One thing we often hear along our travels is “this is the best of the State” or “this is a hidden gem” but rarely do these places meet expectations. After our most recent trip we can now officially say that we have finally found the one location that truly holds up to the hype!

CUSTER STATE PARK

Custer State Park is not only the largest park in South Dakota but also the most visited. The park is located just outside Rapid City, South Dakota and is truly the gem of South Dakota.

The park encompasses 71,000 acres of the Black Hills and is home to roughly 1,400 bison along with deer, elk, mountain goat, bighorn sheep and MANY other types of wildlife. Within this massive expanse are 9 campgrounds, 4 lodges, various cabins and a motel. There are several lakes spread throughout the park and more activities than you could possibly imagine. Needless to say there’s something here for everyone without ever having to leave the park. HOWEVER…………………………………….

There are a LOT of additional attractions surrounding Custer State Park that you are going to want to leave for no matter how much fun you’re having inside the park!

We used the Game Lodge Campground as a base camp to visit Mount Rushmore, Wind Cave, Jewel Cave, Crazy Horse Monument and Devil’s Tower. All of these, except Devil’s Tower, are within a few minutes drive from the state park. What’s even more interesting about the Game Lodge Campground is the bison that frequent the area. We could literally sit in our camp and watch the bison most all day.

Another great feature of the park is the scenery and the drives. No matter where you go you’re going to have amazing views! Take Iron Mountain Road to Mount Rushmore and you’ll enjoy panoramic views, curves and tunnels that perfectly frame the faces of the monument! Going the other direction you can take Needles Highway to Sylvan Lake and enjoy great views of the Cathedral Spires!

All of these areas of the park are amazing but our favorite by far was the Wildlife Loop Road. We spent a week in the park camping and probably drove this road every single day!! The bison are everywhere and watching the young in the Spring is a bonus. We were also lucky enough to see elk and mountain goats along the way at times.

Leave us a comment and let us know if you’ve been to Custer State Park and what your favorite part was. We are already taking notes for a return trip! Also be sure to check out our YouTube video on the park. Don’t forget to subscribe and hit the bell. We’ve got several videos coming out soon on area attractions here. Until next time………….