them to build the monument on federal land. Native Americans had many complaints about the monument being built on their holy lands. Now it was time to find a stone monument sculptor. In May 1924, Mr. Robinson invited Gutzon Borglum to visit South Dakota. Borglum was carving a granite sculpture depicting the Civil War in Georgia. He had the skills and ambition needed for this project. He was thrilled with Mr. Robinson's vision, but did not like the position he had chosen. Mr. Borglum returned to Georgia, but returned the following year and explored many mountains and settled on Mount Rushmore, a perfect site. Geologists also studied and approved the site. Gutzon Borglum wanted a more national scope for the monument that would attract more people from all over the world... middle of paper... he would give lectures and guided tours. There are paths to follow to get closer to the mountain and see the sculptures from different angles. Bighorn sheep can often be seen climbing over the rubble at the bottom of the monument. The National Park Service employs many experts and workers. To monitor any changes in Mount Rushmore they use laser scanning to detect changes and improve the accuracy of the mountain's structure. it seems. Since the September 11 terrorist attack in New York, park rangers have been armed to handle emergencies such as a terrorist attack. President Calvin Coolidge's words in a speech in 1927 have come true. He said “this memorial will be another National Shrine to which future generations will take refuge to declare their continued allegiance to independence, self-government, freedom and economic justice.” Mount Rushmore is truly a priceless national treasure.