Frommer's National Parks of the American West - Don Laine [56]
ESSENTIALS
Visitor Centers. The Peter Norbeck Visitor Center, between the State Game Lodge and the Coolidge Inn Store on U.S. 16A, offers brochures, interpretive exhibits, and a variety of educational items.
The Wildlife Station Visitor Center, on the southeast part of the Wildlife Loop, has shade, information, exhibits, and educational items.
Fees. Contact the park for current entrance fees. Modern campsites cost $16 per unit per night; semimodern campsites are $14; basic campsites are $7.
Special Regulations & Warnings. The park's biggest attraction may be its 1,500 head of bison. Remember that all animals in the park are wild and can be dangerous. Bison are extremely fast and can be lethal if provoked, so give them plenty of space.
Campers and hikers should never drink water from lakes, streams, or springs.
Useful Publications. Helpful South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks Department brochures are available at the Peter Norbeck Visitor Center and at park headquarters. The park newspaper, Tatanka, provides information on the park's resorts and activities. The newspaper is available at each park entrance station, the visitor center, and park headquarters.
IF YOU HAVE ONLY 1 DAY
Of all the state and federal parks in South Dakota, Custer State Park may be the most difficult to see in a day. Three scenic drives, numerous hiking trails and nature walks, historic sites, wildlife loops, resorts, and some of the most spectacular scenery in the West tend to slow you down.
If you have only a day, try the 18-mile Wildlife Loop (described below), and then stop at the observation deck of the Mount Coolidge Fire Tower and the historic Gordon Stockade. If time permits, take a hike, perhaps on the popular trail to the Cathedral Spires.
EXPLORING THE PARK BY CAR
For a first-class sightseeing excursion, pick any of the park's three scenic drives: the Needles Highway, the Wildlife Loop Road, and the Iron Mountain Road. When driving through the park, it's important to keep an eye on the road and not your watch. Winding roads generally keep travel at 25 mph or less.
Be aware: Tunnels on the Iron Mountain Road (U.S. 16A) are 12 feet, 2 inches high and 13 feet, 2 inches wide. Tunnels on the Needles Highway/Sylvan Lake Road (S. Dak. 87) are as low as 10 feet, 7 inches and as narrow as 8 feet, 4 inches.
Needles Highway. This is a mesmerizing 14-mile journey through pine and spruce forests, meadows surrounded by birch and quaking aspen, and giant granite spires that reach to the sky. Visitors pass the picturesque waters of Sylvan Lake, through tunnels, and near a unique rock formation called the "Needle's Eye."
Wildlife Loop Road. This 18-mile drive takes you through open grasslands and pine-clad hills—an area that is home to most of the park's wildlife, including pronghorn, bison, white-tailed and mule deer, elk, coyote, begging wild burros, prairie dogs, eagles, hawks, and other birds. Stop by the Wildlife Station Visitor Center on the southeast part of the loop for information and exhibits. Unpaved side roads off the Wildlife Loop Road offer a quiet outdoor experience, in contrast to the main road in the summer. For example, one circle drive starts near the Wildlife Station Visitor Center. Take Park Road #3 (Oak Draw Rd.), then go right on Park Road #4 (North Lame Johnny Rd.), right again on Park Road #5 (Swint Rd.), and right on Park Road #2 (Fisherman Flats Rd.), which will take you back to the Wildlife Loop Road and the Wildlife Station.
Iron Mountain Road. Although only a portion of this scenic roadway lies in Custer State Park, it ranks as a must-see on any South Dakota visit. The winding road runs between Mount Rushmore and the junction of U.S. 16A and S. Dak. 36. Along the route are wildfire exhibits, wooden "pig-tail" bridges, pullouts with wonderful views, and tunnels that frame the four presidents at Mount Rushmore.
DAY HIKES
Custer State Park is home to a wide variety of hiking