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. Hiking trails, scenic drives, bike rides and safari tours are perfect ways to explore this impressive South Dakota attraction.
Find trip-planning tools and frequently asked visitor questions to help you plan your next great adventure to Custer State Park.
Hidden Treasure: South Dakota’s Custer State Park
Watch as wranglers and rangers round up more than 1,300 stampeding buffalo during the annual Custer State Park Buffalo Roundup, held the last Friday of September.
See what other travelers discovered at Custer State Park, and use the hashtag #HiFromSD to share your vacation experiences.
The Travel South Dakota Stories
Episode 1: The Fall and Rise of the Buffalo
Feel the ground rumble and see the dust fly as 60 cowboys and cowgirls saddle up to bring in a thundering herd of 1,300 buffalo at the annual Custer State Park Buffalo Roundup. But we’re not just watching it. We’re in the thick of it, as we get thrown around on the back of a truck chasing the herd across the wide-open plains!
Explore 71,000 acres of unmatched beauty and free-roaming wildlife in Custer State Park, alongside the action-packed towns of Rapid City, Sturgis and Custer.
13329 US Highway 16A
Custer, SD57730
United States
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
