Things to Do Near Jewel Cave National Monument

With Dakota Frontier Tours, your day-long adventure showcases many highlights of the southern Black Hills, including Mount Rushmore National Memorial, Crazy Horse Memorial, Sylvan Lake, buffalo at Custer State Park, Needles Highway and the "pig-tail" bridges. We also offer tours of Deadwood, Lead, Terry Peak and Spearfish Canyon. Our personalized, narrated, guided tours are provided in air-conditioned, 15-passenger vans. We offer free hotel or campground pickup in Custer, Keystone and Hill City.

These two historic vacation home rentals near Custer are situated close to all the main attractions of the Black Hills. Enjoy Mount Rushmore National Memorial, Crazy Horse Memorial, Custer State Park, Jewel Cave National Monument and much more, including all the area lakes. After exploring the wonderful attractions, come "home" to the peace and tranquility of these beautiful, Black Hills vacation home rentals at Camp Custer Log Cabins. Experience rustic charm with modern conveniences.

Come visit our shop just 10 minutes west of Custer. All Black Hills Candle & Tallow candles and buffalo tallow products are handmade by us, here on site. The buffalo tallow used in our bath and beauty collections is sourced exclusively from Wild Idea Buffalo, another business local to the region. We have a special collection of destination candles, inspired by South Dakota landmarks, which are the perfect gift or memento from your visit. We pride ourselves in making only non-toxic products of the highest quality. From our luxuriously moisturizing buffalo tallow sunscreen to soaps to whipped body butters, healing salve, and more - we know you won't leave disappointed. If you're visiting in August, don't miss the opportunity to come see our sunflower field, which will be in full bloom. We're a founder-owned and -operated business; every visitor makes a difference to us. We're open in the summer, 11 a.m.-6 p.m., Tuesday through Sunday.

Named a Top 10 US Safari by MSN, 2015, our Buffalo Safari Jeep Tour will take you where only we can go: off-road. Trek through Custer State Park in an open-air jeep in search of pronghorns, elk and the noble buffalo. Along the way, our guides will share historical and educational facts about the park and wildlife, and help you spot the critters. Tours depart daily from the State Game Lodge, 8 a.m.-6 p.m., May through October. The ride takes about 1.5-2 hours.

The Custer Beacon is a restaurant, lounge and live music venue in Custer. We are committed to providing the southern Black Hills with a beautiful space to play, eat and be together. Our hours are Tuesday-Thursday, 11 a.m.-8 p.m., and Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m.-10 p.m.

Located 3.5 miles west of Custer in Black Hills National Forest, the 19-acre Beaver Lake Campground has great rates, family camping and spacious, level, shaded and open sites to suit any size RV or tent. All sites have picnic tables and fire rings, and all tent sites have rain shelters. We also offer nine cabins as well as shower and laundry facilities, free Wi-Fi at the office, heated pool, playground, horseshoe pits, volleyball and basketball courts, dog park, and more. We are open April 1-November 1 and offer discounts for extended stays.

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. With a name derived from the crystals that line its walls, Jewel Cave is even more significant as one of the longest caves in the world, with more than 208 miles of mapped and surveyed passages. Located near Custer in the southern Black Hills, this national monument also features three self-guided above-ground trails: the Roof Trail, the Canyons Trail and the Hell Canyon Trail. Plus, there is a visitor center with an information desk, park store, exhibits, a theater, information about the Junior Ranger program and more.

Blue Bell is a Western-themed main lodge surrounded by 29 modernized, secluded cabins with kitchenettes, and many with stone fireplaces. There is a general store, plus chuck-wagon cookouts in the valley and hay rides. Horse trail rides and hiking trails originate from this lodge. Experience hearty ranch house dining in the dining room and lounge. We serve up true Western flavor with cattle-drive classics featuring bison, beef, chicken and fish, and even some rattlesnake sausage.

Few truly wild places remain in this country. Custer State Park is one of them. Located in the Black Hills of South Dakota, the park is home to a variety of wildlife and magnificent scenery spanning 71,000 acres. Nearly 1,300 bison roam the prairies and hills of the park, which they share with pronghorn, big horn sheep, elk and curious burros. Visitors often enjoy close encounters with these permanent residents along the 18-mile Wildlife Loop Road that winds around the southern edge of the park.