Custer SP/Mount Rushmore - 6/22-25

I need to split up our posts because each time I add a picture it screws up the text and formatting that I constantly have to fix. I'm sure there is a way to fix it up, but I'm not that into it...

Custer State Park is in southwestern SD and as we found out it is a spectacular place to stay. At over 71,000 acres it rivals some national parks in size and is known for it's abundant wildlife (buffalo, pronghorn antelope, elk, etc.) and unique geologic formations. We went on the hunt for buffalo the first night and figured the road called the Wildlife Loop would be our best bet. We did get to see plenty of pronghorn antelope, mule deer and a giant bull elk (no pic though), but no buffalo. Not for the lack of trying as we spent what seemed like hours on paved and unpaved roads and in the end didn't get back to our campsite until well after dark. It seems no matter what we plan, we are rarely eating dinner before 10:00pm. It wasn't until the next day we saw buffalo. Some animal pics are below.

Our first full day at Custer we spent on the hunt again for buffalo and then off to Mount Rushmore, Bear Country USA (more on that later), Crazy Horse Monument and some scenic driving - a lot for one day. Mount Rushmore was one of the places Matt specifically requested to see and we had a mission to accomplish there as well. Kylie, one of Katie's friends and soccer teammates, was having a birthday party that Katie couldn't attend since we were over 2000 miles away. We wanted to send her a birthday message though...

When we see you Kylie we will give you this poster actually signed by 2 Mount Rushmore National Park Service rangers (we couldn't get the superintendant). Everyone was impressed with Mount Rushmore. Matt has developed a keen interest in grey wolves and we learned they had some at Bear Country, USA - a kind of free range zoo that you drive through to see all the animals. We saw just about everything but wolves - we saw elk, reindeer, mountain lion, bears (black and grizzley), buffalo, mountain goats, bighorn sheep, fox, albino raccoon, lynx, bobcats, river otter, skunk, porcupine, coyote, and a lone arctic wolf that was hiding in the tall grass. Apparently it was too hot for the grey wolves to be out and the pups were recovering from an early morning vet visit to give them shots. Oh well, we enjoyed seeing all the critters anyway.

Next up we went to see the Crazy Horse Monument - no offense intended, but it wasn't worth the $25 to see a no way near complete mountain carving expecially since it was only $8 to see a complete Mount Rushmore. They've been working on it since 1948 and estimate it will be another 75 years before it is complete. I'm not holding my breath. We turned around at the gate, snapped a couple of pictures out the back window and said, "Maybe we'll come back when it's finished." Yeah, right.

To cap the day we took the Needles Highway back through Custer SP and saw some amazing rock formations and went through some very small tunnels. We left Custer SP on the 25th to head to Yellowstone. The pictures below are from our adventures in and around the Black Hills of SD.

pronghorn antelope

Terry feeding the "wild" burros in Custer SP











Mount Rushmore, of course.



















Elk at Bear Country, USA








Reindeer







black bear








black bear cub

Crazy Horse









Needles Highway Tunnel

campsite at Custer SP