Custer State Park Full-Day Adventure: Scenic Drives and Hikes

Description

Start your adventure at the Custer State Park Visitor Center, where you can pick up maps and tips. First, traverse the Wildlife Loop Road early in the morning to spot bison, pronghorn, and other wildlife. Transition to the Needles Highway, renowned for its breathtaking granite spires and the narrow Needles Eye Tunnel. Enjoy stops at various pull-offs for photos and short explorations of the rock formations. For hiking enthusiasts, tackle the trails at Sylvan Lake or the more challenging Black Elk Peak, offering expansive views of the Black Hills. Conclude your journey with a serene drive through Iron Mountain Road, designed to provide majestic views of Mount Rushmore through its tunnels.

Itinerary

8:00 AM: Visit the Visitor Center.
8:30 AM: Drive Wildlife Loop Road.
10:00 AM: Explore Needles Highway and Needles Eye Tunnel.
12:00 PM: Picnic lunch at Sylvan Lake.
1:00 PM: Hike around Sylvan Lake or ascend Black Elk Peak.
4:00 PM: Drive through Iron Mountain Road.
6:00 PM: Return to your accommodation or continue exploring nearby attractions.

4.8 ● Google reviews

Jonathan Voss

a week ago

Definitely on my top list of places to visit after this trip. We got to experience it all in one day, Buffalo, pet wild burro, see the sites! Mt.goats and pronghorn! My kids were thoroughly impressed.
Rebecca Walley Shipley

3 months ago

This is an amazing park! We started with needles highway, then went to the wildlife Loop, been ended up going on Iron Mountain Road. Talk about breathtaking scenery and beautiful animals! I've never seen so many buffalo/bison in my life! I have never gone through such a tiny space as we did with my car on needles highway. The pigtail bridges were so beautifully made out of wood! This whole adventure was a step back in time!
IMusicStan

a month ago

With the more than 70k acres of Custer State Park SD we were fortunate to have 5 days to explore. $25/- pass per car for 7 days gives you plenty of time for several hiking trails other than visiting Mt. Rushmore, driving the scenic Needles Hwy (includes driving through single lane tunnels), Iron Mountain Rd (includes tunnels), and Wildlife Loop Rd. on which you can see bison and other wildlife.
Guillermo Perez

2 months ago

Disclaimer: I can’t talk about the whole state park because we only came here for the Buffalo Safari tour they offer. My wife and I took our young daughters to check them out. The tour is two hours long, and we saw cows, bulls, calves, and prairie dogs along the way, along with some antelope-like deer. It was completely safe, and we were never in danger from the animals in the park. Our tour guide seemed to be very knowledgeable and experienced around the animals. My wife and I were never worried about our kids' safety. It’s very awe-inspiring to be around these beautiful, majestic creatures that we don’t get to encounter too often. I really enjoyed our time out, and I recommend this place in the park.
Ir Ke (Nickname)

a month ago

Custer State Park is beautiful and absolutely worth visiting for the scenery, but the wildlife drive was a bit underwhelming for us. After all that driving, our grand wildlife count was about 1.5 antelope-looking creatures and a herd of bison approximately a mile away. lol Ironically, the most memorable part of the park ended up being a surprisingly good bowl of chili at one of the rest stops. Beautiful park, great drive... just don’t count on the animals cooperating with your itinerary!

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