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Custer State Park, Custer, SD

Photo: Guimir, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons. Cropped and resized.

Sport & OutdoorOutdoor AdventureFamily Favorite

Custer State Park

13329 US Highway 16A · Custer, SD

Why you should go…

Custer State Park covers 71,000 acres of prairie and granite peaks in the Black Hills. You can drive the Wildlife Loop to watch bison and prairie dog towns, follow the Needles Highway, or spend time at Sylvan Lake. The park is home to about 1,400 bison, a herd that began with 36 animals bought in 1914. Four historic lodges, nine campgrounds and trails for hiking, biking and horseback riding give you reasons to stay more than a day.

  • #state park
  • #bison
  • #scenic drive
  • #black hills
  • #camping

Good to know

General sport & outdoor guidance

Habits that pay off across this whole category, not rules for this one venue. Always check the official site for the specifics.

  • Weather calls the shots

    Check the forecast the morning of and keep an indoor backup in your pocket for the day it turns.

  • Shoes, water, sun cover

    The three things that decide whether you last the whole outing or cut it short after an hour.

  • Parking and launches fill early

    On a nice weekend, lots and trailheads are often full by mid-morning.

  • Daylight shrinks in shoulder season

    Spring and fall visits need an earlier start than the same trip in July.

What's around here?

The closest stops to Custer State Park, ordered by straight-line distance. A few more like it, plus some different kinds of fun so you can build a full day.

  • Tours
    Outdoor Adventure

    Black Hills Bronco Adventures

    $50+

    Guided open-top Bronco tours through the Black Hills, visiting Mount Rushmore, Custer State Park and backcountry trails.

    7.3 mi awaySwitch it up: Tours

  • Museums
    Family Favorite

    Four Mile Old West Town Museum

    Under $25

    Recreated 1880s Black Hills stagecoach town with over 50 buildings, western artifacts and a comic Old West show.

    8.2 mi awaySwitch it up: Museums

  • Tours
    Local Gem

    Signature Black Hills Tours

    $50+

    Private, small-group guided tours of Mount Rushmore, the Badlands and the Black Hills led by a former National Park Service ranger.

    9.8 mi awaySwitch it up: Tours

  • Sport & Outdoor
    Outdoor Adventure

    Jewel Cave National Monument

    Free

    Ride an elevator underground and follow a ranger through cave chambers lined with calcite crystals.

    11 mi awayMore like this

  • Sport & Outdoor
    Outdoor Adventure

    Wind Cave National Park

    Free

    Tour a vast cave lined with rare boxwork formations, then watch bison and elk on the prairie above it.

    11 mi awayMore like this

  • Sport & Outdoor
    Outdoor Adventure

    Black Hills Balloons

    $50+

    Sunrise hot air balloon flights over Custer State Park and the southern Black Hills.

    12 mi awayMore like this