Overview Of Custer State Park

Custer is a national-park-level state park, by far the largest in South Dakota, and is commonly listed within the top 10 state parks in the whole country. Located just north and attached to Wind Cave, this 71,000 acre state park is home to great hiking, scenic drives, and other recreational activities.

Why Should I Visit Custer State Park?

There are a lot of reasons you will want to add this state park to your next South Dakota itinerary. While you could spend your whole trip exploring this park, here are my favorite reasons to visit Custer State Park:

• Hike to Black Elk Peak, the highest point east of the Rocky Mountains
• See the bison from the Wildlife Loop Road
• Drive through rock tunnels on the Needles Highway
• View crazy numbers of wildlife: bison, deer, prairie dogs
  • At altitude, we even saw mountain goats and a marten!
• Stay at the historic lodges
• Camp in the scenic Black Hills
• Hike the Cathedral Spires Trail at Sylvan Lake
• Swim, canoe, or fish in Sylvan Lake
• Hike numerous other, less popular trails throughout the park

Our Experience At Custer State Park

My wife and I visited Custer State Park as part of a 5-day Black Hills trip. We started off our Custer day after a tour at Jewel Cave. Knowing that we only had a half day for Custer, we wanted to make sure to tackle Black Elk Peak first before it got dark.

We drove the 45 minutes from Jewel Cave to the Visitor Center at Custer State Park. The Visitor Center was well-staffed and well-designed, and they even had a map showing where the bison herd was on the day we went! This is helpful so you know where to drive on the wildlife loop road.

The trail for Black Elk Peak is over 35 minutes away from the Visitor Center, so we headed off next to Sylvan Lake Lodge. Be ready for the elevation gain driving the roads in this park. When we arrived at Sylvan Lake Lodge, we were pleased to find that they had printed trail maps to give out.

The Ascent to Black Elk Peak

We parked in the huge parking area and began our ascent!

The loop we selected took us to Black Elk Peak and Little Devil’s Tower on a loop, and it also brings you right past the Cathedral Spires. Do not feel like you are missing out on the Cathedral Spires trail, you can make it part of your longer hike.

Our hike started out clear and beautiful. It was a good temperature for hoodies, but we quickly shed those as we climbed up and got hot.

The hike for Black Elk Peak takes you out of Custer State Park and into the Black Hills National Forest. This does not change much for you as a hiker except for you to be aware of it if you have an emergency.

My wife was excited about all of the chipmunks running around on the trail.

The climb was not easy, but it was manageable. As we neared the peak, we had a pretty serious realization, that we were ascending literally INTO the clouds. As we got closer to the peak, we saw Lakota prayer flags waving in the breeze.

Above The Clouds

We climbed the last bit and stairs into the fire tower, happy to reach the top. As we caught our breath, we looked out from the fire tower and saw… a cloud. We were so high up on this peak that climbed into a cloud, and there was no view of anything.

We hung out and ate a snack at the overlook and watched as a little fuzzy creature started running around through the tower. Another group of hikers told us that he is a marten. He was pretty cute and ran around through the firetower. We got cold and had to put jackets back on.

The Survey Marker And A Surprise Goat

We started back down and descended around 150 feet before my wife made a profound realization: that we missed the U.S. Geological Survey Marker, also known as a benchmark. From climbing other mountains, we are used to seeing these at the high points or peaks. Climb back up the stairs we did.

To get to the survey marker on Black Elk Peak, you have to do some minor rock climbing. It is pretty safe but it was a little wet, so we went slow. Finding the marker took us a bit, but my wife spotted it!

There is a pretty cool view of the fire tower from the survey marker, but our biggest surprise was off into the fog.

We saw our first mountain goat! If we did not scramble out to the survey marker, we would not have seen this animal chilling on the peak. 6 mountain goats escaped from a zoo in South Dakota around 1924 and they have been breeding in the Black Hills ever since, now up to a population of around 200.

Little Devil’s Tower

As we climbed back down, we headed off to Little Devil’s Tower. Once we descended far enough, the view got better as we got back below the clouds. Climbing Little Devil’s Tower involves “moderate rock scrambling”. This can mean different things to different people, and it definitely took us out of our comfort zones as tired Floridians who just climbed a 7242 foot mountain.

We continued down, passing some Cathedral Spires and a cool geode-looking-thing along the way. Please watch your step – my wife got distracted by the dinosaur egg and slipped out!

At the bottom of the trail, I stopped recording the hike, and we had done over 1900 feet of elevation gain over 8.71 miles. This hike took us just under 5 hours, and it was worth every minute.

Sylvan Lake

Back safely in Custer State Park, we sat for a minute next to Sylvan Lake and took in the sights. It was still pretty cold, so we dipped our feet in the water rather than swimming. Instead, we worked through a bucket list item: finding the rock where Nicholas Cage pretended that something grabbed his hand in National Treasure 2!

The lake “behind Mount Rushmore” in National Treasure 2 is actually Sylvan Lake, miles away in Custer State Park and accessible from the same parking lot where you embark on your hike to Black Elk Peak.

We climbed rocks next to the water until we found the right one, then took around 100 pictures of each other trying to replicate the scene. The view of the lake is pretty good from up on the rocks.

We realized that we did not have enough time for the wildlife loop drive, so we drove the Needles Highway back to Hill City. It started to get dark, and we saw at least 100 deer along the Needles Highway. It was a blessing that we were able to dodge them all.

What We Would Do Differently

While I really enjoyed our half-day at Custer State Park, I feel that it was not long enough to fully experience the park. The next time we are in the Black Hills, we will be sure to allot at least one full day to Custer State Park, if not two. It was a shame to miss out on the Wildlife Loop Drive and begging burros.

If we are in a higher tax bracket on our next Black Hills trip, we will stay in one of the cabins or lodges within Custer State Park.

Where To Eat Near Custer State Park

There is food available within Custer State Park, specifically at the State Game Lodge, the Blue Bell Lodge, Sylvan Lake Lodge, and Legion Lake.

For lunch, specifically if you are halfway up Black Elk Peak, you will be brown-bagging it. We had uncrustables and honey stinger waffles on the trail and packed our trash out.

Seeing as we drove the Needles Highway out of the park into Hill City where our hotel was, we elected to eat at the Alpine Inn for an epic steak dinner with wedge salad.

There is really good food throughout the Black Hills, and you can find great food in Custer, SD. We recommend the Sage Creek Grille, and have also heard great things about Skogen.

Lodging Near Custer State Park

There is plenty of lodging available in the Black Hills.  I would recommend picking a location central to all of the Black Hills points of interest on your trip, like Wind Cave National Park, Custer State Park, and Mount Rushmore.  We had a great stay at a fair price at the Everspring hotel in Hill City.

Tips For Visiting Custer State Park

May can be foggy, but it is generally a good temperature to climb Black Elk Peak. You may have better luck in the fall to dodge the fog.

Take your time on the roads and enjoy the scenery, specifically the Iron Mountain Road and the Needles Highway.

The friendly park rangers in the Visitor Center know exactly where the bison herd is every day. Talk to them for insights on finding wildlife.

The deer in the Black Hills are plentiful, and half of them have a death wish.  Please use extreme caution or avoid driving at night.

Plan for your day:

• If you are swimming in Sylvan Lake, bring swim trunks
• If you are hiking, especially on Black Elk Peak, wear sturdy shoes
• Bring a GPS or two if you are embarking on a major hike
• Bring water on hikes
• Tell people where you are going, and when you plan to return

When To Visit Custer State Park

Custer State Park is open year-round. The hours change based on season, but during the core season from Memorial Day to Labor Day the park is open from 8:00AM-8:00PM.

We recommend visiting in either Late May or in September. Summer will be crowded and hot, and winter will be cold and potentially snowy.

Always check the park website or call for the most up-to-date information.

What To Bring To Custer State Park

You should bring water and snacks to Custer State Park.

Beyond that, what you need to bring depends on what you are doing:

If you plan to only do the scenic drives and see wildlife from the road, your choice in shoes is not really that important. I should note that the rock tunnels are kind of small and you may want to rent a smaller SUV or car for your Black Hills trip. You may want binoculars to view wildlife.

If you plan to hike, you should also bring sturdy shoes or boots, clothing in multiple layers, a rain jacket, and sunscreen. You might also consider bringing a GPS or InReach device.

If you plan to swim, paddleboard, or do any watersports, you will want to bring a swimsuit.

Does Custer State Park Have An Entrance Fee Or Require Reservations?

Custer State Park does have an entrance fee, currently $25 per vehicle for a 7-day pass. This may sound steep but it is most definitely worth it.

Reservations are recommended for dining in the State Game Lodge and other lodges within the park.

If you plan to stay in one of the lodges, you will definitely want to book your stay ahead of time.

Sample Itinerary For Custer State Park

We recommend that you visit for a minimum of one day.

Here is a sample itinerary for a very full day at Custer State Park:

• Start at the Visitor Center, read the exhibits and find where the bison are (30 minutes)
• Drive the Wildlife Loop and see a lot of bison and other animals (up to 2 hours as bison may be in the road)
• Eat lunch at one of the lodges (1.5 hours)
• Hike Black Elk Peak to the highest point east of the Rockies (5 hours)
  • Use your discretion and make sure you are prepared if you choose this hike
  • Shorter, easier hikes are also accessible from Sylvan Lake
• Enjoy Sylvan Lake and find the rock from National Treasure 2 (30 minutes)
• Drive Needles Highway (1 hour)
• Either return to Custer or Hill City for dinner or take the Iron Mountain Road to Mount Rushmore for the Evening Lighting Ceremony (1 hour)

Summary

Custer State Park is one of the best state parks in the United States, and it is a must-see on your trip to South Dakota. It is a renowned destination for hiking, scenic drives, and wildlife viewing. We hope that you enjoy it as much as we did, and spend at least a full day here.

Other Sights Near Custer State Park

Wind Cave National Park – Great for cave tours to see boxwork as well as hiking above ground.

Jewel Cave National Monument – This cave is not talked about very much but is even more impressive than Wind Cave.  You have to see it to understand.

Mount Rushmore National Memorial – An American classic.  You should see Crazy Horse too while you are in the area.

The Black Hills – A national forest sprinkled with awesome small towns and NPS sites.

Devil’s Tower – A giant rock in the middle of nowhere, but that you should see on a trip to the Black Hills area.

Minuteman Missile National Historic Site – This is very close to Badlands and is a great place to go to learn about the Cold War and Mutually Assured Destruction.

Badlands National Park – Dramatic landscapes formed by erosion and surrounded by grasslands.