2019-12-20 05:31:06
CUSTER STATE PARK WILDLIFE LOOP Miles: 18 Accessible from Custer via S.D. Highway 87 or U.S. Highway 16A CUSTER STATE PARK VISITOR CENTER Start at the main visitor center for a park overview and a deeper understanding of its resident species, the American Bison. A 20-minute film plays every half-hour in the visitor center theater. SAFARI JEEP TOUR Picture being off-road in the open air as you view pronghorn, elk and buffalo! Reserve your spot on the tour through the State Game Lodge at Custer State Park Resort BUFFALO ROUNDUP Visit the park for the Buffalo Roundup (Sept. 25, 2020), when wranglers drive one of the country’s largest bison herds in a scene straight out of the Old West. The roundup is complemented by the park’s Arts Festival, Sept. 24-26, 2020. PETER NORBECK NATIONAL SCENIC BYWAY Miles: 70 | 34 as presented here Upper loop MOUNT RUSHMORE Byway tunnels frame Mount Rushmore National Memorial. Get a closer look on memorial grounds. Late May through late September, witness the Evening Lighting Ceremony. Rangers present a spectacular program and use lights to illuminate the memorial. NORBECK WILDLIFE PRESERVE Norbeck Wildlife Preserve, a haven for game animals and birds, overlaps with Custer State Park and the Black Elk Wilderness Area. Discover trails and wildlife within its boundaries. CATHEDRAL SPIRES & BLACK ELK PEAK Hike into the Cathedral Spires, a towering show of granite pinnacles. The relatively short trek is prime for catching rock climbers on the ascent, too. Connect from the Cathedral Spires Trail to summit Black Elk Peak. The peak is the tallest point east of the Rockies and named for a legendary Lakota medicine man. NEEDLES HIGHWAY & NEEDLES EYE Navigate tight crossings through the rocky formations of Needles Highway, the byway’s most thrilling 14 miles. Upon reaching Needles Eye, walk the paved trail all the way to the base of this most-photographed formation. SYLVAN LAKE Back on the byway, head to Sylvan Lake and rent watercraft or hike around the lake for a different perspective. WHAT'S BETTER THAN WILDLIFE? BABY WILDLIFE. TRAVELSOUTHDAKOTA.COM/BABY-ANIMALS WATCHABLE WILDLIFE You’ve read about the buffalo of Custer State Park, but two South Dakota national parks also shelter free-roaming herds: Badlands National Park and Wind Cave National Park. At all three parks, watch for cinnamon-colored calves in spring, and other native species: diminutive prairie dogs, bighorn sheep, the pronghorn antelope and elusive elk, all perfectly adapted to South Dakota’s Black Hills. There are also the beloved “beggin’ burros” of Custer State Park. These donkeys were introduced in the 1930s to give pack tours within the park, but now roam freely (and often beg for snacks).
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WILD WONDERS
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