May stays offer great reasons to get outside while saving 15% on 2-night stays or more.
Call 888-875-0001A local's favorite time to explore, May stays at Legion Lake Lodge or Sylvan Lake Lodge offer 15% off for (2) two or more consecutive nights stayed, with fantastic water access. Stay three (3) or more nights and save 20%.
And for 2025, the Stay More, Save More special also applies to most lodge rooms and cabins at all four resorts in the Park. Let us help you make your reservation and find the best time to save today.
Call 888-875-0001
Our specialty cabins have all the accommodations and amenities you need for a remote, relaxing stay in Custer State Park.
Private back patio surrounded by the pines | 3,150-sq ft | 4-bed, 5-bath, huge loft | Blue Bell Lodge
A great spot for wildlife watching with all of the comforts and accessibility of a hotel room stay.
What a view! Perfect for a small family of up to five, we have just three of this cabin type, all nestled behind Legion Lake Lodge. Peaceful, private lake views.
Tucked in the trees near French Creek Nature Area and the Wildlife Loop, these spacious chinked log cabins with private decks at peaceful Blue Bell Lodge can't be beat.
As the largest cabin on property at Sylvan Lake, our Cathedral Spires Cabin has it all. A designer kitchen, a beautiful, private backyard patio surrounded by the spires, and all four bedrooms offer en suite baths.
The resort-wide beautification projects continue.
The article from National Geographic Travel features 10 historic hotels with amazing Fall views.
We have implemented a few updates to help you find the right cabin or lodge room for your stay.
Henry David Thoreau's words ring true during any season, but we tend to appreciate them a bit more in the spring. Catch a bison being born or a doe nursing its fawn during your trip around the Wildlife Loop. Keep your eyes peeled for young bighorn sheep lambs clinging to the hillsides and crossing the roads along with mom & friends.
Explore Wildlife Experiences
Custer State Park's Summer Trail Challenge starts May 1 each year, and what better way to harness self-motivation. To complete the challenge & earn your pin, participants must hike all listed trails and take a selfie at each official sign. Bonus points for fun photos! Designated trails change each season for the challenge, so be sure to stop at any Custer State Park Visitor Center for the updated Trail Challenge flyer.
Custer State Park offers some of the most diverse bird habitat types including grassland, riparian habitat, Ponderosa pine and spruce forests with aspen and deciduous groves. Additionally, the many interior roads and trails make the area incredibly suitable for birding.
More than 350 species of birds, including nearly 200 breeding species, can be found among the 38 sites comprising the Black Hills, Badlands and Lakes Birding Trail, which encompasses essentially the western third of South Dakota. Explore more birding opportunities during your stay in the Park.
Book your spring stay today in search of nearly 20 rare species.
Book Now
The best birding months at Sylvan Lake are April - September, where you can find Ruffed Grouse drumming in April-May around Harney Peak. Also watch for: Clarkâs Nutcracker, Red-headed Woodpecker, Red Crossbill, American Three-toed Woodpecker, Black-backed Woodpecker, Red-naped Sapsucker, Brown Creeper, Golden-crowned and Ruby-crowned kinglets, Gray Jay, Western Wood-Pewee, Osprey, Hairy Woodpecker, Pine Siskin, Sharp-shinned Hawk, Golden Eagle. Rarities: Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch, White-winged Crossbill.
Birds to look for along the Wildlife Loop and over at French Creek Nature Area include: Canyon Wren, Northern Goshawk, Western Tanager, Black-headed Grosbeak, Dusky Flycatcher, Cordilleran Flycatcher, riparian species, White-throated Swift , Mountain Bluebird, Balti more Oriole, Spott ed Towhee, warblers in migrati on. Sharp-tailed Grouse, Upland Sandpiper, sparrows, hawks along Wildlife Loop. Rarity: Pinyon Jay.
