This lake, with its backdrop of granite rocks, is one of the most photographed spots in the park. Sylvan Lake is by far the most popular lake in Custer State Park. Paddle boards, kayaks, and canoes can be rented at Legion Lake and Sylvan Lake. If you plan to go fishing, you must have a valid South Dakota fishing license.īoating is permitted on Sylvan Lake, Legion Lake, Stockade Lake, and Center Lake. Just note that there are no lifeguards on duty and pets are prohibited. Swimming and fishing is permitted in all five lakes: Sylvan Lake, Center Lake, Legion Lake, Stockade Lake, and Game Lodge Pond. Go Swimming or Boating in Custer State Park’s Lakes Feeding the animals can be dangerous to you and the animal.Ħ. Bison may look slow but they can move surprisingly fast. The best time to drive Wildlife Loop Road is during the morning and the evening, when the wildlife is most active.ĭo not get out of your car to photograph the wildlife. Lone bison on Wildlife Loop Road | Best Things to Do in Custer State Park There are numerous turn-outs to stop and enjoy the views, not only of the animals but the rolling hills and grasslands. Wildlife Loop Road loops around the southern part of Custer State Park. Travel through the grasslands and rugged hills of the park and keep an eye out for bison, pronghorn, mule deer, elk, coyote, and prairie dogs. Wildlife Loop Roadĭistance: 18 miles | Travel Time: about 45 minutes without stops Best Things to do in Custer State Park 1. From Rapid City and the airport, it is a 30 minute drive to get to Custer State Park. The closest airport is Rapid City Regional Airport. The Needles Highway connects the heart of Custer State Park to Sylvan Lake, and it is in this area of the park where you will find some of the best hiking trails.Ĭuster State Park is located roughly 25 miles southwest of Rapid City, South Dakota. Iron Mountain Road connects Custer State Park with Mount Rushmore and driving this road is an absolute must. To the north, two scenic drives head out of the park. This is where you will find most of the wildlife, visitor centers, and lodging in the park. Highway 16A and Wildlife Loop Road form the core of the park. In just one hour, you can be in the spectacular Badlands National Park.īelow is a map of Custer State Park. There are many other notable places to visit nearby, including Mount Rushmore, the Crazy Horse Memorial, Wind Cave National Park, Mammoth Site, and Jewel Cave National Monument. Many of these animals can be spotted on Wildlife Loop Road, which is one of the best things to do in Custer State Park.Ĭuster State Park is located in the Black Hills of South Dakota, which is about a 30 minute drive southwest of Rapid City. Roughly 1,400 bison call Custer State Park home, as well as elk, coyotes, bighorn sheep, white-tailed deer, mule deer, mountain goats, pronghorn, prairie dogs, and even mountain lions. Its 71,000 acres of grasslands, forests, and mountains forms a refuge for its diverse wildlife populations. “Our culture is really starting to become stronger.Custer State Park is the largest and the first state park in South Dakota. It’s really important for their mental health and their future,” Celestine said. “Cultural identity is one of the big themes that Native children have to gain. The students first learned about the thunder beings in class, then created prayer ties (tobacco wrapped in cloth) and finished by hiking up the peak to make the offerings. The second annual field trip to Black Elk Peak perfectly combines the school’s values of hands-on learning and the importance of teaching Lakota culture. “What’s the point of reading if you can’t really go out there and do it yourself?” Two Crow asked. Learning happens through feeling what you’re learning about and what you’re doing with it,” Celestine said. “Learning doesn’t happen through the mind. Waldorf Schools believe in going beyond “head learning” by teaching children not just by thinking, but through emotions and activity, said school administrator Isabel Stadnick. The private, nonprofit school expanded to sixth grade in 2017 and has continued to grow since. The Lakota Waldorf School, the only Native American and tuition-free Waldorf School in the country, opened in 1993 as a kindergarten through second-grade school. The coming of the thunder beings is when “everything starts anew again,” when animals have babies and when nature is reborn. “It’s a way of paying respect and welcoming them for the renewal of life, for another year,” said Santee Witt, who teaches Lakota cultural studies at the school. ![]() “Every time the thunders roll for the first time we always come up here,” Two Crow said.įor generations, Lakota people have hiked up Black Elk Peak to honor the thunder beings, which disappear in the winter and return in the spring, said teacher Celestine Stadnick.
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