Custer State Park in South Dakota gets added to a lot of Black Hills Itineraries. After you visit, you’ll understand what all of the hype is about. With its scenic drives, first class hiking, and opportunities for wildlife spotting, this state park is one of the best I’ve ever visited. In fact, when I talked about visiting South Dakota, a friend repeatedly told me that I had to visit Custer State Park. “It’s a state park that should be a national park. It’s that good.” I can now say that he is correct and no visit to the Black Hills would be complete without one day in Custer State Park.
So, let’s jump in and talk about the best things to do at Custer State Park.
Things to Do at Custer State Park
This is not an exhaustive list of all the things to do at Custer State Park. But it’s the highlights of this park and where you should focus your time.
Scenic Drives
There’s three scenic drives I want to mention and I think that’s a crazy amount. I love scenic drives, but even in most national parks, I only have one on the list. Three is just insane!
Depending on your itinerary, you may find yourself on these scenic drives regardless, but they are definitely one of the best things to do at Custer State Park.
Needles Highway
This is a favorite scenic drive and is located in the western section of the park. The Needles Highway runs north to south and connects Highway 16 with Highway 16A. For nearly 20 miles, you’ll see some great scenery, but I’ll be the first to admit that some parts of this drive are better than others. The northern section features more of the spiky mountains (aka, The “Needles”) than the southern part of this drive, making the northern section have a lot more of those “wow” moments.
The Needles Highway is a windy road, but not the windiest that I’ll cover in this list. While the road is a two lane road, it’s very narrow. Please be aware of that and be courteous to other drivers. I can’t tell you how many cars I passed that were drifting over the center line around curves. Since you can’t see around some of these curves, it makes driving a little nerve wracking.
Along with the curves, you’ll also drive through a series of tunnels. If you’re driving with a large vehicle or some kind of campervan, you’ll want to check your clearance before visiting the park.
Iron Mountain Road
I drove the Needles Highway and thought it was a windy road. Then I drove Iron Mountain Road and realized I hadn’t seen a windy road. With curves and switchbacks, Iron Mountain Road twists and turns as you maneuver your way out of the park (or into the park depending on your direction).
Like the Needles Highway, Iron Mountain road also runs north to south. So effectively, if you’re coming from Keystone, you can take the Needles Highway south, drive east through Custer State Park, and then follow Iron Mountain Road north until you reach Keystone again. Sure, you could do it in reverse, but I think it’s better driving from south to north. Why? Because of the view points.
Along The Needles Highway and Iron Mountain Road, you’ll pass several viewpoints where you can stop and take photos. But one of the best is the Norbeck Overlook where you can see Mount Rushmore in the distance. Yes, you can stop at this view point in either direction, but if you drive north, you’ll come through the Shovel Johnson Tunnel and see a break in the trees. Through that break you’ll see Mount Rushmore from your car. Up the road is a place to pull in, but there is something cool about coming through a tunnel and boom! There’s Mount Rushmore.
Wildlife Loop
This is the one scenic drive I didn’t do at Custer State Park, just because I had limited time. If you’re less in to hiking and more in scenic drives or wildlife, you should add the Wildlife Loop to your itinerary.
Like the name suggests, this is a scenic drive where you’ll have a good chance to see wildlife. The Wildlife Loop takes you south into the park (away from all of the stunning rock formations), but you’ll be much more likely to see buffalo and other animals. If you’re visiting Custer State Park for the Buffalo Round Up, you’ll come down this route regardless.
Hiking
This is not an exhaustive list of all of the hikes in Custer State Park. That list would go on for a very long time. Instead, here’s a selection of the trails I did or researched. Hiking is another fantastic thing to do at Custer State Park.
While my mom and I did some hiking at Custer State Park, we didn’t hit all of the trails we initially planned to. I pulled a muscle while hiking at Badlands National Park and because of that, I was trying to take it a little easier.
Sylvan Lake
This one mile loop around Sylvan Lake is not just a great warm up hike, but is a great hike period. You’ll circle the entire lake with ever changing views and terrain. Yep, even if this one mile loop, you’ll find rocks and a tiny bit of rock scrambling.
I’ll admit that I didn’t think too much when planning this hike, but was super impressed by it. It would remain one of my favorite experiences at Custer State Park and it’s one that I recommend to anyone else who is planning their own visit.
My Stats: I logged 1.08 miles and 98 feet. It took me 30 minutes which includes plenty of time to stop for pictures.
Cathedral Spires
While Sylvan Lake is a more peaceful trail, especially if done in the morning, the Cathedral Spires Trail takes more energy but is still a great trail. Parts of this trail are steep, but the views of the surrounding spires make up for any difficulty. I really enjoyed this trail and it was another that remained a favorite throughout the day.
My Stats: I logged 2.04 miles and 492 feet of elevation gain. It took me 1 hour and 20 minutes including photos and breaks.
Little Devil’s Tower
This was a trail that I had debated doing, but ended up skipping. The views are supposed to be great but I ultimately decided to skip this trail since I hadn’t felt great the day before and I didn’t want to overdo it this day. On a return visit to Custer State Park, this one is definitely on my list.
Stats: The Little Devil’s Tower Trail is about 3 miles and has 750 feet of elevation.
Legion Lake
For a slightly shorter alternative to Sylvan Lake, check out Legion Lake. This trail is just under three fourths of a mile and loops around Legion Lake. The views are nice, but if I’m honest, I think Sylvan Lake is better. Although it may be because I did Sylvan Lake first and therefore I just felt like Legion Lake was a copy.
My Stats: I logged 0.67 miles and 46 feet of elevation gain. It took me 20 minutes including stops for photos.
Cairns Trail
This was a bit of an impromptu hike for my mom and me. I still had energy and was looking for a short trail and found this one. Honestly, it’s just ok. If there’s any trail I’d recommend skipping on this list, it’d be the Cairns Trail. Yes there are some nice views, but they just don’t compare to what I saw on the Sylvan Lake Loop or the Cathedral Spires Trail.
My Stats: I logged 0.60 miles and 193 feet of elevation gain over 20 minutes.
How Much Time Do You Need
At minimum, you’ll want to give yourself one day at Custer State Park. The scenic drives take time because the roads are so narrow and curvy. Plus there’s plenty of lookout points and at some point, you’ll just want to stop and take in the views.
Even if you’re not a hiker, I recommend looking at some trails in Custer State Park. Sylvan Lake and Legion Lake are both short trails that most people will be able to do.
While I recommend a minimum of one day at Custer State Park, I think two days would allow you to do more hiking and enjoy the park. My list of hikes only scratches the surface of what’s all available at this park.
Sample One Day Itinerary
Here’s how I spent one day at Custer State Park. My mom and I combined Custer State Park with a quick visit to Mount Rushmore.
8:30 – Depart Keystone
9:00 – Enter via Sylvan Lake
9:15 – Sylvan Lake Loop*
10:00 – Cathedral Spires Trail*
12:00 – Legion Lake*
12:30 – Cairns Trail
1:00 – Iron Mountain Road
2:00 – Exit Custer State Park
2:15 – Enter Mount Rushmore
2:45 – Depart Mount Rushmore
3:15 – Arrive in Keystone
* As you drive between the Sylvan Lake Loop, Cathedral Spires Trail, and Legion Lake, you’ll be on the Needles Highway.
As a note, this is not exact times. We stopped at visitor centers and so many viewpoints along the way, so these times aren’t 100% accurate. There’s just so many cool things to do at Custer State Park and you’re sure to find things along the way that will pique your interest.
But, I think they will still give a rough idea of what we did. Our day ended a little early. We wanted time to take a shower before enjoying a nice meal on the last night of our trip.
Entrance Fees
Entrance to Custer State Park is $20 per vehicle. You’ll be given a pass that is good for seven days.
As a note, we entered through the Sylvan Lake Entrance and while we could pay with card, cash was much preferred.
Where to Stay
The small town of Keystone makes a great base for exploring not just Custer State Park, but all of the Black Hills of South Dakota. From Keystone, it’s about a 30 minute drive to Custer State Park.
The town of Custer is also nearby (and closer to Custer State Park), but has fewer hotel options than Keystone.
Rapid City is a larger city and has more hotel and restaurant options, but it adds an extra 30 minutes of driving, giving you 60 minutes to reach the entrance of Custer State Park.
Nearby Custer State Park
Aside from Custer State Park, you’ll be nearby Mount Rushmore and the Crazy Horse Memorial. A bit further afield is Jewel Cave National Monument and Wind Cave National Park. If you head east, you’ll hit Badlands National Park.
Final Thoughts
I loved my visit here. There’s just so many cool things to do at Custer State Park. While I, and many other travelers, tend to focus on national parks. Custer State Park is a good reminder that we need to broaden our horizons.
That’s not to say that Custer State Park is a hidden gem. It’s not. It gets added to most itineraries of the Black Hills. However, it’s still a good reminder that you’ll find loads of cool nature adventures outside of the national parks.
Continue Your Adventure
More in South Dakota: Further east, you’ll find South Dakota’s Badlands National Park. If you like caves, consider a visit to Wind Cave National Park (which also has some nice hiking) or Jewel Cave National Monument. And for an itinerary linking everything together, try my 5 Days in South Dakota Itinerary.
More State Parks: National Parks are great, but don’t overlook state parks. Here’s four Connecticut State Parks to consider. Or visit Indiana Dunes for both a state and national park. Snow Canyon State Park in Utah is excellent and Valley of Fire State Park in Nevada looks like another planet. Plus if it’s caves you’re after, Maquoketa Caves State Park in Iowa fits the bill.