We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: South Dakota is much more interesting than we knew it to be before our trip. We think it deserves more than just one highlight, so while the last post was an overview of our time in the Black Hills area of the great state of South Dakota, we’re working on another series that will cover some the more major stops we’ve made for those who might be interested in learning more and who may be considering their own trek to these locations. This post is one of those detailed reviews and pays homage to Custer State Park.
Location: In the Black Hills of South Dakota, to the west of Rapid City. When you look it up on the map, be prepared for the whole screen to be filled with green – indicating the park area. You’ll have to zoom out a few times to understand the scope of the place.
Suggested Amount of Time to Visit: Minimum 1 full day, but if you have the time we suggest a few days.
Custer State Park Overview
Custer State Park is South Dakota’s largest, and first, state park. It was established in the early 1900s and was named after Lt. Colonel George Armstrong Custer of American and Indian Wars. The park covers over 70,000 acres of various terrain and boasts a wealth of wildlife including bison, deer, elk, goats, pronghorn, bighorn sheep, coyotes, prairie dogs, and more. (We included some detail on how you can see some of the wildlife from your vehicle below.) You can do everything from take a scenic drive, to fishing or swimming in the lakes, to hiking trails and even hunting (with proper permit). There is a fee to enter the park and your pass is good for a few days (at the time of this writing, a pass was good for three days).
What to See and Do in Custer State Park
Make a Quick Stop at Custer State Park Visitor’s Center: Visitor’s Centers are usually worth a quick stop as they tend to provide more information about the area and its attractions. This Visitor’s Center has a 20-minute video that provides historical reference and an overview of the park. It also has restrooms, which you may want to use before you head out for a few hours to explore. The park is spread out and there are not a lot of restrooms along the way, so we recommend a pitstop here before you get going. In our case, because of COVID, we tried to stay out of buildings and away from other people, so since we were staying down the street from a park entrance we just used the restroom before we left and skipped the Visitor’s Center. Usually you can get a map at the entrance when paying for your park ticket.
Drive the Needles Highway: Located on Highway 87 North in the park, the Needles Highway is a 14-mile long road that twists and turns through forests and mountain regions. Word is that a former governor, Peter Norbeck, marked the course on foot and horseback in the early 1900s. The Needles gets its name from the granite formations that poke up from the earth along the way. The road is not open in the winter due to hazardous road conditions. Time to complete: 1-2 hours, depending on how many times you stop to take advantage of the various photo ops and how congested the roadway is at the time of your visit.
Stop at Lake Sylvan: En route while on the Needles Highway is the amazingly beautiful Lake Sylvan.
Drive the Iron Mountain Road: This 17-mile road joins Custer State Park and Mount Rushmore National Memorial. The pigtail bridges, as they’re called, include ascents and descents in altitude that, depending on the speed of travel, can feel like a slow rollercoaster ride. Along the way you will appreciate the beauty of the surrounding Black Hills area as well as get the thrill of passing through tunnels just tall and wide enough for (some) vehicles. Before you go, research the height and width restrictions. If you plan to drive anything other than a car or truck through here, you’ll want to do this research first. We recommend you drive to north from Hill City area toward Keystone. This way, you get glimpses of Mt. Rushmore as you pull through the last tunnel. We won’t ruin it for you by posting a photo, but trust us, it’s a great view.
Cruise the Wildlife Loop: It is advertised that the time it takes to travel this 18-mile stretch of road depends on “wildlife jams”. Ha! Early morning or evening are the best times to put yourself in such a jam, and we highly recommend that you do! The free roaming bison and “begging burros” are a sight to see. We were fortunate enough to get caught in a bison road crossing. Seeing them up close was a great experience.
Visit the Peter Norbeck Center: Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the Center
Take a hike: With over 70,000 acres of land you know there are hiking options in this state park.
Interesting Information
Each year the park conducts a bison roundup and sells hundreds of their native bison in auction. Apparently almost 10,000 people attend each year! So, if you’re in the market for a bison, Custer State Park may be your ticket to bison ownership.
Our only safety note for “the times” (a global pandemic) is that the ranger issuing tickets walked right up to our rolled down window when we pulled into the park and started telling us about the park without a mask on. Luckily I at least had started putting mine on as we rolled up, but good grief. It was the first and only time we didn’t see the national or state parks practicing and communicating COVID safety guidelines on our trip.
We were in the area toward the end of the high season (summer) but there were still many people around who weren’t concerned with masks or social distancing so we got in the habit of always wearing our masks around our necks or keeping them in our hand so we could quickly put them on if approaching an area where we couldn’t be well apart from others.
In the Surrounding Area
Other area attractions include Mt. Rushmore National Memorial, the Crazy Horse Memorial, the Badlands National Park, and Wind Cave National Park. You can read more about our time at some of these attractions in another post.
Where to Stay
There are many different types of places to stay in the Black Hills. While we were in the Black Hills we were on an RV road trip, and there are many different campgrounds in the area that offer options for RVs and tent campers – including within the park itself. But, if you aren’t a camper never fear. There are additional options such as hotels, cabins or homes for rent, etc. We do recommend finding accommodations within an hour of your top “must dos” so you spend less time in the car and more time exploring.
How to Find Out More
For official information on Custer State Park visit their webpage here. From the main page you can find information relevant to the things you are interested in doing while visiting Custer State Park.
Happy exploring!
Not Tomorrow 