Things to Do in Custer State Park with Kids

A South Dakota family road trip just wouldn’t be complete without a visit to Custer State Park.

Normally I tend to skip over state parks in favor of National Parks, as I assume most people do. But Custer is as remarkable as any National Park I’ve seen.

There are ample opportunities to spot wildlife, myriad hiking paths for all skill levels, and multiple scenic drives from which to choose.

You could easily spend several days exploring Custer State Park. Thankfully, the pass is good for a week, so if you feel like you missed out on something or want to return to experience more, you can certainly do that on your South Dakota vacation.

We kicked off our week in the Black Hills area by visiting Custer for a full day, and I’m so glad we did! It was the perfect start to our trip.

I’m going to share my top things to do with kids in Custer State Park, along with things to know before you go to make planning your trip a little easier.

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. That means if you click on a link and make a purchase I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.

For Your South Dakota Road Trip with Kids…

Read 50 activities to do in the car with toddlers & preschoolers or 4-8 year old kids.
Order the Travel Journal for Kids I created especially for family vacations. There are 3 sections so you can use it for 3 different trips!
Check out my video on how I pack for a road trip with 4 kids!

Best Time to Visit Custer State Park

In general, I would say the best time to visit Custer State Park would be in May through September when the weather is warm. The weather will be the most pleasant in June, but remember that in the midwest temperatures can still be quite cold in May and even into June.

For example, we planned our trip for the first week of June. Just days before we left for our trip the lows were in the 30s with highs in the low 50s. Luckily, it warmed up during our trip to the 70s, 80s, even climbing up to the 90s.

During July and August it can get quite hot, so come prepared with lots of water, hats, sunscreen, and aloe. You might even consider SPF clothing if you’re planning to be hiking outside a lot with your kids.

September might be a desirable time to visit if you have some flexibility. There are fewer crowds, the weather will be a bit cooler but usually not too cold yet, AND you can plan your trip around the buffalo roundup when cowboys and cowgirls gather the herd of over 1,000 buffalo to test, brand, sort, and check their health.

You can certainly still visit the park in fall or winter, as the park is open year round. As long as you don’t mind the cold, you’ll get to experience the peace and quite of the off season while still having plenty of opportunities to see wildlife and stunning views. Just be aware that some of the mountain roads may be closed, such as Needles Highway.

Custer State Park Map

In order to plan our Custer State Park itinerary, it helped me to see how the park was laid out. Find the Custer State Park map here!

What to Know Before You Go

Custer State Park Fees & Visiting Hours

7-Day License: $20 per vehicle | Motorcoach License: $3 per person per visit

Custer State Park is open 24 hours/day, however you may want to start your visit with a stop at the Visitor Center, which has the following hours:

Memorial Day - Labor Day: Open 9 a.m. - 6 p.m.
Labor Day - September 30: Open 9 a.m. - 6 p.m.
October 1 - Memorial Day: Open 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. 7 days a week
Custer

Park Size

Custer State Park is 71,000 acres, which means there will be a lot of driving. My best advice is to download an audiobook to your phone before you go.

We did not have great reception in the park, so make sure you have one already selected and dowloaded using Audible or apps like Overdrive or Hoopla that are connected to your local library.

(By the way, I just found out that our library lends out PlayAway books - preloaded physical audiobooks. Ours doesn’t come with batteries, so you need to provide that, but then just plug in headphones or an AUX cord and you’re ready to go! Check to see if yours offers these, too!)

You might also consider bringing Road Trip Activity Books or a Kids Travel Journal to keep kids busy during the long stretches in the car.

How much time do you need at Custer State Park?

I would say you need a full day to experience Custer State Park, especially if you want to get out of the car and do a little bit of hiking.

How far is Custer State Park from Mount Rushmore?

If you wanted to try to group Custer State Park in the same day as visiting Mount Rushmore, you could manage that by going down to a very bare bones itinerary.

Custer State Park is only a 45 minute drive (about 20 miles) from Mount Rushmore.

>> watch my Custer State Park YouTube video here! <<

Start at the Visitor Center

Upon entering the park, we promptly pulled into the Custer State Park Visitor Center to use the restrooms, talk with park rangers, and learn a little bit more about the park

There are displays informing visitors about wildlife safety (specifically when it comes to bison), and a theater with a 20-minute movie about the history of the park.

We took a moment to talk to the park rangers about our plans and ask about any additional tips or spots to see with the kids. They gave us a list of family-friendly activities going on during the week we could come back and see, such as ranger talks and guided hikes.

They also provided us with a trail guide and map of the park. They’re full of resources and knowledge, so don’t hesitate to ask!

Participate in the Junior Naturalist Program

Grab a Custer State Park Junior Naturalist Handbook at the Visitor Center and help your kids fill it out during your day in the park.

This is something we didn’t end up doing. I forgot to ask for one at the Visitor Center, but we ended up learning so much along the way anyway!

If you do decide to do this activity, the kids will simply complete activities along the way and get signatures from park rangers. Turn it in at the end for a badge!

Drive the Wildlife Loop Road

The Visitor Center opened around 9, and we arrived right around that time, then began the Wildlife Loop drive. We definitely were not early enough in the day because we didn’t end up seeing any bison on this drive!

Apparently the bison can be hit or miss, and your best bet is early in the morning or in the early evening.

The Wildlife Loop Road is an 18-mile stretch of prairie where you’ll have lots of opportunity to see animals such as pronghorn, prairie dogs, burros, mule deer, coyotes, bison, and more.

We saw tons of prairie dogs and burros, which was really fun!

The park rangers advised us to take the drive nice and slow in order to catch glimpses of wildlife and keep them safe. The drive takes about an hour and a half.

If you can’t get enough of this area, try hiking the Prairie Trail. It’s a 3-mile loop; moderate; and 416 ft. climb. Long pants and boots are recommended on this trail due to poison ivy and snakes. You will be rewarded with spectacular views of wildflowers on this trail! (We did not do this trail because we had a lot of other activities on our itinerary).

See Begging Burros

Ah, the begging burros, These small donkeys are descendants of pack animals that used to bring visitors from Sylvan Lake Lodge to Black Elk Peak. Now they roam freely and come to car windows to beg for food.

We found them just over halfway through our drive on the Wildlife Loop. There was a small traffic jam thanks to the friendly burros sticking their heads into car windows in hopes of a carrot or apple slice.

We had the middle windows of the minivan cracked open, and one of the burros tried to peek in, sending our 1-year-old into a terrified wail. Once she got out of the car and saw the burros (not just a giant head hovering over her car seat), she was actually delighted, and kept saying “doggy! doggy!”

(Always use caution when approaching wild animals, even the burros).

There happened to be a few baby burros with their mamas, and it was truly the cutest thing. My 8-year-old daughter was practically in a puddle she loved them so much!

Drive Needles Highway

Needles Highway in Custer State Park is a 14-mile scenic drive through granite spires and lush forests. There are a few twists and turns, but the views are unmatched, making it a must-do activity for families. Just take the drive nice and slow and you should be fine!

There are several spots where you can pull over and get photos and video of the epic vistas, so have your camera ready to go!

Keep in mind that if you’re visiting during fall, winter, or spring, the road us closed from the first snow of the season until April 1 due to poor driving conditions.

I was astonished by how different the landscape in this area of the park was from the prairies and meadows we had driven through just minutes earlier. It gives you an idea of how vast the park really is, and how diverse this area of South Dakota is.

Go Through Needle’s Eye Tunnel

Needles Eye Tunnel Custer State Park.jpg

Needle’s Eye Tunnel is named for the geological structure located right by the tunnel that looks like the eye of a needle, a hole in one of the granite spires worn away by years or freezing and thawing snow, ice, and rain.

I was surprised to learn this. I looked it up when the kids asked why it was called Needle’s Eye. I had assumed it was because the tunnel was so narrow, but it turns out I was wrong!

Pippa at Needles Eye in Custer State Park.jpg

family at Needles Eye Tunnel Custer State Park.jpg

The Tunnel itself is a marvel, and really fun to drive through. Once you arrive at the tunnel, you’ll see plenty of space to pull over to take photos and video.

It wasn’t particularly busy when we visited, which meant we had plenty of time to take pictures in and around the tunnel, all the while watching out for vehicles coming from the other direction.

Take it nice and slow through the tunnel, and enjoy the views from the other side!

Visit Sylvan Lake

Definitely plan a stop at Sylvan Lake along, one of the most beautiful spots in Custer State Park. There are a variety of activities from swimming, boating, and fishing to picnicking, hiking, and photography.

You might even recognize this spot from National Treasure 2!

You can also duck into Sylvan Lake General Store for souvenirs, or you can even make reservations in advance to stay in one of the rooms or cabins at Sylvan Lake Lodge. There are also camping options around Sylvan Lake.

Hike the Sylvan Lake Shore Trail

Hiking Sylvan Lake Shore Trail was easily the highlight of our day at Custer State Park. It’s a 1.1 mile easy-moderate trail with some rock scrambling and a few stairs as part of the trail.

We had walked around the lake for a little bit with all 4 kids, and took turns scrambling up some tall rocks along the lake with the oldest 2. We got to a point where the baby needed a nap in the stroller, so my husband volunteered to stay back with her while I hiked the trail with the 3 older kids.

At ages 8, 5, and 4, this trail was no problem for any of the kids.

sylvan lake shore trail climbing with kids.jpg

Much of the trail is a flat dirt path until you get to the back of the lake. At this point you start to do some climbing as the path gains a bit of elevation. There are a few points where you need to scramble up the rocks, but nothing too strenuous.

We got to watch some rock climbers for a little bit, which was really neat!

There’s one spot that gets narrow in between two rock formations, and the kids were reminded of Rock City and started calling it Fat Man Squeeze.

I think the hike took us less than an hour, and we could have easily done it with our 1-year-old in the Lillebaby carrier.

The kids were so proud of themselves for bravely climbing the rocks and completing the trails and kept calling themselves adventurers and explores. You love to see it.

If you want a visual of this trail, check out my YouTube video on Custer State Park between 5:00 and 6:24.

Drive Iron Mountain Road

On our way out of the park, I asked my husband if he would be up for another scenic drive. I knew it would take longer to get back to Rapid City where we were based, but I had heard the views were lovely.

Iron Mountain Road is a 17-mile stretch through the Black Hills on highway 16A. You’ll have to take it nice and slow to handle the twists, turns, and switchbacks as you get progressively higher in elevation.

I’ll be honest - my hands were sweating through a decent portion of this drive. We were actually stunned at how high up the road got, but we loved the views of the mountains, pine trees, and valleys.

There are several one-lane tunnels on Iron Mountain Road, and you have to pay attention as you go through because they are built to frame the view of Mount Rushmore! I tried several times to capture it on video or in a photo and fell spectacularly short. It just simply doesn’t do justice to what your eyes are witnessing.

Truly take your time and enjoy the journey on this scenic drive. It’s truly epic.

Take a Tour

If you want to deepen your experience in the park or make sure you see some bison, consider booking a Buffalo Safari Jeep Tour. You can go off road in search of wildlife and learn a lot about the park as you go. Probably best for families who don’t have toddlers, unless yours would sit still for a 2-hour drive.

There are lots of other activities and tour options on the Custer State Park Resort website.

Try a More Challenging Hike

Since our time was limited, we didn’t get to try the more challenging hikes we were hoping to fit in. I guess that just means we’ll have to go back!

If you want to see some more of the park, consider trying one of the following trails:

Cathedral Spires Trail: a 2.3 mile out and back hike. It’s strenuous, with a 500-ft climb with some tricky rock scrambles.
Black Elk Trail: a moderate 7.1-mile look with epic views. I really wanted to try this trail, because the photos I saw from my research online looked incredible, but I knew it would be a long shot because of our time constraint. We didn’t end up getting there this time, but I wouldn’t mind coming back to do this hike!

One Day Custer State Park Itinerary with Kids

I’ll share our 1-day Custer State Park itinerary in case you’re trying to figure out how to organize your day with young kids. Currently the website says the Visitor Center opens at 9, which is what time we arrived. We didn’t see much wildlife, though, so I think if you want to see animals on the Wildlife Loop Rd you could arrive earlier and do the Visitor Center later!

9:00 a.m. - arrive and head to Visitor Center at the East Entrance of the park

9:15 a.m. - begin Wildlife Loop Road

stop for begging burros
look for bison + prairie dogs

11:00 a.m. - drive Needles Highway

11:30 a.m. - drive through Needles Eye. Stop and take photos!

12:00 p.m. - have a picnic lunch at Sylvan Lake

12:30 p.m. - hike the Sylvan Lake Shore Trail

2:00 p.m. - stop at Sylvan Lake General Store to rest and look for souvenirs

2:30 p.m. - if you’re up for more adventure, head to the Cathedral Spires trail head and hike the Cathedral Spires Trail

OR

2:30 p.m. - head to the Peter Norbeck Education Center.

3:00 p.m. - (probably later if you did the Cathedral Spires trail) drive the Iron Mountain Road. We stayed in Rapid City, so this was a longer drive back to our home base.

There is so much to do in Custer State Park with kid!

It’s truly impossible to be bored in this state park, and with a 7-day pass, you might even want to come back for a second day of exploring or hiking if your itinerary allows it.