Custer State Park

The park covers around thirty thousand hectares and its bison herd runs to roughly 1,400 to 1,500 animals, managed by an annual round-up in late September when riders drive the herd into corrals for health checks and to sell surplus animals - the round-up is open to spectators and draws large crowds. The Wildlife Loop Road crosses open grassland where the herd, pronghorn, elk and a group of persistent begging burros descended from an old trail ride operation are commonly seen. The Needles Highway runs through granite spires with tunnels blasted only just wide enough for a car, so large vehicles cannot pass; Iron Mountain Road nearby has pigtail bridges and tunnels framing Mount Rushmore deliberately.

Highlights

• About 1,500 bison - with a public round-up each September.
• The Needles Highway - tunnels too narrow for large vehicles.
• Begging burros - descended from a former trail ride herd.
• Iron Mountain Road - tunnels framing Rushmore by design.

When to go

May to October; the round-up is late September. A full day.

What to expect

Needles Highway tunnels are genuinely narrow - measure your vehicle. Bison are dangerous and injure people who approach; the burros beg but are also large animals. Round-up weekend fills the region. Winter closes several roads.

Nearby

Mount Rushmore is north; Wind Cave National Park is south.

Key facts