Custer State Park South Dakota road trip! 7 things to do for buffalo, scenic drives, more! South Dakota travel blog

Hi there!

One of the best things that South Dakota is known for is the Black Hills.

And one of the best things to do in the Black Hills is Custer State Park!

Custer State Park one of the best state parks in South Dakota… if not THE best state park in South Dakota!

I spent several days in Custer State Park, and these are the things you need to know about! This includes hiking, easy walks, cabins, campgrounds, scenic drives, and more! If you like good views, you’ll find things to do in Custer State Park!

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1. Sylvan Lake

There are many lakes in Custer State Park.

The most popular lake of them all is Sylvan Lake.

Among the best things to do at Sylvan Lake is to go for a walk around the lake!

There is the Sylvan Lake Shore Trail that loops around the lake, much of which is one of the easy lakeshore trails you can walk in Custer State Park!

This trail is also how to get to the Sunday Gulch Trail which can be a worthy hike even if you hike just 10-15 minutes of it out, and then hike back!

And aside from Sylvan Lake, there are also quieter lakes in Custer State Park.

👆 Center Lake is one of the Custer State Park lakes.

See more things to do in Custer State Park:

• Things to do around Sylvan Lake
• Custer State Park lakes
• Easy lake trails in Custer State Park
• Legion Lake
• Center Lake
• What you can see with 30 minutes of hiking on the Sunday Gulch Trail

2. Needles Highway

There are a couple of famous drives in Custer State Park and the Black Hills.

One of the popular scenic drives in Custer State Park is the Needles Highway.

The “needles” are an iconic rock formation of the Black Hills, and on the Needles Highway you can see these “needles”!

Needles Highway can be just about the drive, and there are a few specific things coming up on the list below!

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3. Needles Eye Tunnel

There is a famous tunnel on the Needles Highway, and that’s the Needles Eye Tunnel.

This is a narrow tunnel that you can drive through!

Regular cars can drive through the tunnel, although because it’s so narrow it’s a one-lane tunnel that you can only drive through one direction at a time!

See more about driving through the Needles Eye Tunnel.

4. Cathedral Spires

Another type of iconic rock formation in Custer State Park and the Black Hills that you can see by driving the Needles Highway are the Cathedral Spires.

The Cathedral Spires are part of a national natural landmark, designated by the National Park Service.

You can get a better look at these spires by hiking the Cathedral Spires Trail.

The Cathedral Spires trailhead is located directly off of Needles Highway.

5. Little Devils Tower

The Little Devils Tower Trail is another iconic hike in Custer State Park and the Black Hills.

Once you get towards the top of Little Devils Tower (aka the end of the trail), it starts to get a little steep.

If you make it to the top of Little Devils Tower, you’ll see stunning views of the Black Hills all around you!

It can be WINDY and cold up at the top, so you might want to bring layers!

The Little Devils Tower trailhead is located directly off of Needles Highway.

6.  Wildlife Loop Road

The icon of Custer State Park is the buffalo.

And yes, you can see buffalo in Custer State Park!

Although, buffalo are free to roam on their own so they do what they want! This means that there’s no guarantee that you’ll see them.

But I did see buffalo in Custer State Park, and I did see buffalo along Wildlife Loop Road (along with elsewhere).

So a drive along Wildlife Loop Road is in fact a way to have a good chance of spotting some wildlife, including buffalo!

For the best chance of seeing buffalo in Custer State Park, be sure to stop by the Custer State Park Visitor Center or the Wildlife Station Visitor Center. They have a little map of recent reported buffalo sightings in Custer State Park.

Again, there’s no guarantee that the buffalo will still be there since they do move around, but it can increase your chances!

7. Black Elk Peak

The only way to get to the Black Elk Peak is to hike there.

The hike to Black Elk Peak is one of the best hikes in Custer State Park, if not THE best!

Well, one of the best hikes that starts from Custer State Park!

This hike will take you into Black Hills National Forest.

According to the US Forest Service, the Black Elk Peak is said to be the “highest point in the United States east of the Rockies.”

There are many ways to get to Black Elk Peak, and one of the most popular ways to get there is by starting from Sylvan Lake.

So, you can combine these 2 trails by first hiking Sylvan Lake for the grand lake views, and then hiking to Black Elk Peak for the grand hill views!

See more about the best hikes in Custer State Park.

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Cost to visit Custer State Park

Custer State Park requires an entry fee.

In 2023, it is $20 for a 7-day pass. There is no one-day pass. See current fees.

You can buy either pass when you get to Custer State Park.

If the Custer State Park entry booth is not staffed, then there is a payment kiosk where you can buy the pass.

There is also a South Dakota state park pass for $36 that lasts from June to May.

You can buy this at Custer State Park as long as the entry booth is staffed.

Custer State Park dates to keep in mind

In early August there is the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally.

There are reports that this event has attracted nearly half a million people to the region.

This especially affects the areas surrounding Sturgis SD, and that notably includes Custer State Park, even though it’s an hour away.

If you plan to go camping in Custer State Park, this means that campgrounds could fill up more quickly.

As the people at South Dakota state parks say, either join them or avoid them!

In 2023, the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally is August 4 to 15. Confirm this year’s dates.

At the end of September there is the buffalo round-up within Custer State Park.

Once again, this will create crowds, and you can choose to go to it because you want to see the buffalo rounded up (book your campsite early!), or you can choose to avoid this time!

In 2023, the Custer State Park buffalo roundup is September 28 to 30. Confirm this year’s dates.

Where to stay in Custer State Park

So yes, it is possible to stay IN Custer State Park!

Whether you want to rough it (aka tent camping) or you want a little bit of extra “luxury” amenities, you have choices of where to stay in Custer State Park!

For all of these Custer State Park accommodation options, you also need to separately buy the Custer State Park pass.

If you are camping, you may be able to buy a pass from the campground host.

If you are staying at one of the lodges (and even if you’re not), you may be able to buy a pass from the lodge.

According to one campground host, it sounds like there are Custer State Park rangers that do go around checking for the passes, so you don’t want to be caught inside Custer State Park without it!

Camping in Custer State Park

You can make it a Custer State Park camping trip.

Custer State Park is rather big for a state park, and there are 8 standard campgrounds in Custer State Park for tent camping and RV camping.

See more about Custer State Park campgrounds.

Camping cabins in Custer State Park

As a tent camper, I loved the camping cabins of South Dakota state parks.

And some of the Custer State Park campgrounds also have camping cabins!

Similar to tent camping, it is basically bring your own everything, but you don’t need to worry about the weather elements.

There are bunk beds with mattresses inside the cabin so you need to bring your own pillow and bedding/sleeping bag.

There is electricity to plug in your electronics, along with air conditioning and heat.

The cost in 2021 for South Dakota state park camping cabins was $66 a night, and that includes taxes and the out-of-state resident fee.

See more about Custer State Park camping cabins.

“Resort” cabins in Custer State Park

If a cabin stay in Custer State Park and the Black Hills sounds good to you but you don’t want to deal with bringing your own everything, then there are also “resort” cabins in Custer State Park!

These are the luxury cabins compared to the Custer State Park camping cabins.

See more about lodging in Custer State Park.

Day trips from Custer State Park

It’s reasonable to stay in Custer State Park for a few days (or more!) and take day trips to other places in the Black Hills, and beyond!

Here are some common day trips from Custer State Park:

• Custer State Park to Mount Rushmore might be a 30 minute drive one way (map)
• Custer State Park to Spearfish Canyon might be a 1.5 hour drive one way (map)
• Custer State Park to Devils Tower National Monument might a 2-2.5 hour drive one way (map)
• You can also combine Spearfish Canyon and Devils Tower, and from Custer State Park to Spearfish Canyon to Devils Tower might be around a 3-3.5 hour drive one way (map)
• Custer State Park to Wind Cave National Park might be a 40 minute drive one way (map)
• Custer State Park to Jewel Cave National Monument might be a 30 minute drive one way (map)
• Custer State Park to Badlands National Park might be a 2 hour drive one way (map)

Estimated drive time is from Sylvan Lake.

Custer State Park is big, so it will depend on where in Custer State Park you’re coming from, but this can start to give you an idea!

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What is Custer State Park known for?

Custer State Park is known for being the best state park in the Black Hills… and buffalo!

So a trip to Custer State Park can be all about the VIEWS of the Black Hills.

And, you do have a chance to see buffalo in Custer State Park too!

👆 Spot the buffalo! Spot the Custer State Park camping cabin!

And those are some ideas for planning a trip to Custer State Park!

If you are interested in Custer State Park, then you may also be interested in these activities:

• Things to do in Badlands National Park for views
• Camping in Custer State Park
• Custer State Park camping cabins
• Needles Highway
• Things to do in Wind Cave National Park
• Things to do in the Black Hills for VIEWS!
• Sylvan Lake
• Things to do for the best views in Mount Rushmore
• Things to do in Black Hills National Forest
• Can you see Crazy Horse Memorial from the road?
• Best hikes in Custer State Park
• Things to do in Jewel Cave National Monument
• Legion Lake
• Things to do in Devils Tower National Monument for views
• Center Lake
• Lakes in Custer State Park

HAPPY DOING THINGS IN CUSTER STATE PARK AND THE BLACK HILLS!