Custer State Park is one of the best state parks in the country. Though we love the state parks in our home state of North Carolina, it would be difficult to rank any of them higher than this gem in the Black Hills of South Dakota. Custer State Park has so much to offer and is an incredible place to spend a day or a week. On our recent trip out west we carved out a full day to explore this awesome park. We felt like we were able to get a really great feel for the park, but wished we had another 3 or 4 days to explore. So, what do you need to know to have a great day at Custer State Park?

Custer State Park Entrance Fee

Different states have different policies in regards to state parks. For Custer there is an entrance fee of $20 per vehicle. This gives you access to the park for a full week. So, if you are going for a day or a week, the price is the same. Many National Parks have this same policy. This is a good excuse to spend a couple of days in the park.

Custer State Park Map

When you pay the fee, the attendant will give you a map to help you explore. Make sure you ask any questions you might have of the park. They are there to help and want to make sure you have all the information that you need.

There are four main entrances to the park – the East, West, Sylvan Lake (northwest), and Blue Bell (southwest). The East Entrance comes in from the Iron Mountain Highway (more on that later) and the Mount Rushmore area. The West Entrance is near the fun town of Custer. The Blue Bell Entrance is the closest access to Jewel Cave National Park and the Wildlife Loop Road in the park. Sylvan Lake Entrance gets you to Crazy Horse Monument and is the quickest access to Needles Highway and Sylvan Lake (obviously).

Visitor’s Centers

Custer State Park has two visitor’s centers that are great places to stop and get some information. The main visitor’s center is by the East Entrance and is home to the Peter Norbeck Education Center. This is a great place to learn about the park and do some indoor exploring. There is a pretty big parking area here along with picnic tables and a little nature trail.

The other visitor’s center is located along the Wildlife Loop Road. This center is not nearly as big, but is a good place to stop and use the bathroom while you are out searching for wildlife. You can also go into the visitors center and ask about the wildlife you see along the road.

Custer State Park Scenic Drives

There are three main scenic drives in and around Custer State Park. All three of them are amazing and offer something different. We highly recommend checking all three of them out.

Needles Highway

The Needles Highway is the most famous of the drives and rightfully so. It is probably the most famous thing about the whole park. This drive is different than anything we have ever been on. It runs for 14 miles from Sylvan Lake in the northwest part of the park to Highway 16A, the main spine of the park. This drive takes you through the Black Hills forests and climbs in and through the giant granite rock formations that look like needles sticking up in the sky. It is something to behold to drive through this area.

In addition to the needles rock formations you can drive through a couple of awesome tunnels. The most famous one is the Needles Eye Tunnel right by the Needles Eye. This tunnel is less than 9 feet wide and 11 feet tall. It is a tight squeeze but oh so fun! There are a ton of places to stop off and get pictures. Because this is one of the highlights of the park, it can get pretty crowded. This could take anywhere from an hour to two depending on traffic and what you want to experience.

Iron Mountain Highway

There are some parts of Custer State Park that you can get to without having to pay the entrance fee. One of those parts just happens to be on one of the most spectacular highways in all of the United States. The Iron Mountain Highway runs from the Mount Rushmore area to the East Entrance of the park. We didn’t know much about it, but because we were traveling that direction we were able to experience this incredible road.

The Iron Mountain Highway is 17 miles of pure highway construction artwork. There are a couple of things that make this road stand out. The first is the natural beauty of the Black Hills. The forests through this area are incredibly peaceful. Because this road is lesser known, not as many people are on the road so you can actually relax and slowdown.

Another really cool aspect of the highway are the “Pigtail Bridges”. These bridges allow you to gain altitude rapidly by climbing up a corkscrew bridge. We would have gone on this road just for these.

The next thing that makes this road stand out are the three tunnels that you get to drive through. All three of these tunnels frame Mount Rushmore as you drive through them. It is awesome to see Rushmore as you are driving through these mountain tunnels. We had no clue about this, but loved it. There are plenty of other places to stop with viewpoints of Mount Rushmore. We actually enjoyed these views of Rushmore more here than the day we went there.

Even if you are not coming in from this area, we recommend checking it out. It is out of the way if you are on the other side of the park, but it is worth it. This is also where we were able to drive down the road with a couple of huge bison!

Wildlife Loop Road

You go to Custer State Park because you want to see the wildlife. The Wildlife Loop Road is where you do that. The main event is the herd of 1,350 bison that the park boasts. We got stuck in a “Bison Traffic Jam” for 30 minutes. Check that off the bucket list. These huge beasts casually walked in and around the cars. We were able to get up close and personal. It is something to come face-to-face with these guys. They are magnificent.

In addition to the bison, you can also see prairie dogs, free range burros, big horned sheep, elk, mule deer, white-tailed deer, coyotes, mountain lions (very rare to actually see), and burrowing owls. If you want to see these other animals, your best bet is first thing in the morning or right before the sunset.

On The Water At Custer State Park

Custer State Park has a ton to offer if you like to be on the water. The park is full of picturesque lakes and rivers that allow for all sorts of fun. Whether you want to fish, swim, or kayak – there is something for you. There are four main lakes in the park (five total) – Sylvan Lake, Center Lake, Stockade Lake, and Legion Lake. All four have a beach area to relax and soak up the sun. In addition to that, each of the lakes has a camping area where you can spend the night. We stopped by all of the lakes, but spent most of or lake time at Sylvan Lake.

Sylvan Lake

Sylvan Lake is the busiest of all of the lakes at Custer State Park. All of the lakes here are great, but we have never seen anything like Sylvan Lake. Sylvan Lake is located at the end of the Needles Highway right before you get to the Sylvan Lake Entrance.

Sylvan Lake is the most beautiful swimming hole you will ever find. What makes this lake stand apart from the others are the amazing rock formations that are in and around the lake. We had so much fun climbing all around them. If you are able to climb the rocks in the lake you have a great view of the whole area. Like the other lakes, Sylvan Lake has a great sandy beach and plenty to swimming areas. You can rent non-motorized watercraft at the nearby general store so you can go kayaking or canoeing.

The Sylvan Lake Shoreline Trail runs around the lake from the general store to the main rock formations that makes for a leisurely stroll. In addition to that, the Black Elk Peak and Sunday Gulch Trailheads are at the main parking area for Sylvan Lake.

Hiking At Custer State Park

We were surprised by the amount of trails that this park had to offer. Though we weren’t able to hike them all (we only had a day!) we did go on parts of them. After talking to the rangers and exploring a little of the park we have put together a list of trails to tackle the next time we are there. At the top of the list are the Cathedral Spire Trail, the rest of Sunday Gulch Trail, Little Devils Tower Spur Trail, Lovers’ Leap Trail, and Black Elk Peak. If you want more info on the trails of Custer State Park we love using AllTrails.

What to bring to Custer State Park

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Custer State Park is big and offers lots of various terrain to explore. You could spend hours in a bison jam before even making it to the trail you want to hike. Here are a few things we like to have with us while visiting state parks –

• Water Bottles, Packed Lunch and Snacks! – You will find yourself being pretty far away from anywhere to eat or stuck in the car while waiting for Bison to cross the road. We always take plenty of snacks and a picnic lunch with us on days like this. Our favorite water bottles are Tal and we take them everywhere! And we like this cooler for a day trip.
• Dress in layers – Even in the middle of July when we visited we needed a light layer early in the morning and after the rainstorm that rolled through. Here is a great lightweight long-sleeve summer option for women and one for men. We also had our rain jackets and so glad we did as a summer thunderstorm came through. Megan’s favorite Rain Jackets that keep her totally dry while hiking –rain jacket .
• Shoes – we actually didn’t get a chance to spend a ton of time hiking in this park but these are our favorite hiking boots and Tevas for quick hikes and outdoor days. These Tevas are hands down my favorite shoes ever for travel. I have worn theme everywhere and had the same pair for 10 years!
• Beach Towel or Beach Blanket – there are plenty of lake areas for swimming and beach access! Definitely throw one in your car in case the mood hits for a swim! (Plus your bathing suits!)
• Binoculars – much needed for the wildlife loop road! This is a nice smaller travel pair to try.
• Backpacks for all the things. Here is Megan’s favorite small travel backpack!
• Hats and sunglasses are always a good idea too!

Takeaways

Custer State Park really is a gem of South Dakota. In a lot of ways it feels more like a National Park. You can definitely spend a day here and see and do a lot! You can also spend days here exploring this place! Whether you choose a day or longer – don’t miss stopping and spending some time here. It will leave you longing to come back!

Most people come to this part of the United States because they are visiting some of our amazing National Parks. Within two hours of Custer is Jewel Cave, Wind Cave, Mt. Rushmore, Devil’s Tower, the Badlands, and Minute Man Missile – all parts of the National Park System. In addition, you pass by here on your way to Yellowstone, Grand Teton, or even Glacier if you are traveling from the east.

It is easy to overlook or bypass this park because it is “merely” a State Park. Don’t do that. Take some time on your trip and enjoy this park. You will not be disappointed. It will actually be one of the highlights of your road trip.

PS! Looking for other Epic day trip ideas? Check out our guide to Pipestone National Monument or Getaway to Canaveral National Seashore!

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