Things to Do Near Jewel Cave National Monument

Located one-half mile from Custer State Park’s west entrance, the campground is situated on the location where General Custer's expedition camped in 1874. Custer’s Gulch features basic and deluxe camping cabins, a family cabin, tent spots, and spacious, full-service RV sites with 20/30/50-amp back-in or pull-thru options. Resort amenities include free Wi-Fi, a clubhouse with kitchen facilities, store, shower house, flush toilets, dump station, laundry facilities, picnic tables, and fire grates.

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.

Rockin R Trail Rides provides guided horseback trail rides in the beautiful Black Hills National Forest. We offer experienced guides and great horses at reasonable rates. We are centrally located in the Black Hills just outside of Custer and close to Custer State Park, Mount Rushmore National Memorial and Crazy Horse Memorial. We are open late May (Memorial Day weekend) until October 1. Feel free to call or text us for more information.

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.

Enjoy horseback riding in the Black Hills. All rides are personalized and we match the horse and rider to riding skills. We can accommodate groups of up to eight riders. Your ride is only with your group, not strangers. Our unique unguided riding is an option after riding the first hour with the wrangler and depends on your skill at controlling the horse. We are located near Custer in the southern Black Hills and are open year-round. Advance reservations are required.

If you've come to the Black Hills for peace and tranquility, you'll find it at Dakota Dream near Custer. The smell of the pine in the air, skies filled with more stars than you can count, and comfortable beds covered in fine linens and cozy lodge quilts. Dream the night away! Book online or give us a call. For those guests trailering their horses on their visit to the Black Hills, Dakota Dream can accommodate 4-legged guests in our 5-stall barn.

Our old-fashioned hayride takes you on a 45-minute scenic drive on Custer State Park's beautiful backroads to a mountain meadow canyon for a chuck wagon feast. Along the way, you can sing-along to classic country and folk music tunes and look for wildlife along the road. Each paying guest gets a souvenir cowboy hat and bandanna to help you play the part. The meal includes your choice of a steak, burger, or veggie wrap. Reservations are required and must be made by 2 p.m. at Blue Bell Lodge.

Known as the Summer White House, the historic State Game Lodge has 101 units, including cabins (the largest sleeps 28) and modern and historical hotel rooms. We offer Buffalo Jeep Tours, Chuckwagon Cookouts, trail rides, hiking, fishing and endless possible wildlife encounters within the 71,000-acre park. Our elegant restaurant features local game and casual breakfast and lunch dining with a more formal ambiance for dinner. It is open seven days per week, end of April through the end of October.

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.