Custer State Park
RV Guide

If you want to stay cozy in your car or RV while still taking in the picturesque views and amazing wildlife that roam in the park, you can take a scenic driving tour. The Custer State Park Wildlife Loop is an 18-mile route that takes you through lush forests and grassy knolls where you can spot bison, deer, wild donkeys, and prairie dogs. The Needles Highway is a 14-mile road that introduces you to the awesome, towering spires of the Needles, a spectacular section of unique geological formations. While the State Park Wildlife Loop is fairly easy to navigate, the Needles Highway is a narrow, windy route that might not be suitable for large RVs or trailers.

Make sure you pack your binoculars and camera in your travel trailer when you head to Custer State Park. The off-season is a great time to see the incredible wildlife that calls the state park home since it's less crowded and noisy. You can see herds of free-roaming bison, elk, and pronghorn all around the park, as well as squirrels, marmots, skunks, and prairie dogs. Keep your eyes peeled and you might catch a glimpse of the animals that prey on them as well, mountain lions, coyotes, fox, and bobcats.

If you are lucky and patient, you might even spot one of the rarest animals in North America, the black-footed ferret, as it hunts for its favorite meal, prairie dog. Birdwatching at Custer State Park is sure to be a delightful experience as well, with the opportunity to log a variety of different avian species. You'll likely spot common species like wood ducks, doves, mountain bluebirds, prairie falcons, and western tanagers. Plus, you may catch a glimpse of one of the park’s threatened or endangered birds, such as the hooded merganser, the chestnut-sided warbler, the greater sage grouse, or the sharp-shinned hawk.

You will want to be certain that your rod and reel are in your campervan if you are traveling through Custer State Park. There are four fairly large lakes situated in the park, each of which are stocked with rainbow trout, brook trout, and brown trout. Northern pike and panfish can be found in the waters of Stockade Lake and both Stockade and Legion Lakes have healthy resident populations of both large and smallmouthed bass which share the lakes with the trout species.

A large number of wild trout also thrive in the clear, cool streams and rivers that meander through the landscape, making this state park an excellent destination for fly-fishermen as well. Ice fishing is a popular winter pastime when the ice gets thick enough to walk on, usually between mid-December until mid to late-March. Fishermen in the winter months may be able to catch crappie as well as trout, and lunkers are more likely to swim closer to the surface when the lakes are frozen.

You can experience Custer State Park's transformation into a magical winter wonderland if you take an RV trip to this park during the colder months. Many of the hiking trails that explore the untouched beauty of the Black Hills in the summer are groomed in the winter for snowshoeing or cross-country skiing. Some trail entrances feature warming stations with wood-burning stoves during the winter. Snowmobiling is another thrilling way to travel across the park and is permitted at Center, Legion, Stockade, and Sylvan Lakes, as well as on closed portions of the Needles Highway.

One of the main attractions for many visitors to Custer State Park is the free-roaming bison which can be spotted throughout this 71,000-acre park. While it is not advised to venture too close to these majestic but unpredictable creatures, you can safely observe them more closely in their natural surroundings by taking a private buffalo safari jeep tour. These tours are offered in both the morning and in the evening, typically taking around two hours in order to provide guests with the opportunity to get a panoramic view of bison, elk, and pronghorns as they take an off-road ride in an open-air jeep.

Custer State Park offers 71,000 acres of vast open land that you can explore on foot or on your bike. If you want to hike or cycle on an easy trail, Lover’s Leap is a perfect three-mile trek where you’ll enjoy breathtaking views of Mount Coolidge, Black Elk Peak, and the Cathedral Spires. If you want to bike or hike on a more strenuous root the Prairie Trail is a great option that offers a chance to spot free-roaming bison and pronghorn, as well as panoramic views of the Black Hills. If you prefer to learn more about the natural and cultural history of the area, you can take a guided adventure hike during the summer season.

Custer State Park boasts several amazing historical sites that you can explore during your motorhome adventure through South Dakota. The Gordon Stockade, a replica of the original log fortress built-in 1874 stands near the western entrance of the state park. The fortress was erected as protection from the Lakota people by the Gordon Party, who were searching for gold, despite it violating the Fort Laramie Treaty of 1868.

Mount Coolidge Fire Tower is a castle-like structure built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s that sits at highest point in the park. From this vantage point, on a clear day, you can spot the Badlands 60 miles away. You can also visit Badger Hole, a historic cabin and home to the state’s first poet laureate, a cowboy poet who went by the name of Badger Clark. While it has been moved from its original position, the cabin is decorated with furnishings of the old west, much as it was when Clark wrote his first South Dakota related book of poetry, Skylines, and Wood Smoke.

If you want to enjoy some horseback riding on your RV trip to Custer State Park, you can ride along beautiful nature trails while soaking in the incredible views of the Black Hills and majestic lakes all around you. Many of the regular hiking trails are suitable for equine exploration and there are five marked horse trails which lead out of French Creek Horse Camp, four of which are suitable for about half a day’s ride.

The fifth trail, Centenial Trail, is longer, typically requiring a full day to complete the 22 miles. Although Custer State Park does not officially organize tours by horseback, several private companies in the area do offer guided tours. If you are riding your own horse, it is recommended that your horse be well-shod as the trails can be rocky, and some include creek crossings.

If you are looking forward to a rock climbing challenge during your next motorhome excursion you will be in luck if you decide to visit Custer State Park. The Needles is an amazing geological formation of mystical granite towers and spires which has been offering one-of-a-kind adventures for rock climbers since the early 1900s. Of particular interest to climbers is the Cathedral Spires and Limber Pine Natural Area, a 637-acre portion of the Needles with unique spires of rock that reach far into the sky, declared a National Natural Landmark in 1976. You won’t want to miss this chance to climb some of the most amazing rock faces in the country.