Things to Do Near Jewel Cave National Monument

Your adventure awaits! Black Hills Balloons flies the southern Black Hills. Custer State Park and the Custer Valley are the heart of the flying area; just miles from Mount Rushmore National Memorial, Crazy Horse Memorial and Wind Cave National Park. Your flight over mountains, valleys, lakes and prairies is a great way to view the area; home to elk, antelope, whitetail deer, buffalo and mule deer. Weather-permitting, flights take place daily at sunrise, May 1-October 31. Reservations required.

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.

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.

Adventure Rentals is your location for off-road and on-road rentals in Custer. Spend the day taking in the breathtaking beauty of the Black Hills from the comfort of our rentals. Explore the spectacular, mountainous scenery by land on our UTVs, bicycles, or scooters, or take to the water and discover South Dakota’s picturesque lakes with our paddle boards or kayaks. You can even experience the thrill of the open road on a state-of-the-art Polaris Slingshot. Our hours are 7 a.m.-7 p.m., Monday through Sunday. (We also have second location near Hill City.)

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.

Want serenity and seclusion? We offer sites that are spacious, level and shaded with both 50 & 30 amp full hook-ups. Primitive tent sites and camper cabins are also available. Our shower-houses and restrooms are sparkling clean. Additional amenities include: Wi-Fi, fire pits, picinic tables, laundry, game room, playgrounds, horseshoes, volleyball, hiking and biking. We're open May 20 - October 1.

Pageant Hill in Custer is known as the spot where the annual 4th of July fireworks are displayed. But, it's a busy place the rest of the year, too. From sledding in the winter to disc golf and hiking year-round, Pageant Hill is a great spot to enjoy the outdoors. The area is mostly heavily wooded with some rocky outcroppings. The park is primitive and the disc golf course is ungroomed. There is a shelter and portable toilets, but no drinking water. For more information, contact the Custer Chamber of Commerce.

Located just four miles west of Custer, Four Mile Old West town is a place to experience family fun and Western history as you walk through the 50 open-door buildings at the historic site. Step back into yesterday and experience the Old West as it really was. We are open mid-May through early-October.

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.