Between Las Vegas And Zion Is A Quirky, Beloved Attraction Called Nevada's 'Little Mount Rushmore'

South Dakota's Mount Rushmore, depicting four of the most influential presidents in American history, is one of the country's most iconic landmarks. A symbol of the nation, it has become shorthand for declaring the four best of anything: the Mount Rushmore of movies, of rock albums, of superheroes, or of NFL quarterbacks. But strangely, in the sandstone cliffs of Nevada, you'll find this presidential homage in miniature form. This quirky work of landscape art has been dubbed "Little Mount Rushmore" and the name really fits.

In Mesquite, a quaint town in Nevada's Virgin River Valley, former Olympian Pete Karns decided to fashion those four famous faces — Presidents Washington, Jefferson, Roosevelt, and Lincoln — into the bluff overlooking Lower Flat Top Drive. A retired real estate broker biathlete skier, Karns competed at the 1972 Olympics in Sapporo but has no formal training as a stone carver. It's simply a hobby that flourished once he packed in his day job. As he bluntly told St. George News back in 2021, "I'm not an artist; this is the first time I've ever done anything like this."

Despite his lack of credentials, the faces do clearly resemble the originals, and Karns says they're usually well received by passersby, who often congratulate him on his work. The four presidents have got company, too. Prior to Little Mount Rushmore, Karns had already carved an array of other designs and symbols into the bluff. Since then he's added a 10-by-8-foot likeness of Lady Liberty and her torch-carrying hand, which took more than 150 hours to complete. That being said, "complete" is a relative term, given that the material he works with is prone to erosion and the art requires continued upkeep. Local authorities have encouraged him, though, working with Karns to establish a permit system and granting him permission to throw paint all over the proverbial canvas.

There's plenty of opportunity for travelers to see Karns' drive-by artworks, sitting at the halfway point on the road between Vegas and Zion, one of America's most crowded national parks. The bluff containing Little Mount Rushmore and Karns' other works is about a 10-minute drive west of central Mesquite. You'll appreciate the carvings best in daylight, and if you pass by on a sunny winter afternoon, you may even see Karns up there, ladder leaning against the rock, chiseling away — Karns now spends his summers in the cooler climes of Wyoming, according to the Mesa Valleys Progress.

Once you've located Karns' Little Mount Rushmore, be on the lookout for sandstone versions of Lady Liberty, the Sphinx, the stone heads of Easter Island, a snowman, a turtle, and a Wyoming cowboy all etched into the bluff. If it feels a little theme park-y, perhaps that's appropriate. After you've got your fill of stone carvings, you could make the hour's drive to the city-sized theme park known as Las Vegas — the most fun city in America — for a night of glitz, glamor, gluttony, and gambling.