Over 2 million people from around the world visit Custer State Park every year, and it’s easy to see why. With its combination of rolling hills, stunning granite peaks and abundant wildlife, Custer is a uniquely beautiful location.

The park itself can be seen and enjoyed in 2-3 days, but we suggest a longer stay in order to enjoy the area around the park and all it has to offer. Check out our Weekend Warrior Guide – Custer Edition for a great 3 day itinerary to help you make the most of your time at Custer.

History Of Custer State Park

Custer state park was born on March 1, 1919. Governor Peter Norbeck had long admired the beauty of the Black Hills of South Dakota, and once elected governor of the state, he set out to permanently preserve the area. Once the park was created, Norbeck himself helped to plan the layout of roads and scenic vistas throughout the park. The twisty turns and narrow granite tunnels of the Needles Highway and Iron Mountain Road are designed to offer breathtaking views while blending with the scenery they traverse.

When asked about the routes he had planned throughout the park, Norbeck famously said “You’re not supposed to drive here at 60 miles per hour, to do the scenery justice you should drive at no more than 20. To do it full justice you should just get out and walk it.”

During the summer of 1927, President Calvin Coolidge spent 3 months visiting the Black Hills and Custer State Park in particular. He and Mrs Coolidge stayed primarily at the State Game Lodge during this time, earning it the nickname the “Summer White House”.

The Civilian Conservation Corps was responsible for many of the projects we currently enjoy in the park. From 1933 – 1941 they built the dams, bridges and buildings that make up Stockade Lake, Center Lake, Wildlife Station Visitor Center, the Mount Coolidge Lookout Tower, and most notably the Peter Norbeck Visitor Center.

Location Of Custer State Park

Located in the southwest corner of South Dakota, Custer State Park is a quick 30 minute drive from Rapid City, SD making it a very popular tourist destination (over 2 million people visit Custer each year). The drive south from Rapid City on Hwy 79 is an easy and pleasant drive, offering impressive views of the Black Hills through the passenger’s window. Turning right onto Hwy 36 takes you to the main entrance to the park via the 2-lane highway. Once you are through the park gates, the highway name changes to Hwy 16A which can be a little confusing. Turning right onto Hwy 16A takes you north on Iron Mountain Road to Mount Rushmore National Monument, while continuing straight on Hwy 16A takes you west, on the park’s main through-fare. Two of the park’s lodges (State Game Lodge & Legion Lake Lodge) and 3 of its campgrounds (Game Lodge Campground, Grace Coolidge Campground & Legion lake Campground) are located along this route. Turning south just past Legion Lake is Hwy 87 which takes you to the Blue Bell Lodge and campground (our personal favorite) and Custer’s famed Wildlife Loop Road.

The area immediately surrounding the park is a tourist’s playground, with scenic drives, national monuments (Mount Rushmore) and private exhibits like the Crazy Horse monument. The town of Custer is located just outside the west entrance to the park and is convenient for restocking on fuel and groceries, or grabbing a bite to eat.

Geography Of Custer State Park

Granite spires, stunning mountain views, and rolling grasslands all combine in this very special and scenic location. Located in Black Hills National Forest, Custer State Park encompasses approximately 71,000 acres of land. The change in topography in this area is one part of what makes Custer so unique. Toward the south of the park there are rolling grasslands that provide a home for over 1500 bison, antelope, elk, and prairie dogs. Toward the north of the park, the elevation increases dramatically and tall granite spires can be seen appearing to shoot out of the ground dozens of feet in the air. The sheer sides and steep drops from the spires create a magnificent landscape. Woven throughout this landscape are several streams and lakes that further add to the beauty and ambience of the area. Taken together, Custer State Park offers a unique landscape that creates a stunning palette of colors, shapes, and textures that many consider to be unparalleled in its scenic beauty.

Wildlife In Custer

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Wildlife in Custer is abundant. The park is home to over 1,500 bison, deer, antelope, elk, bighorn sheep, turkeys, coyotes, burros and prairie dogs. While wildlife can be seen throughout the park the Wildlife Loop Road in the southern region of the park is known to have an abundance of animals that can bee seen without even leaving your car. During our recent visit, we noticed bison, deer, antelope, prairie dogs and Custer’s begging burros during our drive along the road.

The begging burros (as they are known) have inhabited the grasslands of Custer for nearly a century. Originally, these were donkeys used as pack animals to shuttle visitors between Sylvan Lake Lodge and Black Elk Peak (the highest peak east of the Rockies). When their services were no longer needed these animals were released into the wild to roam freely in the park. The begging boroughs are extremely friendly and easily approachable.… in fact, they’ve even been known to poke their heads into passing car windows that stop long enough on the side of the road. Visitors to the park enjoy feeding the borrows who are eager to except almost any handout that is offered.

But, the big wildlife draw in Custer is their heard of over 1500 wild bison. The heard roams freely in the grass lands in the southern part of the park and has thrived in this area. Visitors on the Wildlife Loop Road Are almost guaranteed to see bison during their drive. And it’s not uncommon to be caught in a “buffalo jam”. This unique experience occurs when the bison herd stops on the roadway or crosses the roadway in the park. Don’t be surprised to find a car or truck surrounded by bison almost like a metal island in a sea of brown hides and horns. While not tame, the bison are also not easily intimidated by people or automobiles. In fact, during our recent visit we were fortunate enough to be “caught” in a buffalo jam and watched as these massive animals passed just inches from the side of the truck. This is truly a unique experience that would be hard to duplicate anywhere in the world outside of Custer State Park.

How To Explore Custer State Park

Scenic Drives

To be honest, almost every road in Custer can be considered a scenic drive! But, there are 3 that stand out more than others.

Needles Highway

The Needles Highway (also known as Hwy 87) is a beautiful drive that runs from Hwy 16A in the park up to the north west corner of Custer where Sylvan Lake is located. This 14 mile road is part of the Peter Norbeck Scenic Byway and was once thought to be impossible to build by many engineers. However, through hard work and dedication it was completed in 1922. This spectacular drive twists and turns its way through forests of pine and spruce, across sunny meadows, and up rugged mountains. The highway’s name is derived from the rugged granite spires (tall granite towers) that rise majestically into the air. The road terminates at Sylvan Lake after passing through Needles Eye Tunnel, a one-lane tunnel carved into a mountain of granite that measures only 8’4″ wide by 11’3″ tall. Expect a 45-minute drive one-way from end to end.

Iron Mountain Road

Iron Mountain Road is the portion of Hwy 16A that travels north after entering the park from the east on Hwy 36. This 17 mile stretch of highway, is yet another example of determination and ingenuity. The road was specifically designed with 314 curves, 14 switchbacks and 3 one-lane tunnels in order to force visitors to go slow in the hopes that they truly enjoy and take in the scenery during their drive.

“You’re not supposed to drive here at 60 miles per hour, to do the scenery justice you should drive at no more than 20. To do it full justice you should just get out and walk it.”

Peter Norbeck

The southern portion of the road begins in Custer then leaves the park after a few miles and ends at Mount Rushmore National Monument. Along the way, visitors are treated to the scenic beauty of the Black Hills including many overlooks and beautiful pine forests, and you’ll cross over wooden “pigtail” bridges (bridges that loop over their own road as they climb) on your journey toward Mount Rushmore. As you near the end, be on the look out for Doane Robinson Tunnel. This tunnel carved through the mountain is 13’2″ wide and 12’2″ tall and was designed to perfectly frame mount Rushmore while you’re heading north. It is quite an impressive site. Expect a 60 minute drive one way along this route.

Wildlife Loop Road

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As we mentioned before, this 18 mile scenic loop travels through the south end of the park and winds through open grassy meadows, hills dotted with pine, and crosses clear flowing streams. Depending on the day, you can see antelope, deer, coyotes, prairie dogs and the begging borrows on your drive. But, perhaps the most well-known feature of the drive is Custer’s bison herd. At over 1,500 animals strong, this herd roams the grasslands in the park’s southern end and can almost always be seen from the road. We have seen and experienced cars completely surrounded by bison and it makes for an extremely unique experience. Depending on “buffalo jams”, and whether you stop to feed the boroughs, we recommend planning around 1 hour to 1 1/2 hour for this drive.

Hiking

The park offers many hikes which allow visitors to get off the beaten path and explore the park in an up close and personal way. In addition to the designed and marked trails, off trail hiking is allowed in Custer also, and visitors are allowed to hike wherever they would like. Depending on the area of the park in which you hike, the trails differ greatly in their topography and geography. A complete listing of Custer State Park trails with descriptions and topographical maps can be found here.

Where To Stay When Visiting Custer State Park

Custer Lodges

Custer features six lodges inside the park to offer accommodations to visitors.

• Blue Bell Lodge
• State Game Lodge
• Sylvan Lake Lodge
• Legion Lake Lodge
• Creekside Lodge

Regardless of which lodge you choose, you’ll find rustic luxury that awaits. The State Game Lodge in is considered by many to be the flagship lodge in the Park. Presidents Calvin Coolidge and Dwight D Eisenhower have both stayed here in the past.

In addition to the lodges, Custer offers 7 specialty cabins that are scattered throughout the park..

• Reunion Cabin
• Tatanka Cabin
• Cathedral Spires Cabin
• Ponderosa Cabin
• French Creek Cabin
• Custer Ranch House
• Historic Kleemann House

These cabins offer luxury accommodations for large groups meeting together. Most can accommodate over 20 people and each offers a unique feel and aesthetic.

These accommodations are all managed by Custer Resorts, and can be reserved online here.

Camping In Custer

Camping is our preferred way to stay in/near a destination, and we enjoy pulling The Wolf (our 36ft travel trailer) with us when we visit an area.

Custer features 10 campgrounds each with a unique feel throughout the park.

• Blue Bell Campground
• Center Lake Campground
• French Creek Natural Area
• Game Lodge Campground
• Grace Coolidge Campground
• Legion lake Campground
• Stockade North Campground
• Stockade South Campground
• Sylvan Lake Campground

Blue Bell campground is our favorite in the park. It’s located in the southern portion, close to the Wildlife Loop Road and seems to be carved into a pine forest. Blue Bell stables are close by offering trail rides by horseback and the Blue Bell Lodge (within walking distance) is a nice escape to grab lunch or dinner. Check out our full in-depth review of Blue Bell Campground here and find out why we love it so much.

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Other accommodations can be found outside the park in the nearby town of Custer and toward the north in Rapid City.

Other Activities

Custer State Park is home to a number of other activities as well. The streams in Custer are teaming with trout waiting to be caught. The trails and roads in Custer are perfect for biking and walking. Eagles and other birds fill the skies and are waiting to be seen by all those who are interested. And the Lakes in the park are waiting for you to take a cool refreshing dip.

Truly Custer is a magnificent destination unlike any other we have experienced!

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