Custer State Park

Absolutely beautiful! My husband and I stopped here while we were on a road trip in South Dakota. It is a very slow going road through the park but it is worth it! There are so many beautiful rock formations and picturesque views along the way. There are many places to stop and take pictures or just enjoy the view. There are also many places to hike. Make sure to stop and see Sylvan Lake. This is a great place to start if you have a wheelchair as well! You can drive along the trail quite a ways and it’s beautiful. We were there in late September and it was actually snowing so we were freezing but we stayed out at the lake for an hour. We stayed at the park for at least 4 hours but many people could easily make a full day out of it. It was that beautiful! The Needles highway is also must in the park. On there, you will see Needles Eye and drive through Needles Tunnel. Beautiful and unique rock formations are seen for miles. I recommend getting a map of the area or taking a picture of the map at one of the stops. There is also an app to help navigate the park.

Amazing herds of buffalo, wild donkeys, prairie dogs, and bighorn sheep around the Wildlife Loop. Lots of baby bison since it's the end of April. So cute! I saw two beautiful blue birds. My favorite part of the whole day was the tour of Devil's Tower area going towards Sylvan Lake. Just beautiful scenes throughout. The needle eye was especially unique. Sylvan Lake just lovely. Still some snow on the ground and very chilly. Overall, I highly recommend visiting this very beautiful State Park in South Dakota!

This park really is so beautiful! It’s teeming with wildlife and beautiful scenery. We have been here maybe four or five times and each time I swear it gets better. This time around the needle highway was still closed but we got see and feed the donkeys as well as we got to see lots of baby bison. The lakes are so beautiful and peaceful.

This is a must! Wildlife loop and Needles highway can entertain you alone!

Great park, friendly staff, and clean campground bathrooms. Definitely drive the Wildlife Loop! We saw large herds of buffalo, pronghorn, wild turkeys, prairie dogs, deer, and donkeys. Fantastic for kids. Also be sure to stop by the Custer State Park Game Lodge Visitor Center. Great 18 minute movie about the park (narrated by Kevin Costner).