On Thursday, June 23, the sixth day of the 2016 Great Race, the participants will encounter the most diverse scenery of the entire event as they make their way from Cheyenne, Wyoming to Rapid City, South Dakota. Heading north out of Cheyenne, the racers will see the vast western range of Wyoming, including beautiful Guernsey State Park and the Guernsey Reservoir. After lunch in the tiny town of Lusk, the terrain will make a dramatic change in South Dakota as they approach the Black Hills. The twisting, winding roads – and a couple of one car tunnels cut into the mountain side – will be memorable. And the highlight, of course, will be Mount Rushmore, with George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln and Teddy Roosevelt carved into the stone over many decades.

The overnight stop in Rapid City will be one of the most exciting stops on the event starting at 5:15 p.m. on St. Joseph Street downtown. Local organizers will have a band playing the street and a beer garden for the spectators, and racers will enjoy dinner on their own that evening at one of the several dozen bars and restaurants within two blocks in any direction. The historic Alex Johnson Hotel, one of the hotels for racers, is in the venue, and its rooftop bar is spectacular. A unique attraction downtown are statues of all 44 U.S. Presidents on every corner, including Thomas Jefferson and James Madison at the corner of 7th and St. Joseph, which will be the start of the Great Race venue.