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 CC Gideon Tunnel!
It’s kind of like you’re driving through a double tunnel!
Watch the CC Gideon Tunnel video on youtube!
Driving through CC Gideon Tunnel also means that you’ll be driving through Black Hills National Forest.
The CC Gideon Tunnel is a one-lane tunnel.
While the CC Gideon Tunnel can only accommodate traffic going in one way at a time, you can drive it in both directions.
The CC Gideon 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 CC Gideon Tunnel) as a stop or the destination, and then you will keep driving further north on the same road to get to Mount Rushmore.
The CC Gideon Tunnel will be the second tunnel you will drive through on Iron Mountain Road.
You can see Mount Rushmore while driving through the CC Gideon Tunnel!
Well, kind of.
The CC Gideon 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 CC Gideon Tunnel is the middle of the 3 tunnels.
You can see Mount Rushmore (off in the far distance) as you are driving through CC Gideon Tunnel when you are driving north to south.
This is the direction you would drive if you are driving AWAY from Mount Rushmore.
As you are driving through CC Gideon Tunnel from north to south, 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!
So if you are driving TO Mount Rushmore, you won’t see Mount Rushmore as you are driving through the CC Gideon Tunnel.
You will have to look in the rearview mirror or side mirrors to see Mount Rushmore behind you!
Because of the way the road loops around, the CC Gideon Tunnel is the only Iron Mountain Road tunnel in which you will not see a tunnel view of Mount Rushmore when you are driving towards Mount Rushmore.
You will get a tunnel view of Mount Rushmore as you drive through the other 2 tunnels when you are driving towards Mount Rushmore, aka driving from south to north.
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 CC Gideon Tunnel?
The CC Gideon Tunnel is a low narrow tunnel!
According to the road sign posted right before entering the CC Gideon Tunnel, the width of the tunnel is 11 feet 6 inches wide and the height of the tunnel is 10 feet 9 inches tall, and the South Dakota state parks website lists the same dimensions.
Cost to drive through CC Gideon 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 CC Gideon Tunnel.
More below about what you’ll see driving through the CC Gideon Tunnel!
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Now…
Driving through the CC Gideon Tunnel!
PHOTOS!
This is driving to CC Gideon Tunnel from the south. (map)
So when driving Iron Mountain Road from the south, the first tunnel you will drive through is the Scovel Johnson Tunnel. You will be able to see Mount Rushmore views as you are driving through the tunnel… off in the distance!
Then, once you get through that tunnel, it’s onwards to the second tunnel, the CC Gideon Tunnel!
And now, with around 5 minutes to go to get to the CC Gideon Tunnel, you will continue to drive the winding road on Iron Mountain Road.
Along the way you will pass the Iron Mountain picnic area, one of the Black Hills National Forest picnic areas.
And then, before you see CC Gideon Tunnel, you’ll see a sign that you are approaching a tunnel.
👆 Approaching the one lane tunnel of CC Gideon Tunnel.
👆 Approaching the low narrow tunnel of CC Gideon Tunnel.
And then you will see CC Gideon Tunnel!
And it’s your drive through Iron Mountain Road tunnel #2!
Again, this is driving from south to north, so driving in this direction means no Mount Rushmore views through the tunnel. Look behind you!
And then your drive through the CC Gideon Tunnel is over before you know it!!
Immediately upon getting out of the tunnel, there will be a low bridge that’s you’ll drive under up ahead.
And since you drove from south to north, good thing your Iron Mountain Road experience doesn’t have to be over! 😜
The best is yet to come!
You have yet another Iron Mountain Road tunnel coming up very soon, the tunnel that will give you the best tunnel view of Mount Rushmore!
Onwards you drive on Iron Mountain Road!
And that’s a bit about driving through the CC Gideon Tunnel!
If you are interested in the CC Gideon Tunnel, you may also be interested in these road trip activities:
- Doane Robinson Tunnel (Iron Mountain Road)
- Scovel Johnson Tunnel (Iron Mountain Road)
- Needles Highway
- Iron Creek Tunnel
- Things to do in Wind Cave National Park
- 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
HAPPY DRIVING THROUGH THE CC GIDEON TUNNEL!
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