Because we visited South Dakota during the pandemic the National Park sites of Wind Cave and Jewel Cave were not doing cave tours. This led to us visiting Custer State Park instead, and we are so glad that we did. This is a very popular and impressive state park.
Getting to Custer State Park
There are several ways to come in to Custer State Park. We camped in the town of Custer which is nearby. Originally we planned to drive in through the Northwest entrance by Sylvan Lake and come down into the main area of the park via the Needles scenic highway. It was so foggy when we tried to do this though that we did not want to try the twisty turning Needles road. We decided to drive up to Rapid City and do some things there first. Then we came down from Rapid City on Highway 79 and in to the park on the East side using 16A.
There are also ways in from the South and West. Custer is quite large for a state park, so the best thing to do is figure out where in the park you want to go first and then choose which entrance you want to use. The vehicle entrance fee is $20 for a 7 day pass.
Once you are in the park you can essentially make a driving loop around most it.
What to Do in Custer State Park
There is a ton to do in Custer State Park. From hiking, to wildlife viewing, to water recreation, to historical sites, this park has you covered. We were only to spend about half a day in the park due to the bad weather in the morning. Below I talk about three family-friendly activities we were able to do.
Wildlife Loop Road
Because we came in on the East side of the park, the first thing we did was drive the wildlife loop road. Custer State Park is probably best known for its buffalo herd. Every year in the fall they hold a big buffalo round up. I have heard that attending the roundup is amazing. Even during the rest of the year you have a good chance of seeing these huge animals on the wildlife loop road.
Though Custer State Park does not have as many buffalo as Yellowstone, it is also a much smaller area. The smaller size means it is pretty easy to find the buffalo. We saw several large groups along our drive. We also found several isolated fellows off on their own.
The drive on Wildlife Loop Road took us about 45 minutes. There are lots of pull-offs along the way to stop and view the animals and scenery. It is a two way road, so you can drive in either direction.
Badger Hole Historic Site and Badger Clark Trail
When we came off the Wildlife Loop Road we were in the Legion Lake area. A park ranger had told us that the Badger Clark Trail would be a good one to do with kids. You have to drive out a little ways from Legion Lake to get there.
This trail starts at the Badger Hole Historic Site. This is the cabin where Badger Clark, a poet laureate of South Dakota, lived. During non-pandemic times you can go inside the cabin and see it, but we could not.
The trail is a loop so you can start in either direction. We chose to start to the right of the cabin. It turns out this is the right way to go if you want to read the plaques in chronological order. These plaques teach you about Badger Clark’s very interesting life while you walk along the trail.
The trail does not take too long, probably only 30-45 minutes for most people. There are a few points where you might lose the trail, but as long as you look for the blue diamonds you will be fine. There are a few steep parts toward the middle of the trail, but nothing overly strenuous.
Legion Lake
Legion Lake is a small but very pretty lake. There are larger and more popular lakes in the park but this one is a good size for families to hike around and not as crowded. We had brought our inflatable kayak with us. I really wanted to go out on the lake, but everyone was tired at the end of the day and it was pretty chilly so we did not get it out. We did see a few people paddling around the lake and it looked very fun.
Instead of kayaking we did the hike around the lake. It was less than a mile and has some very pretty scenery. The trail is a loop around the whole lake, so you can start either by the lodge or by the dock.
We chose to start by the lodge because there was a playground there that Lucy wanted to play at. From the playground you walk over to and across a bridge and you are on the trail. The trail winds behind a huge rock cliff face before returning to the lake shore.
Sum Up
Custer State Park is really amazing. It should be a main part of your trip to the Black Hills in our opinion. We had a lot of fun there even in the short time that we had to spend. Our favorite part was the Legion Lake trail, which Lucy walked on her own and really enjoyed.
