The Lovers Leap Trail is a four mile (possibly three the numbers vary depending on which resource you read) loop trail located in Custer State Park. It has around 400-600 feet elevation gain (again numbers vary depending on where you look) and leashed pets are allowed on trail. You can find the trailhead near […]
On our first day at Custer State Park we drove the wildlife loop, checked out all the visitor centers and did four of the smaller hikes. On a couple of these hikes we noticed signs for the trail challenge. I took pics of the medallions and did research that night. The Custer State Park […]
We spent four days in Custer State Park and wish we would of had time for more. It’s an amazing place for wildlife viewing, hiking and scenic drives. One of those drives is the 14 mile stretch of Highway 87 located within the park called the Needles Highway. Completed in 1922 the Needles Highway is […]
The Mount Coolidge Fire Tower sits at 6,023 feet making it the highest point in the central part of Custer State Park. It can be found 3 miles south of US Hwy 16A along SD Hwy 87 (I put GPS coordinates above). The Civilian Conservation Corps built the stone lookout tower and caretaker’s quarters […]
The Legion Lake Shore Trail is an approximately one mile loop located in Custer State Park. This easy, family-friendly hike has practically no elevation change and takes you around the charming little lake of the same name. Pets are welcome on the trail as long as they are leashed. The lake is small, but […]
The Sylvan Lake Shore Trail is an easy, family-friendly 1 mile loop around the absolutely breathtaking Sylvan Lake in Custer State Park. This is one of the most accessible and popular trails in the park with less than 100 feet of elevation gain. Like all trails located inside the park this one is also pet […]
The Sunday Gulch Trail is a three mile loop located inside Custer State Park. The trailhead can be found on the backside of Sylvan Lake near the dam. There is an almost 800 foot elevation gain during this hike so be prepared for a decent work-out. Pets are allowed on trail with a leash and […]
The historic Badger Hole cabin can be found in Custer State Park in South Dakota. It was once the home of Charles Badger Clark who is known as South Dakota’s first poet laureate. He lived in the park for the last 30 years of his life until his death in 1957 at the age of […]
The Cairn Trail is a .3 mile loop trail located in Custer State Park. The trailhead can be found in the parking lot of the Peter Norbeck Outdoor Education Center. Dogs are allowed on trail as long as they are leashed. It is one of the parks newest trails and gets it’s name from the […]
The top three things on my bucket list for Custer State Park were: * Feed wild burros. * Get stuck in a bison jam. * Walk around Sylvan Lake. Well, I did all that and so much more, but I gotta say, spending a short time with the wild burros was by far my favorite […]
