The Big Trip 9.7.20 - 9.23.20, Part 5 of 9: Custer State Park
There is a lot to see in and around Custer State Park in the Black Hills of South Dakota. In the planning I figured this would be the halfway mark in our trip so I booked four nights to allow for sightseeing and relaxation before embarking on the second half of the trip. That worked out really well because we did stuff every day but were usually back at our campsite in the early afternoon to sit around, nap and just relax.
Custer State Park must be the crown jewel of state parks. It is huge at over 71,000 acres and has numerous campgrounds with and without hookups. It has lots of lakes, abundant wildlife (and I mean abundant!), lots of hiking trails, scenic drives and is close to Wind Cave National Park, Mt. Rushmore National Monument, Jewel Cave and many other attractions. We stayed at South Stockade Campground which was in wonderful Ponderosa Pine forest, much drier than western Washington and more like Colorado. Our first full day there we went to Stockade Lake in hopes that it would be hot enough and the water warm enough for paddleboarding. We brought two paddleboards but the water was pretty chilly so Bridgit and Dana plunked at a picnic table by the lake. Bob opted to check out the nearby area on his motorcycle and I decided to go on a short hike from right at the end of the lake. Bob finished his ride before I even left so he joined me on the South Stockade Lake Loop Trail. This was a 1.5 mile loop that climbed up to a higher ridge with views out to the Cathedral Spires before dropping through the forest back down to the lake. I had seen photos of the Black Hills and wanted to find a hike that would give me good views of all the rock pinnacles the Black Hills are known for.
Cathedral Spires from South Stockade Lake Trail
Most of that afternoon was spent relaxing around camp. Dinners were cooked outside on our little Weber kettles followed by a good cigar and a glass of whiskey on the rocks. A little guitar by the fire was had on several of the nights. Just chillin’.
On our second full day at Custer State Park I rousted everyone out of bed early and we were all in the car by 6:30AM to take a drive on the Wildlife Loop Road before heading up to Mount Rushmore. The animals are very active around dawn and dusk and our drive turned into an incredible wildlife safari. From just before dawn until around 8AM we slowly drove around the loop. There were hardly any other cars on the road, another great reason to get up and out early. The reward was that we saw tons of wildlife.
White tailed deer
Bison
White tailed deer
Elk
Bison
Pronghorn
Turkey
After completing an incredible drive along the Wildlife Loop we started up the Iron Mountain Road towards Mount Rushmore. This road starts near the east entrance to Custer State Park and is nationally famous for its design and scenic value. It is a very windy road as it climbs up into pine forest with several turnouts along the way. At one point you come around a corner and drive through an extremely narrow rock tunnel. The road was designed so that as you enter the tunnel, your first view of Mount Rushmore is perfectly framed by the tunnel. Marvelous planning and engineering!
Tunnel on Iron Mountain Road
After coming through the tunnel the views expanded. I really enjoyed this. Most of the photos I see of Mount Rushmore are just closeups of the presidents but these vistas gave you a better perspective on the scale of the carvings from a distance.
Mount Rushmore from Iron Mountain Road
I was a bit apprehensive about it being too crowded at Mount Rushmore for my liking and while there were a lot of people there, it was far less crowded than I know it can get. Evidence of that was that there is a six level parking garage to accommodate all the visitors but we drove right up to the highest level and parked as close as you can get to the entrance. The entrance is a bunch of steps leading up to a promenade below the faces. Lining both sides of the promenade were all the state flags. As far as I know, there is only one trail or path in the monument and that goes right up and underneath the carvings before climbing back up to the visitor center.
Bob and Dana on the promenade
Mount Rushmore
Honest Abe
George
Mule deer
Next - Part 6!