Custer State Park scavenger hunt for kids

What makes Custer State Park worth investigating

A huge state park in the Black Hills with a famous herd of 1,300 bison and scenic drives through tunnels and past granite spires. Located in South Dakota, this state park invites you to slow down, look closely, and ask questions about how the place came to be. It's at its best in spring, summer, or fall.

Named after Lieutenant Colonel George Custer, the park was established in 1919 and hosts an annual bison roundup each September where cowboys on horseback gather the entire herd. Stories like this are part of why parks exist — places that protect not just landscapes but the people, plants, and animals that have lived alongside them.

Some of what makes it special: Needles Highway with narrow granite tunnels. Annual bison roundup event. Wildlife loop road with burros that approach cars. Sylvan Lake surrounded by granite formations. On a visit you might spot Begging burros, Bison herd, and Needles Eye tunnel — a small reminder that the more closely you look, the more you find.

8 things to look for

Use this as an observation menu, not a race. Choose fewer items for younger children, pause for questions and sketches, and leave every natural and historic object where it belongs.

• Begging burros Wildlife
  Friendly wild donkeys that walk right up to cars Observe only from the required distance; a sound, track, or other safe sign may count.
• Bison herd Wildlife
  Massive herd of bison along the Wildlife Loop Road Observe only from the required distance; a sound, track, or other safe sign may count.
• Needles Eye tunnel Geology
  A super narrow one-lane tunnel carved through granite
• Sylvan Lake Nature
  A beautiful mountain lake surrounded by rock formations
• Granite spires Geology
  Tall pointed rock towers along Needles Highway
• Mountain goat Wildlife
  White goats with short horns on rocky cliffs Observe only from the required distance; a sound, track, or other safe sign may count.
• Pronghorn antelope Wildlife
  Fast tan and white animals on the prairie Observe only from the required distance; a sound, track, or other safe sign may count.
• Peter Norbeck Visitor Center History
  Learn about the park history and wildlife inside

Checklist items describe things a visitor might observe. A sighting is never guaranteed. Do not approach wildlife, cross barriers, leave approved areas, or handle protected objects to complete an item.

Adapt the hunt by age

Turn “I want to go there” into a family plan

1. The child finds Custer State Park in the HomeSchool.You park catalog and taps the heart.
2. The parent receives an in-app alert that the child wants to visit.
3. Custer State Park appears in the child’s Travel Wish List inside the parent area.
4. The family chooses timing together, checks current conditions, and prints or opens this hunt.
5. After exploring, the child can save visit memories and progress in the park passport.

Respect the place

An adult should supervise the entire visit. Observe wildlife from the required distance, stay on allowed routes, follow posted and ranger instructions, pack out waste, and do not collect plants, rocks, cultural objects, or animals. HomeSchool.You is an independent learning platform and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the National Park Service or any state or local park agency.

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