Custer State Park, SD

After my morning tour of Jewel Cave NP, we went to Custer State Park, described as a must-visit place due to the landscape and wildlife. I would have loved to camp there (they have several campgrounds) but due to its popularity, the campgrounds were fully booked months in advance.

I left my RV parked at the Elk Mountain Campground and we went in Nadine's RV to save on the entrance fee which was $25 per vehicle. First stop was the large Visitor Center (above) to get maps and tips on where to go. They wrote down wildlife sightings reported by visitors and rangers on a large board in the visitor center.

Above: the grounds around the visitor center. We looked at the map, saw cautions on some of the scenic roads, e.g. Needles Highway with low tunnels which would be challenging for RVs. Decided on the Wildlife Loop; a good choice since we saw lots of wildlife from the vehicle: bison, deer, elk, burro (donkeys). The weather has turned cloudy and cold, so it was good not to get out.

Burros, lots of them, with people getting out of their cars, feeding them and taking selfies (which they should not do). Looked like the burros were used to visitors.

And lots of bison, just hanging out next to the road, some of them with calves. Cars were stopped along the road to watch them, with a few visitors ignoring rules to get close and risk getting gored.

It was getting late, cold and cloudy but we decided to check out Sylvan Lake. This was a beautiful area, worth staying a few days to hike, kayak and to watch wildlife. Added this to my list of places to return to. Nadine did a hike around the lake but I opted out since I did not have warm clothing with me.

We headed back to downtown Custer where we found a restaurant and had dinner. Would love to go back to Custer when it is warmer and visit the quaint shops there.