ROAD TRIPS WILD WONDERS Custer State Park Wildl ife Loop Wildlife Loop State Scenic Byway Miles: 31, accessible from Custer via SD Highway 87 or US Highway 16A 1 Custer State Park Visitor Center 3 Buffalo Roundup 89 AREA OF DETAIL 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. 2 Visit the park for the Buffalo Roundup (Sept. 26, 2025), 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. 87 16A 385 Custer State Park VISITOR Center 30 16A Jewel Cave National Monument Custer 16 87 Buffalo Safari Jeep Tour Custer State Park Buffalo Safari Jeep Tour Buffalo Roundup Buffalo Roundup 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 . 385 89 87 Wind Cave National Park Watchable Wildlife You’ve read about the bison 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). Begging Burros, Custer State Park 18 // #HiFromSD
South Dakota Vacation Guide 2025 South Dakota Vacation Guide: Page 18
