Hi there!
So one of the popular things to do in the Black Hills near Mount Rushmore is to drive the Iron Mountain Road.
And on Iron Mountain Road, there are several tunnels.
One of those tunnels is the Scovel Johnson Tunnel!
Watch the Scovel Johnson Tunnel video on youtube!
Driving through Scovel Johnson Tunnel also means that you’ll be driving through Black Hills National Forest.
The Scovel Johnson Tunnel is a one-lane tunnel.
While the Scovel Johnson Tunnel can only accommodate traffic going in one way at a time, you can drive it in both directions.
The Scovel Johnson Tunnel is a tunnel you’ll naturally drive through if you start the Iron Mountain Road drive from the south with your destination as Mount Rushmore National Memorial.
For reference on a map, if you will be driving it from this far south, you might be coming from around Game Lodge, Legion Lake or Center Lake, with your destination being Mount Rushmore. (map)
You will want to specifically route through Iron Mountain Road though, as this likely won’t show up as the quickest route.
So you can just add one of the Iron Mountain Road tunnels (like Scovel Johnson Tunnel) as a stop or the destination, and then you will keep driving further north on the same road to get to Mount Rushmore.
Driving Iron Mountain Road from south to north like this means that Scovel Johnson Tunnel will be your first tunnel.
I think this is a great direction to drive because it can make your approach to Mount Rushmore feel more dramatic!
You will start off by seeing Mount Rushmore off in the wayyy distance, and as you keep driving, Mount Rushmore continues to get closer and closer!
Until you get to Mount Rushmore National Memorial… and then you can see Mount Rushmore from the road as you’re driving… and then you can walk the Avenue of Flags to continue getting closer and closer to Mount Rushmore!
You can see Mount Rushmore while driving through the Scovel Johnson Tunnel!
Well, kind of.
The Scovel Johnson Tunnel is 1 of 3 tunnels that you can see Mount Rushmore off in the distance.
It is not the best tunnel view of Mount Rushmore, but still, it is one of the tunnels that you can see Mount Rushmore.
The Scovel Johnson Tunnel is the furthest south of the 3 tunnels, and it’s the tunnel that’s the furthest away from Mount Rushmore.
And being the furthest away, you will have to try really hard to see it from the Scovel Johnson Tunnel!
You can see Mount Rushmore (off in the very far distance) as you are driving through Scovel Johnson Tunnel when you are driving south to north. This is the direction you would drive if you are driving towards Mount Rushmore.
As you are driving through Scovel Johnson Tunnel from south to north, if you look straight ahead, you will notice a clearing in the trees.
That is where you will see Mount Rushmore if you look really carefully.
👆 Notice the green (trees) and notice the space (sky and rocks). Those rocks are the location of the rock carving of the Mount Rushmore presidents.
👆 Can you make out the facial features of the Mount Rushmore presidents?! Your eyesight when you’re there will probably be better than my phone! 😜
You might want to bring binoculars!
Also note that if you’re driving when it’s rainy or overcast, it’s quite possible you won’t be able to see anything.
Seeing Mount Rushmore in the rain is a little bit of luck!
How wide and how tall is the Scovel Johnson Tunnel?
👆 The Scovel Johnson Tunnel is a low narrow tunnel!
According to the road sign posted right before entering the Scovel Johnson Tunnel, the width of the tunnel is 10 feet 9 inches wide and the height of the tunnel is 11 feet 0 inches tall, and the South Dakota state parks website lists the same dimensions.
Cost to drive through Scovel Johnson Tunnel
There is no entry fee to drive through Black Hills National Forest.
This means that it’s free to drive along Iron Mountain Road, and it’s free to drive through Scovel Johnson Tunnel.
More below about what you’ll see driving through the Scovel Johnson Tunnel!
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Now…
Driving through the Scovel Johnson Tunnel!
PHOTOS!
This is driving to Scovel Johnson Tunnel from the south. (map)
And now, less than a minute to go to get to the Scovel Johnson Tunnel…
And then, before you see Scovel Johnson Tunnel, you’ll see a sign that you are approaching a tunnel.
And then you will see Scovel Johnson Tunnel!
👆 Approaching the one-lane tunnel of Scovel Johnson Tunnel.
👆 Approaching the low narrow tunnel of Scovel Johnson Tunnel.
And it’s your drive through Iron Mountain Road tunnel #1!
And then your drive through the Scovel Johnson Tunnel is over before you know it!!
But since you drove from south to north, good thing your Iron Mountain Road experience doesn’t have to be! 😜
The best is yet to come!
You have another Iron Mountain Road tunnel coming up very soon, along with some more chances to spot Mount Rushmore as you are driving!
As you are driving out of Scovel Johnson Tunnel, continue to look towards that clearing.
You are driving with views of Mount Rushmore!
👆 You will continue to see Mount Rushmore for a little bit as you are driving along Iron Mountain Road shortly after you drive through Scovel Johnson Tunnel.
Then as you keep driving the winding Iron Mountain Road, there’s another clearing with an opportunity to see Mount Rushmore.
And onwards driving along Iron Mountain Road to the next tunnel!
And that’s a bit about driving through the Scovel Johnson Tunnel!
If you are interested in the Scovel Johnson Tunnel, you may also be interested in these road trip activities:
- Iron Mountain Road
- Doane Robinson Tunnel (Iron Mountain Road)
- CC Gideon Tunnel (Iron Mountain Road)
- Iron Creek Tunnel
- Things to do in Custer State Park
- Things to do in the Black Hills for views
- Things to do for views in Mount Rushmore National Memorial
- Needles Highway
- Breezy Point picnic area near Mount Rushmore
HAPPY DRIVING THROUGH THE SCOVEL JOHNSON TUNNEL!
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