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Custer, South Dakota

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Top Spots in and near Custer

  • Custer, South Dakota

    Hike the Custer Skywalk to Big Rock Observation Point

    0.6 mi / 370 ft gain
    Park on the South end of 6th Street at Harbach Park in Custer, just 2 blocks off Main Street. The entrance to the trail is marked by an archway and a "Custer Skywalk" sign. The path is a dirt/small gravel trail that has stairs built into the hillside. To get to the first observation point it is a...
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  • Custer, South Dakota

    Hike the Stockade Lake Trail

    1.2 mi / 500 ft gain
    The trail starts near the East side of Stockade Lake just outside Custer, South Dakota. The trail is a 1.2 mile loop, and climbs up to 5,650 feet above sea level. The trail is easy to follow and is well worn. Also the trees have blue diamonds nailed to them for even easier route finding. Once you...
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  • Custer, South Dakota

    Camp at Sylvan Lake Campground

    5.0
    Medium-sized campground across the road from Sylvan Lake. Run by Custer State Park - reservations can be made online. Several individual sites are available for walk-in camping, which makes for a backcountry experience.Make you campsite reservation here: https://gfp.sd.gov/state-parks...
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  • Custer, South Dakota

    Kayak Sylvan Lake

    4.0
    2 mi
    There are a few reservoirs within the hot and dry Black Hills of South Dakota. The water here comes from the harsh winter month's snowpack or frequent afternoon thunderstorms. Sylvan Lake in the town of Custer offers many activities thanks to it's unique and rugged terrain. Hiking, biking, rock c...
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  • Custer, South Dakota

    Hike to Little Devil's Tower in the Black Hills

    5.0
    The trail starts at the Little Devil's Tower Trailhead which is located roughly one mile east of Sylvan Lake on Highway 87. Take Trail #4 for around 1/2 mile until a fork in the trail. The right fork takes you to Harney Peak, while the left takes you to Little Devils Tower. Along the trail there ...
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  • Custer, South Dakota

    Hike to Poet's Table

    5.0
    1 mi
    This hike starts at the Little Devil's Towers trailhead just east of Sylvan Lake in Custer State Park. Follow the main trail from the parking lot about 300 yards then there will be an unmarked trail off to the left, it is a beaten path more than a trail. The trail that leads up to Poet's Table ve...
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  • Keystone, South Dakota

    Hike Sunday Gulch Loop

    5.0
    2.8 mi / 400 ft gain
    To get to Sunday Gulch Trail you will need to walk around Sylvan Lake to the Northwest End of the Lake, there is a loop all the way around the lake, so either way will take you there. You will see a sign for Sunday Gulch Trail, it is trail #6.  The trail itself can be quite steep in places but it...
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  • Keystone, South Dakota

    Black Elk Peak and Little Devil's Tower Loop

    5.0
    7.85 mi / 1621 ft gain
    Black Elk Peak and Little Devil's Tower Loop is a loop trail that takes you by a lake located near Custer, South Dakota.
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  • Keystone, South Dakota

    Sylvan Lake Shore Trail

    5.0
    1.1 mi / 39 ft gain
    Sylvan Lake Shore Trail is a loop trail that takes you by a lake located near Custer, South Dakota.
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  • Custer, South Dakota

    Drive Needles Highway in Custer State Park

    4.8
    Perfect for a pre or post Black Hills/Badlands adventure, Needles Highway is the joyride of a lifetime.  Entrance to Custer State Park costs 10 dollars, and do be prepared to keep it in low gear behind RVs and motorcycles. Pull-offs for photos and general marveling are frequent. 
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  • Keystone, South Dakota

    Hiking to Harney Peak

    4.9
    The Harney Peak Trailhead #9 is located in the northwest corner of the parking lot just beyond Sylvan Lake. From there, the hike is very straight forward – the beginning of the trail is very moderate, being slightly flat with a few ups and downs along the way.Once you cross into the Black Elk Wil...
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  • Custer, South Dakota

    Cathedral Spires in the Black Hills

    4.8
    1.65 mi / 200 ft gain
    This is a moderate hike with a huge payout in the form of some of the Black Hills' most beautiful features — tall granite spires rising hundreds of feet above the surrounding terrain, reaching a maximum height of 6,860 feet. Starting from the Cathedral Spires Trailhead --where you may be treated...
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  • Custer, South Dakota

    Fly Fish French Creek

    0.5 mi / 15 ft gain
    The creek has two main sections, there is Upper French Creek and Lower French creek, the upper/lower refer to the section of creek above or below Stockade Lake. The better fishing is below Stockade Lake. There you can find numerous sections of the creek that are on public land and easily accessib...
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  • Keystone, South Dakota

    Hike Willow Creek Trail

    2.8 mi / 5200 ft gain
    The trailhead is located at the Willow Creek Horse Camp. This trail doesn't allow motorized vehicles but you may share it with some horses depending on when you venture onto the trail. The trail itself is pretty easy, it will take about 1.5-2 hours depending on your pace and is shaded for about h...
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  • Custer, South Dakota

    Hike Grace Coolidge Walk-In Area

    6 mi / 150 ft gain
    Grace Coolidge Walk-In area is a fantastic place to go for a hike and do some fly fishing! There are 6 dams built along the 3 mile trail. You can start on either from Center Lake off of Playhouse Rd. or you can start at the southern trailhead near Highway 16A, that is not too far west from the St...
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  • Keystone, South Dakota

    Mt. Rushmore Profile View

    Cool little pull off area to get a shot of Washington’s face from the side between the mountains. There is a pull off on both sides of the road and a popular spot to stop and photograph this unique perspective of Mt. Rushmore.  For the loop trail to see more of the sites of Mt. Rushmore, check o...
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Go Great Places in South Dakota

In the Mount Rushmore state, travels to South Dakota are full of one-of-a-kind adventure with wide-open spaces as endless as the horizons. Between legendary landscapes and scenic drives, you can always find space that shifts life into park. When you’re ready, go great places.

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Camping and Lodging in Custer

Custer / Mount Rushmore / Black Hills KOA Holiday
Custer, South Dakota

Custer / Mount Rushmore / Black Hills KOA Holiday

Iron Creek Horse Camp
Custer, South Dakota

Iron Creek Horse Camp

Mount Rushmore KOA Resort at Palmer Gulch
Hill City, South Dakota

Mount Rushmore KOA Resort at Palmer Gulch

Under Canvas Mount Rushmore
Keystone, South Dakota

Under Canvas Mount Rushmore

From $199 / night

Summit Ridge Lookout Cabin
Newcastle, South Dakota

Summit Ridge Lookout Cabin

Hot Springs SD / Black Hills KOA Holiday
Hot Springs, South Dakota

Hot Springs SD / Black Hills KOA Holiday

Guides, Insights and Stories from Custer

Tour De Granite

Tour De Granite

Isaac Parsons

Black Elk Peak-Nic

Black Elk Peak-Nic

Isaac Parsons

3 Epic Days in Rapid City

3 Epic Days in Rapid City

CampCo