Custer State Park

Custer State Park is located in a remote section of the Black Hills, though it’s easy to get there from Rapid City Regional Airport (RAP), located just 37 miles north. Allegiant, American Airlines, Delta, United and Boutique Air all fly into and out of the airport.

At 31 miles away, Rapid City is the nearest major city to Custer State Park. Other notable cities in the region include Gillette, Wyoming (127 miles), Casper, Wyoming (213 miles), Denver (360 miles) and Minneapolis (600 miles).

Custer State Park is a popular outdoor destination that can be enjoyed any time of year. Winter is the coolest, calmest season at the park, when you can try your hand at ice fishing and snowmobiling. The months of May through early September are ideal for trail hikers, though be aware summertime temperatures can reach into the 90s. Be sure to pack sunscreen and plenty of water.

While summer is a busy time for buffalo spotting, you can glimpse the park’s famous residents all year long during a drive along its scenic loop. The traffic flow is steady throughout the day here, but dusk is the best time to see the buffalo. You can see the park’s other beloved inhabitants, adorable prairie dogs, poking out of their mounds all day long. If you do visit in winter, be sure to check with the park ahead of time for any road closures due to snow.

Custer State Park’s climate is surprisingly milder than other destinations in western South Dakota, thanks to the warmer Chinook winds that keep temperatures less extreme than elsewhere. 

The southern Black Hills are a landscape of rolling prairie grasslands and rugged terrain — the perfect place for bison to roam — and Custer State Park, being South Dakota’s oldest and largest state park, is right in the middle of it all. The park dates to 1912, with the founding of what was then called Custer State Forest. With the addition of bison, pronghorn and bighorn sheep in the park’s first decade, and roads through the region during the 1920s and 1930s, Custer State Park became a popular destination for nature lovers.