ROAD TRIPS ROAD TRIPS Custer State Park, Custer Wild Wonders 1. 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. custer state park wildlife loop 3. BUFFALO ROUNDUP Miles: 18 Accessible from Custer via S.D. Highway 87 or U.S. Highway 16A Visit the park for the Buffalo Roundup (Sept. 29, 2023), 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 the same weekend. 16A 2 1 2. BUFFALO 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. 87 3 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 burros of Custer State Park. These donkeys were introduced in the 1920s to give pack tours within the park, but now roam freely (and often beg for snacks). 18 // #HiFromSD Begging Burros, Custer State Park
South Dakota Vacation Guide South Dakota Vacation Guide 2023 : Page 18
