Sylvan Lake located in South Dakota's Custer State Park

Custer State Park

Few truly wild places remain in this country. Custer State Park is one of them. Nearly 1,300 bison wander the park’s 71,000 acres, which they share with pronghorn antelope, elk, mountain goats and a band of burros. Trail rides, scenic drives, bike rides and safari tours are perfect ways to explore this impressive South Dakota attraction.
 

Below you’ll find trip planning tools & frequently asked visitor questions to help you plan your next great adventure to Custer State Park!

Buffalo Custer State Park Wildlife Loop Road
While You're Here
Wildlife Loop State Scenic Byway

Where the buffalo roam and so do a variety of animals including deer, antelope, begging burros, elk, big horn sheep, and prairie dogs.

Rock climbing Black Hills
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Rock Climbing

Climb and keep climbing the Needles around Sylvan Lake.

Family Hiking Cathedral Spires Custer State Park
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Let Your Feet by Your Guide on Mile After Mile of Beautiful Hiking Trails

Hit the trails! Explore 71,000 acres of park land where outdoor vacation adventures and nearby hotels.

custer state park
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Fishing

Whether your fly-fishing or casting a line from boat or dock, the lakes of Custer State Park are trout-fishing heaven. 

Buffalo and Camping RV Custer State Park
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Camping

Make camp with your horses in the pines, pitch your tent beside a pristine mountain lake, or hook up your RV where the buffalo do truly roam or with your horses, the park's ten memorable campgrounds are sure to accommodate. 

Black Elk Peak Lookout Tower Sunset Custer State Park
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Black Elk Peak

At 7,242 feet, Black Elk Peak (formerly Harney Peak) is the highest point in the U.S. east of the Rocky Mountains. It’s topped by a stone fire tower and offers a magnificent view of the Black Hills making it a popular hike. Access is available via trailheads within the park and the Black Elk Wilderness Area.

Stockade Lake Custer State Park
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Mountain Lakes

Sylvan, Legion, Stockade, and Center Lakes provide ways to cool off or catch dinner. Experience summertime fun while swimming, kayaking, paddle-boarding, canoeing, hydro-biking and fly fishing.

 
Reflected in clear mountain waters, needles of granite splay into blue sky above emerald forests and windswept prairies, where herds of wildlife roam free.
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Hidden Treasure: South Dakota’s Custer State Park
Play Video

Hidden Treasure: South Dakota’s Custer State Park

Round 'Em Up
Round 'Em Up

Watch as wranglers and rangers round up more than 1,000 stampeding buffalo during the annual Custer State Park Buffalo Roundup, held the last Friday of September.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q:

What is the closest airport to Custer State Park?

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What is the driving distance to nearby U.S. cities from Custer State Park?

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What is the best time of year to visit Custer State Park?

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 What are the busiest times of week to visit Custer State Park?

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What is the climate, geographic information and history of Custer State Park?

SEE WHAT AMAZING THINGS ARE WAITING AT CUSTER STATE PARK
Where the
Buffalo Roam
Burro
 
Bighorn Sheep
 
Elk
 
Baby bison
 
balloon-ride-custer-1882
Plan Your Visit

71,000 acres of unmatched beauty and free-roaming wildlife.

Custer State Park Map location

13329 US Highway 16A
Custer, SD57730
United States

Check Out Our Podcast

The Travel South Dakota Stories

Episode One: "The Rise and Fall of the Buffalo"

Feel the ground rumble and the dust fly as sixty cowboys and cowgirls saddle up to bring in a thundering herd of 1,300 buffalo at the 57th Annual Custer State Park Buffalo Roundup. But we’re not just watching it. We are in the thick of it as we get thrown around on the back of a truck chasing the herd across the wide-open plains! Along the way, we discover that although the roundup harks back to a different time, the adventurous spirit of South Dakotans – which has been a way of life for centuries – still lives on. And that spirit is infectious.

 

Available now on SpotifyApple, and Amazon.

 

Great 8
Badlands National Park

This striking South Dakota landscape boasts a maze of buttes, canyons, pinnacles and spires. Skeletons of three-toed horses and saber-toothed cats are among the many fossilized species found here. Wildlife abounds in the park’s 244,000 acres and can often be seen while hiking, camping and traveling the Badlands Loop Scenic Byway.

badlands national park
Badlands
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Mount Rushmore National Memorial

America's Shrine of Democracy, Mount Rushmore National Memorial features the 60-foot faces of four great American presidents who represent the birth, growth, development and preservation of this country. 

Mount Rushmore
Mount Rushmore
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Jewel Cave National Monument

The third-longest cave in the world features a variety of tours below the surface and a 1,279-acre park with nature trails above ground.

Jewel Cave Interior
Jewel Cave
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Custer State Park

Few truly wild places remain in this country. Custer State Park is one of them. Nearly 1,300 bison wander the park’s 71,000 acres, which they share with pronghorn antelope, elk, mountain goats and a band of burros.

Needles Highway
Custer State Park
Great 8
Historic Deadwood

Walk in the footsteps of historic Old West legends like Wild Bill Hickok, Calamity Jane and Seth Bullock. This 1870s gold rush town became a National Historic Landmark in 1961. Today, it teems with Black Hills entertainment and things to do including concerts, casinos, museums, historic sites, spas and parades.

Deadwood
Deadwood reanactors
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Missouri River

History and adventure abound along and on the waters of the Mighty Mo’. Free-flowing sections and four reservoirs — Lake Oahe, Lake Sharpe, Lake Francis Case and Lewis & Clark Lake — are prime for fishing, boating and water recreation.

Missouri River Fishing
Pierre Missouri River
Great 8
Wind Cave National Park

The first cave to be designated a national park, Wind Cave National Park features the world's largest concentration of rare boxwork formations along with 33,851 acres of forest and prairie on the surface, creating a sanctuary for wildlife.

Wind Cave National Park
Wind Cave
Great 8
Crazy Horse Memorial

Korczak Ziolkowski began work on Crazy Horse Memorial in 1948. Once complete, this tribute to the Lakota leader will be the largest mountain carving in South Dakota, and the world. The on-site Indian Museum of North America and the Native American Educational & Cultural Center also provide opportunities to learn and explore.

Crazy Horse Memorial
Crazy Horse
Badlands
Badlands icon
Mount Rushmore
Mount Rushmore icon
Jewel Cave
Jewel Cave icon
Custer State Park
Custer State Park icon
Deadwood reanactors
Deadwood icon
Pierre Missouri River
Missouri River icon
Wind Cave
Wind Cave icon
Crazy Horse
Crazy Horse Icon
Trip Planning Resources
Illustrated image of three bison grazing in Custer State Park. The Needles rock formation is visible in the background.
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Feeding a burro
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