Oregon Trail: Custer State Park SD

Wednesday was a day that I was really looking forward to. I had read about Custer State Park in the Black Hills back in Virginia and was excited to see what it had to offer, not having a clue in advance that this would be the most spectacular place I have ever visited. I emailed my father the night before saying that I hoped to be able to photograph antelope and bison in the park. Keep reading to see if I was successful.

We built our itinerary around 5 items on the must-see list that the guys at Hydra back in Sioux Falls gave us: Custer State Park, Sylvan Lake, Mt. Rushmore, Sick n Twisted Brewing in Hill City, and Crow Peak Brewing in Spearfish, a very full day of activities. But, not knowing if we will ever have the opportunity to come this way again, I'm opting for full days. I certainly hope to have the chance, but what in this life is ever certain?

We started from our hotel in Rapid City which conveniently was located on highway 79, the road leading south to the park. As we drove south, Ann kept scanning through the radio dial trying to find a station of her liking. There was more than one station playing Native American chants: yet another we're not in Virginia moment.

We arrived at the Visitor's Center at abut 8:30 in the morning, some of the first visitors of the day, paid our entrance fee, and got a great overview of the park from one of the enthusiastic rangers. She wasn't sure if we would see bison because the cowboys are just starting to round them up before moving them to the corrals in the southern part of the park. They round them up to brand the young bison, give them a veterinary checkup and treatment as necessary, and to control the size of the herd to a level that is appropriate for the park. Each year, they auction off several hundred bison. The roundup and auction are apparently a BIG DEAL that draws a lot of spectators. I'm glad we missed the festivities by a week or so.

Our route for the day would take us south from the Visitor Center all the way around the Wildlife Loop until it terminated on US-16A, the main east west road through the park. From there, we would head west on 16A to highway 89 and then north to Sylvan Lake. From Sylvan Lake, we would head southeast on Needles Highway back into the park proper. Once we rejoined 16A, we would head east past the Visitor Center once again and then take 16A, Iron Mountain Road, north to Mount Rushmore.

Arriving at Custer State Park

Moth on a Gaillardia

Doggies Romp, Lone Ponderosa Pine

I got my wish to see Pronghorn antelopes right off the bat. I spied some to our right in a field and then another group coming to join them from across the road. Little did I know that we would only see about 8 antelope today, but that we would see thousands in the coming days.

Pronghorns Dart Across in Front of Us

Pronghorn, Antilocapra americana, Buck

At the Visitor Center, the ranger said that in all likelihood, we would encounter the band of feral burros on the backside of the wildlife loop, "because they are always there." What she didn't tell us is that they were going to stop traffic wading out into the road soliciting handouts.

Wild Burros

Stopping Traffic

Got Food?

Finding bison was equally easy as finding antelope. As we were driving, I spotted a herd of bison up on a hillside and then a second one right down near the road.

Unmistakably Bison, Even at a Distance

Small Herd Along the Road

Closer Still They Came

Rolling in the Dirt!

As we turned on to the main highway off the wildlife loop, a lone bull bison came plodding down the opposite lane, not giving a damn about anything or anyone and not in any hurry, either. We would notice this about bulls here and later in Yellowstone. A lot of them are off by themselves in the woods and they walk in and across the road with not a care in the world.

Where Does a 2000-Pound Bull Bison Walk?

At just about the end of the Wildlife Loop through the park, we came upon the 1.7-mile gravel road to the top of 6023-foot Mt. Coolidge, the highest point in the main part of the park, that hosts an active fire tower. Naturally, we had to go to the top for the 360-degree view.

Black Hills WNW From Mt. Coolidge Fire Tower

For some time during our morning drive, I had been seeing these beautiful coneflowers alongside the road, but it wasn't until our drive up to the Mt. Coolidge Lookout that I had a chance to look at them and see what they were. The blooms are very similar to the Clasping Coneflowers, Dracopis amplexicaulis, that grew so well in our garden at home. Those coneflowers have waxy blue leaves that clasp the stem; these Prairie Coneflowers had very different foliage.

Prairie Coneflower, Ratibida columnifera

Just before we left the park heading west, we came across this beautiful little lake called Stockade Lake, the largest of the lakes in the park.

Stockade Lake

Beautiful, a Grindelia I Think

Continuing past the lake on US-16A in the direction of Wyoming, we drove a short ways west before heading due north on highway 89 to Sylvan Lake. We had no idea what we were going to see, just working off the list that we got in Sioux Falls, and certainly no idea that the lake is the so-called "crown jewel" of Custer State Park. It is definitely the most beautiful lake that I have ever seen.

Sylvan Lake, Most Beautiful Lake I've Ever Seen

Rock Wall Damming the Lake

Enjoying the Sun

Annie, in the Center, for Scale

On Top of the Dam Rocks

Trail Through the Dam Rocks

Awesome Fuzzy Pom-Pom Seed Heads;
Maybe Common Cottongrass, Eriophorum angustifolium

Clark's Nutcracker, Nucifraga columbiana

I had heard Red Squirrels chattering away in the big pines near the lake. When Annie went into the building to use the restroom, I had a chance to watch one steal down a tree, make a beeline for a pine cone, grab the cone, and go flying back to the tree. I only had the chance for a single frame and I was lucky to catch the little guy with the huge cone in its mouth, all four legs off the ground in full stride. Not terribly in focus, but the squirrel was zooming by.

American Red Squirrel, Tamiasciurus hudsonicus, with Pine Cone

Quite reluctantly taking our leave of Sylvan Lake, we continued south on 87, Needles Highway, back towards the main part of the park. I knew from our talk with the ranger first thing in the morning that we would be going through two tunnels and the one at Needles Eye was extremely narrow at 8 feet and 4 inches wide. While that sounds and is pretty narrow, it is way more room than any passenger vehicle needs for passage, though it seems tight going through.

Needles Eye

Needles Eye Tunnel, 8'4" Wide

Granite Needles and Spires

More Spires

The Spires in Larger Context

Needles Highway terminates at US-16A which we took back east through the park past the Visitor Center. 16A splits north from 36 east of the park headed toward Mt. Rushmore. 16A is called Iron Mountain Highway at this point and contains most of the tunnels and pigtail bridges for which the scenic byway is famed. A pigtail bridge, sometimes known as a spiral bridge, is one that curls around and over (or under) itself allowing for a very quick ascent or descent in steep terrain. The really cool thing about approaching Mt. Rushmore from the south on this road is that the monument is clearly visible through the tunnels and from the top of Iron Mountain.

A couple words about Mt. Rushmore. I have always been conflicted about it. On the one hand, it is one of the most well-known monuments in the world and is practically synonymous with South Dakota. On the other hand, really, our mountains are not sufficiently beautiful that we cannot enjoy them in their natural state without having to impose our hand upon them?

Realistically, the best view all day was the one just below, viewing the carving from Iron Mountain Road through the tunnel. Getting closer did nothing for us. It really was kind of ho-hum. We were there so we paid the $10 to park and walk a bit closer, along with hundreds of other people. Mt. Rushmore can been seen in a quick drive by and is just not on my must-see list. You could skip it entirely and I don't think you would have missed much. My two cents.

Mt. Rushmore Framed by Tunnel

OK, So the Dogs Have Been to Mt. Rushmore

Fancy Granite Entrance and Walkway to Observation Deck

Virginia Flag Obscuring George, Kind of Fitting

From the Observation Deck

Neat Profile View of George

Done with our very brief stop at Rushmore, we headed in to nearby Hill City to visit Sick N Twisted Brewing. After a beer and a quick walk of the dogs, we headed for Spearfish where we would spend the night. I had hoped to head through the renowned Spearfish Canyon on the way into town on US-14A, another of the Black Hills' scenic highways, but I made a wrong turn somewhere and we ended up in first Deadwood and then Sturgis. Sturgis, sans Harleys, isn't a whole lot to look at.

Sign Says "He's Sick, I'm Twisted"

By late afternoon when we arrived at Crow Peak Brewing in Spearfish, we were famished. While I got us beers at the bar, Ann walked across the parking lot to a small BBQ joint and scored us some dinner. While the locals were raving about the BBQ, I'm thinking that while they do some stuff well out in SD, Q isn't one of them. Still, it was pig and I was starving.

Food in hand, we relocated outside and perched up around a tall fire pit with a few others where we got to chatting as we watched the beautiful sunset, the sky going all kinds of pink and orange. Grace joined us out on the patio and kept everyone entertained. It was well and truly dark before we headed to our hotel, another in a long line of unmemorable stops, for our final night in South Dakota, the most beautiful state on our trip.

Closing out the Day at Crow Peak Brewing

The Black Hills are spectacular. If there is one place you put on your bucket list to see in this country, make it South Dakota.