2021-12-16 10:30:50
Seven Essential Things To Do at Visiting Custer State Park is a must. The park is one of the few truly wild places that remain in this country. Towering pines, gentle creeks and massive granite outcroppings sprawl throughout the park’s 71,000 acres captivating all who enter. 1 GET CAUGHT IN A BUFFALO JAM Custer State Park is home to approximately 1,300 bison — the second largest public freeroaming herd in the U.S. For an exceptional experience, take a Buffalo Safari Jeep Tour. As sweet and fluffy as bison may appear, please do not approach them. 2 WIND YOUR WAY AROUND The park is a driver’s delight. Needles Highway, Iron Mountain Road and Wildlife Loop Road are part of the extensive backcountry lanes on the Peter Norbeck Scenic Byway. The route threads its way around pigtail bridges and through one-lane rock-walled tunnels. 3 MAKE NEW (WILD) FRIENDS Critters like prairie dogs, deer, pronghorn antelope, mountain goats, elk, and bighorn sheep roam free in the park. The infamous begging burros may even greet you. Come spring, look for the newest additions to the park, baby wildlife. 4 EMBRACE THE SPIRIT OF THE WEST For an authentic chuckwagon feast and an old-fashioned hayride, go on the Blue Bell Chuckwagon Cookout. Saddle up on a guided horseback trail ride at Blue Bell Lodge. It’s a peaceful, scenic way to experience the park’s rugged terrain and well-maintained trails. 5 TAKE A HIKE Pick the perfect adventure from trails that wind through forested mountains and expansive prairie. Top trails include Cathedral Spires Trail, Sunday Gulch Trail and Sylvan Lake Shore Trail. Trek to Black Elk Peak from trail No. 9 at Sylvan Lake. After your hike, cool off on the banks of one of the park’s lakes. 6 WAKE UP TO WILDLIFE Stay at a historic lodge or campground and wake up among the many critters that call the park home. Pick from Blue Bell Lodge, State Game Lodge, Sylvan Lake Lodge, Legion Lake Lodge, Creekside Lodge or several cabins or campsites across the park. Each one offers amenities to suit your adventure. 7 EXPERIENCE THE BUFFALO ROUNDUP & ARTS FESTIVAL Watch buffalo rumble across the plains, driven by cowboys and cowgirls on horseback. Make plans to attend in September. Find Custer State Park business listings on page 137.
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