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Expansive wildlife preserve and recreation area featuring scenic drives, granite peaks, lakes, hiking trails, and one of the nation's largest publicly owned bison herds.
General Information
Motorcycle (1-7 days): $20
Annual Pass: $40 South Dakota residents
Annual Pass: $60 nonresidents
How to Get There
From Custer (5 mi): Take US-16A east from Custer, follow signs for Custer State Park, and continue to the main visitor area and park entrances along Wildlife Loop Road and US-16A.
Overview
Custer State Park is a South Dakota State Park and wildlife reserve in the Black Hills. The park is South Dakota's largest and first state park, named after Lt. Colonel George Armstrong Custer. The park covers an area of over 71,000 acres (287 km2) of varied terrain including rolling prairie grasslands and rugged mountains.
The park is home to a herd of 1,500 bison. Elk, coyotes, mule deer, white tailed deer, mountain goats, prairie dogs, bighorn sheep, river otters, pronghorn, cougars, and feral burros also inhabit the park. The park is known for its scenery, its scenic drives (Needles Highway and the wildlife loop), with views of the bison herd and prairie dog towns. This park is accessible by road from Rapid City. Other nearby attractions are Wind Cave National Park, Mount Rushmore, Jewel Cave National Monument, Crazy Horse Memorial, and Badlands National Park.
The Peter Norbeck Center is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and is located on U.S. Route 16A in Custer. Exhibits focus on the park's natural history and cultural heritage, and include wildlife dioramas, a CCC bunkhouse and a gold prospecting display. The center is named for South Dakota Governor and Senator Peter Norbeck. Many of the park's naturalist programs begin at the center.
Badger Hole, also known as Badger Clark Historical Site, was the home of Charles Badger Clark (1883-1957), who was named South Dakota's first Poet Laureate in 1937 and was noted for his cowboy poetry. The house is maintained as it was when Clark lived there. Visitors can tour the home and hike the adjacent Badger Clark Historic Trail.
Opened in May 2016, Custer State Park's visitor center has information on the animals of the park, as well as a 20-minute film detailing the history and layout of the park.
This article uses material from the Wikipedia article "Custer State Park", which is released under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share-Alike License 3.0
Featured Trails
Black Elk Peak
Highest natural point in South Dakota, with a 7 mile round-trip trail to the summit
AlexiusHoratius, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Image Size Adjusted
Jeff P from Berkeley, CA, USA, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Image Size Adjusted
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Custer State Park Wildlife Loop Road
Scenic 18-mile loop road through rolling prairie and pine-covered hills offering close-up views of bison, pronghorn, deer, and other native wildlife.
Jeff P from Berkeley, CA, USA, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Image Size Adjusted
Jeff P from Berkeley, CA, USA, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Image Size Adjusted
The Needles of Black Hills
Scenic mountain roadway winding through granite spires, narrow rock tunnels, forested landscapes, and dramatic overlooks within a large wildlife preserve.
Needles Highway
Scenic mountain roadway winding through granite spires, narrow rock tunnels, forested landscapes, and dramatic overlooks within a large wildlife preserve.
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Sylvan Lake
Mountain lake surrounded by granite formations and pine forests that offers boating, fishing, swimming, hiking, picnicking, and scenic views.
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