Trip Planner:   USA  /  South Dakota  /  Custer  /  Scenic Drive  /  Wildlife Loop Road

Wildlife Loop Road, Custer

4.7
#1 of 48 in Outdoors in South Dakota
Scenic Drive Tourist Spot
You'll find lots of animals along Wildlife Loop Road, a 29 km (18 mi) scenic drive through prairies and pine-studded hills inside the Black Hills' Custer State Park. Watch for free-roaming pronghorn antelope, deer, prairie dogs, donkeys, and 1,300 bison. The meandering road is semicircular, paved, and hilly. Park staff advises you to drive at 40 km/h (25 mph) or slower, as wildlife can appear on the road unexpectedly. Ask for information about the drive at the visitor center, and collect a map of bisons' routes. If you're there in summer, reserve a guided caravan tour of the park. Don't forget the camera for this drive. It couldn't be easier to arrange your visit to Wildlife Loop Road and many more Custer attractions: make an itinerary online using Inspirock's Custer travel itinerary planner.
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Reviews
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1,910 reviews
TripAdvisor
  • We enjoyed hiking, dirt road exploring, and wildlife viewing along the wildlife loop. The bison herd is usually nearby somewhere, as well as prong horn, prairie dogs, and deer. We also saw rabbits and...  more »
  • We took a jeep tour first so when were drove around a second time, we knew about the gravel roads and places to look. We saw a few more buffalo but nothing else.  more »
  • The best part of this loop is all the animals. We saw TONS of Buffalo. My Mother in law even had us stop so they could feed the donkey's carrots. They walk right up to the car!  more »
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Best things to do in Custer

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Kid Friendly Attractions
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Peter Norbeck Visitors Center
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Where to stay in Custer

You'll feel like you're experiencing life in the Old West on the outskirts of Custer, where several vacation cabins combine the grandeur of the Black Hills' scenery with amenities such as in-room televisions and Wi-Fi. Many are located just a short drive from Main Street. For a real adventure, consider staying in one of the area's campgrounds. To explore Custer's cultural delights on foot, book a room in a downtown hotel, motel, or bed and breakfast.
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8 days in Custer BY A USER FROM UNITED STATES April, outdoors, relaxing, shopping, popular PREFERENCES: April, outdoors, relaxing, shopping ATTRACTION STYLE: Popular PACE: Medium 14 days in United States BY A USER FROM GUATEMALA June, teens, culture, outdoors, museums, hidden gems PREFERENCES: June, teens, culture, outdoors, museums ATTRACTION STYLE: Hidden gems PACE: Medium 31 days in United States BY A USER FROM UNITED STATES August, teens, outdoors, relaxing, hidden gems PREFERENCES: August, teens, outdoors, relaxing ATTRACTION STYLE: Hidden gems PACE: Medium 9 days in Chicago, Denver & South Dakota BY A USER FROM UNITED STATES September, outdoors, relaxing, romantic, historic sites, slow & easy, popular & hidden gems PREFERENCES: September, outdoors, relaxing, romantic, historic sites ATTRACTION STYLE: Popular & hidden gems PACE: Slow & easy 8 days in Denver & South Dakota BY A USER FROM UNITED STATES September, outdoors, relaxing, romantic, historic sites, slow & easy, popular & hidden gems PREFERENCES: September, outdoors, relaxing, romantic, historic sites ATTRACTION STYLE: Popular & hidden gems PACE: Slow & easy 5 days in South Dakota BY A USER FROM UNITED STATES October, popular PREFERENCES: October ATTRACTION STYLE: Popular PACE: Medium 22 days in United States BY A USER FROM UNITED KINGDOM August, teens, culture, outdoors, relaxing, historic sites, museums, popular & hidden gems PREFERENCES: August, teens, culture, outdoors, relaxing, historic sites, museums ATTRACTION STYLE: Popular & hidden gems PACE: Medium 3 days in South Dakota BY A USER FROM UNITED STATES August, popular PREFERENCES: August ATTRACTION STYLE: Popular PACE: Medium 10 days in South Dakota BY A USER FROM UNITED STATES August, outdoors, popular PREFERENCES: August, outdoors ATTRACTION STYLE: Popular PACE: Medium 36 days in United States BY A USER FROM AUSTRALIA July, culture, outdoors, historic sites, hidden gems PREFERENCES: July, culture, outdoors, historic sites ATTRACTION STYLE: Hidden gems PACE: Medium 22 days in Midwest BY A USER FROM UNITED STATES June, outdoors, relaxing, historic sites, popular PREFERENCES: June, outdoors, relaxing, historic sites ATTRACTION STYLE: Popular PACE: Medium 10 days in United States BY A USER FROM UNITED STATES October, culture, outdoors, historic sites, popular & hidden gems PREFERENCES: October, culture, outdoors, historic sites ATTRACTION STYLE: Popular & hidden gems PACE: Medium
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