by Denise Seith

Created on: March 15, 2009   Last Updated: April 18, 2011

Custer State Park is Wild Like the Buffalo

Towering granite formations, rivers so rich they once started a Gold Rush, and pine forests so thick the hillsides look black from a distance, you won't want to be without a camera in South Dakota's Black Hills National Forest. The wildlife is plentiful, too- thousands of free-roaming buffalo, spry pronghorns, shaggy bighorn sheep, and even shy prairie dogs. To experience it all, head to the second largest state park in the country- Custer State Park.

More than likely, you'll encounter the park's infamous "begging burros" holding up traffic in hopes of a handout. These unofficial long-eared park ambassadors are actually feral descendants of a herd of burros that were used by the park in the 1920s to give trail rides up to 7,242-foot Harney Peak, the highest point in the Black Hills. Much more tame than wild, the friendly burros often block the road, but are harmless and a toot of the horn will move them out of the way. If you have time, do stop and share an apple or two. They won't bite the hand that feeds them and you're sure to get some fun photos!

If you like your wildlife more on the wild side, you won't be disappointed when you drive the paved 18-mile Wildlife Loop Road. The two-lane road in the southern portion of the park traverses open prairie grasslands and over and around pretty rolling hills dotted with colorful wildflowers. Deer, elk, and antelope roam freely, as do enormous buffalo. Also watch for coyotes, mountain lions, many species of birds, and a colony of cute prairie dogs you can watch right from the road.

Each spring, the Wildlife Loop Road turns into a nursery for adorable buffalo calves! Sticking close to their mothers hefty sides, the little ones are fiercely protected, so use your telephoto lens and don't get too close- although they're so cute it's tempting! The herds often graze near the roadsides and without warning will walk in front of vehicles, so use caution. Buffalo, or bison, look slow and plodding, but they can outrun a horse, are unpredictable, and should never be approached.

To fully experience just how fast and furiously bison can run, attend Custer State Park's annual Buffalo Roundup held in early October. To control the size of the park's bison population, yippee-kay-yeahing cowboys and cowgirls herd over 1,400 huge beasts into a system of corrals along the Wildlife Loop Road. It's not only a sight to see, but with thousands of thundering hooves pounding the earth, you'll feel it too!

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