

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!

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


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

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

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.

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.

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.
Hidden Treasure: South Dakota’s Custer State Park
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
What is the closest airport to 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.
What is the driving distance to nearby U.S. cities from Custer State Park?
At 31 miles away, Rapid City is the nearest major city to Custer State Park. Other notable cities in the region include Casper, Wyoming (213 miles away), Gillette, Wyoming (127 miles away), Denver (360 miles away) and Minneapolis (600 miles away).
What is the best time of year to visit Custer State Park?
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.
What are the busiest times of week to visit Custer State Park?
While summer is a busy time for buffalo-spotting, you can glimpse this 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, and 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.
What is the climate, geographic information and history of Custer State Park?
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.

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

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 cave 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 educational and cultural programming.




















