Not only is wildlife in the park, it is also easy to find. “Winter is a wonderful time to view the Park’s abundant wildlife. Custer State Park is in a truly stunning part of South Dakota, but it is remote and it can be a pain to reach. More than likely, you'll encounter the park's infamous "begging burros" holding up traffic in hopes of a handout. Custer State Park is a 71,000-acre vacation paradise with abundant adventure and scenic landscapes. As you might imagine, the best part of the day to see animals is early in the morning, so it’s worth setting an alarm for the morning. There is a $20/vehicle weekly parking license. Elk were once abundant in the southern Black Hills but, like the buffalo, their numbers declined due to hunting during the late 19th century. Drive the Custer State Park Wildlife Loop Road. Over the past few weeks, Custer State Park has been preparing for its 55th annual Bison Auction, held to maintain the herd and land. "The ability to move elk into Custer State Park is timely because population levels in the park are currently low. The park is home to a herd of well over 1,000 free-roaming bison, as well as elk, pronghorn, deer, bighorn sheep, and more. A special hunt kicks off this weekend in Custer State Park where 40 extra tags were issued for antlerless elk. The Black Hills from Lover’s Leap in Custer State Park. Images Of The Past - A Century Of South Dakota State Parks. Custer State Park is located in Custer, SD, about 35 minutes southwest of Rapid City. Custer State Park is one of them. Custer State Park wildlife roam the 71,000 acres of land protected by the State of South Dakota in the Black Hills. Though Black Elk Peak lies in the Black Elk Wilderness, the Sylvan Lake trailheads are in Custer State Park. The area that now provides provides habitat for the Custer State Park wildlife was originally established as a Game Preserve in 1913. The park is home to a diverse range of wildlife including bighorn sheep, antelope, deer, elk, coyote, prairie dogs and "begging" burros. Gary Enright, director of the 1881 Courthouse Museum in Custer, discusses the wildlife habitat in Custer State Park in this week's Images of the Past. It allows Custer State Park to bolster its population, and it allows Wind Cave to meet its management objectives," said Custer State Park Superintendent Matt Snyder. Custer State Park is a South Dakota State Park and wildlife reserve in the Black Hills, United States.The park is South Dakota's largest and first state park, named after Lt. Custer State Park: ELK SIGHTING! CUSTER STATE PARK, S.D. Understanding herd organization is important when considering management alternatives designed to benefit or manipulate elk (Cervus elaphus) populations.We studied the seasonal and annual herd organization of cow elk in Custer State Park, South Dakota from 1993–1997 by examining seasonal subherd range size, spatial arrangement, overlap, and site fidelity. From Custer, take U.S. Highway 16A east, then turn right onto South Dakota Highway 89 (Sylvan Lake Road). Custer State Park acts as the glue for a few different attractions in South Dakota. The views from the top of Black Elk provide pictures of South Dakota, and you can see as far as Wyoming, Montana, Nebraska, and North Dakota. Custer State Park is the perfect destination for your next family vacation as well as a playground for any outdoor adventurist. There are no roads to the summit and it is only accessible by hiking just under four miles. Custer State Park actually encourages you to feed the burros. Nestled at the base of Black Elk Peak, formerly Harney Peak, and surrounded by impressive rounded rock formations and ponderosa pine trees, Sylvan Lake is considered the crown jewel of Custer State Park in South Dakota. GROUP FRIENDLY. It certainly is the most recognizable of the five lakes in Custer State Park or of any of the lakes located in the Black Hills. Hiking to Black Elk Peak. Located in the Black Hills of South Dakota, the park is home to a variety of wildlife and magnificent scenery spanning 71,000 acres. On the northern edge of the park, 56,000 acres are set aside for the Norbeck Wildlife Preserve. This trail is known for their yearly buffalo roundup and the herds of buffalo that roam the prairie and the hills. Turn right onto South Dakota Highway 87, following the signs pointing towards the entrance to Custer State Park. - See 5,878 traveler reviews, 4,567 candid photos, and great deals for Custer, SD, at Tripadvisor. With 71,000 acres of land in the Black Hills of South Dakota, Custer State Park has tons of things to do including epic camping, hiking, mountain biking, rock climbing, swimming in beautiful lakes, kayaking, canoeing, paddleboarding, boating, and great fishing. Another animal native to South Dakota and the Black Hills still lives in the Park. Hunting has been a key part of the reduction in numbers. Recently Custer State Park was recognized as one of the “top ten places in the world” to see wildlife which includes over 1,300 head of buffalo, whitetail and mule deer, pronghorn antelope, elk, big horn sheep, mountain goats, prairie dogs and other critters,” Pugsley says. The trail starts near Sylvan Lake in Custer State Park. In short, it was the perfect trip. How many elk can you see? Few truly wild places remain in this country. Custer State Park requires a per-person and/or vehicle entry fee. Colonel George Armstrong Custer.The park covers an area of over 71,000 acres (287 km 2) of varied terrain including rolling prairie grasslands and rugged mountains. The Custer State Park elk herd has plunged in recent years from more than 1,000 animals to about 150. Custer State Park is also home to elk, antelope and mountain goats. Not only is it the highest natural point in South Dakota, Black Elk Peak is also the highest summit in the United States east of the Rocky Mountains. It’s the state’s largest and first state park, named after Lt. In this large state park, you’ll find granite peaks, rolling hills, several scenic lakes, plenty of wildlife and quite a few hiking trails. The park is open daily and year-round offering a variety of activities and events including horseback riding, hiking, and Jeep rides through the buffalo herds. "The ability to move elk into Custer State Park is timely because population levels in the park are currently low. The area is characterized by its granite peaks, rolling plains, and clear waters. Wildlife Biologists are performing the 2019 elk survey in Custer State Park over the next week. So, in one week, we were able to spend three days in Rocky Mountain NP, see the elk rut and do plenty of hiking AND then go to Custer State Park, see the Buffalo Roundup, plus do plenty of other cool stuff. — On Saturday, it was National Bison Day, and Custer is known to have one of the largest publicly owned herds in the world. It allows Custer State Park to bolster its population, and it allows Wind Cave to meet its management objectives," said Custer State Park Superintendent Matt Snyder. Encompassing 71,000 acres in the Black Hills, Custer State Park is home to abundant wildlife and adventure. Those rates often change, so to access their latest up-to-date entry permit information, please visit the link below for complete details. Custer State Park. 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