Custer State Park Voyage Tips and guide

Contents

This is not the location of the battle sometimes called "Custer's Last Stand", or more correctly the battle of Little Bighorn.

• Custer State Park website

U.S. Highway 16A (US-16A) enters the park east of the town of Custer and west of Hermosa.

State Route 87 (SD-87) enters the park south of Hill City and north of Hot Springs.

U.S. Highway 385 (US-385) runs outside the western border of the park, connecting to both of the above highways.

A South Dakota State Parks entrance license is required for all visitors, except for those traveling non-stop on US-16A and Highway 87.

There are several license options. As of 2025:

• Temporary Entrance License (for up to 7 days): $25 per vehicle, $20 per motorcycle, $4 per person in an RV
• Annual Park Entrance License: $60 Non-Resident, $40 Residents of SD
• Two Annual Park Entrance Licenses: $90 Non-Resident, $60 Residents of SD
• Transferable Park Entrance License (for SD Residents only): $90

Fees are collected at entrance booths on US-16A at Stockade Lake, US-87 at Sylvan Lake, and the US-16A/US-87 junction near Legion Lake. You can also purchase passes online at the South Dakota Game, Fish & Parks Reservations website.

Map of Custer State Park

• Needles Highway (SD 87), between US-16 and US-16A. Closed in winter. This 14 mi (23 km) mountain road twists and turns its way past towering needle-like granite formations and and through narrow tunnels, one as small as 8 ft (2.4 m) wide and 10 ft (3.0 m) high. Allow about an hour to drive. (updated Jul 2025)
  • 43.84148-103.54561 Needle's Eye. At the end of a tunnel stands this granite spire, with a slit only 3–4 ft (0.91–1.22 m) feet wide but reaching 30 to 40 ft (9.1 to 12.2 m) in the air. (updated Jul 2025)

• Wildlife Loop Road (off US-16A and US-87). A 18 mi (29 km) road through open grasslands and hills, the preferred habitat for the park's large mammals. It's subject to frequent "traffic jams", when the park's herd of bison bumble across the road in no particular hurry. (updated Jul 2025)

Favorite outdoor activities include hiking 7,242-foot Black Elk Peak, mountain biking, horseback riding, rock climbing, fishing, chuckwagon suppers and jeep rides to see the bison.

There are 19 named trails in Custer State Park. The park publishes a comprehensive Trail Guide.

The most popular trails are in the Sylvan Lake area, featuring both the state's high point and the park's most unusual geological formations:

• 43.84175-103.535261 Cathedral Spires Trail, SD-87 (2 mi (3.2 km) east of Sylvan Lake Entrance). 1.5 mi (2.4 km) one-way. Hike to the base of the striking granite pillars along the Needles Highway. Connects to Little Devils Tower Trail. (updated Jul 2025)
• 43.84317-103.552382 Little Devils Tower via Trail #4, SD-87 (1 mi (1.6 km) east of Sylvan Lake Entrance). 1.5 mi (2.4 km) one-way. Leads to a scramble of a rock with a steep cliff on one side, vaguely resembling the formation in Wyoming. Makes a loop with Trail #9. (updated Jul 2025)
• 43.84656-103.560013 Black Elk Peak via Trail #9, SD-87 (At Sylvan Lake). 3.3 mi (5.3 km) one-way. The most direct trail to Black Elk Peak, the highest point in South Dakota at 7,242 ft (2,207 m). There's an impressive lookout tower and observation deck at the top. Makes a loop with Trail #4. (updated Jul 2025)

Bison can be unpredictable and dangerous; it is safest to view them from inside a car.

See also: Dangerous animals