Frommer's National Parks of the American West - Don Laine [66]
INSIDE CUSTER STATE PARK
Custer State Park is home to four rustic resorts that offer lodging, dining, and a wealth of recreational opportunities in the heart of the Black Hills.
The Blue Bell Lodge & Resort (☎ 605/255-4531), on S. Dak. 87 just before the turnoff for the Wildlife Loop Road (if you are traveling south), is among western South Dakota's best-kept secrets. The retreat has an Old West flavor, with handcrafted log cabins—our choice for the best place to stay in the park—scattered around a lodge with a dining room, lounge, and meeting room. A general store, gift shop, and gasoline station are on site, and fishing is available nearby. The Blue Bell also offers hayrides, chuck-wagon cookouts, and trail rides.
The Legion Lake Resort (☎ 605/255-4521), near the junction of the Needles Highway (S. Dak. 87 and U.S. 16A), dates from 1913 and features cottages nestled in the pines near the lakeshore. A dining room, a store, paddle boats, and mountain bikes are available, and the 110-mile Centennial Trail passes through the Legion Lake area.
The State Game Lodge & Resort (☎ 605/255-4541), on U.S. 16A near the park's main visitor center, served as the "Summer White House" for Presidents Calvin Coolidge and Dwight D. Eisenhower. The stone-and-wood lodge features stately rooms, motel units, and pine-shaded cabins, as well as meeting and banquet facilities. The lodge offers an excellent Buffalo Jeep Safari Ride into the backcountry and a Safari Ride cookout dinner tour.
The Sylvan Lake Resort (☎ 605/574-2561), on S. Dak. 87 in the northeast corner of Custer State Park, overlooks scenic Sylvan Lake and the Harney Range. It features cozy lodge rooms and rustic family cabins. The lodge is also close to a number of outdoor activities, including hiking, swimming, fishing, boating, and rock climbing.
Rates at these lodges in the high season range from around $85 for a sleeping cabin at Legion Lake to $350 for a four-bedroom cabin at the State Game Resort. The more facilities and amenities, the more you pay. Most of the resorts open in late April or May and close in September or late October; a few cabins stay open for winter visitors. These fill quickly, and some people call 6 months in advance for reservations. For more information or to make reservations at any of Custer State Park's resorts, contact Custer State Park Resort Co., HC 83 Box 74, Custer, SD 57730 (☎ 800/658-3530).
Where to Dine
Dining in the Black Hills tends to be a casual affair, but the options can be excellent, ranging from homemade pies and ranch-raised buffalo to hearty steaks and succulent pheasant. "Summer" means Memorial Day through Labor Day.
Inside the Parks. The only full-service dining for all meals within the National Park Service properties in the Black Hills is the Buffalo Dining Room at Mount Rushmore (see below). Wind Cave and Jewel Cave have vending machines. The dining facilities at the four resorts in Custer State Park are open to the public; all offer what we might call upscale family dining, with mostly American fare at relatively moderate prices (see the individual resort descriptions under "Where to Stay," above).
In addition to the restaurants listed below, you might consider two establishments in Custer, which is east of Jewel Cave National Monument, west of Custer State Park, and northwest of Wind Cave National Park. The Bavarian Inn, at the junction of U.S. 385 and U.S. 16 (☎ 605/673-4412), serves American and German dishes at reasonable prices, with live music most nights. The Chief Restaurant,