Hotels

Custer State Park is home to four distinct lodges, each with its own unique personality, that offer lodging, dining, and a wealth of recreational opportunities in the heart of the Black Hills.

The State Game Lodge (tel. 605/255-4541), located on U.S. 16A near the park's main visitor center, served as the "Summer White House" for Presidents Calvin Coolidge and Dwight D. Eisenhower. The stone and wood lodge features stately lodge rooms, hotel rooms, and pine-shaded cabins, as well as meeting and banquet facilities. The dining room was rejuvenated in the 2009 season and continues to offer casual yet elegant breakfast and lunch dining, while creating a formal ambiance for dinner. The lodge offers an excellent Buffalo Jeep Safari Ride into the backcountry and a Safari Ride cookout dinner tour.

Open year-round, Creekside Lodge, located on the grounds of the State Game Lodge, features 30 luxurious, oversized lodge rooms, a beautiful lobby, and two meeting rooms perfect for business or leisure gatherings.

The Sylvan Lake Lodge (tel. 605/574-2561), on S. Dak. 87 in the northeast corner of Custer State Park, overlooking scenic Sylvan Lake and the Harney Range, features cozy lodge rooms and rustic family cabins. Sylvan's dining room was remodeled in 2009 and offers breakfast, lunch, and dinner with a view. Stop in at the lakeside general store to pick up your rental watercraft and snacks. The lodge is also close to a number of outdoor activities, including hiking, swimming, fishing, boating, and rock climbing.

The Blue Bell Lodge (tel. 605/255-4531), located on S. Dak. 87 just before the turnoff for the Wildlife Loop Road (if you are traveling south), is among western South Dakota's best-kept secrets. The retreat has an Old West flavor, with handcrafted log cabins (our choice for the best place to stay in the park) scattered around a lodge with a newly remodeled dining room, lounge, and meeting room. A general store, gift shop, and gasoline station are located on-site, and fishing is available nearby. The Blue Bell also offers hayrides, chuckwagon cookouts, and trail rides.

The Legion Lake Lodge (tel. 605/255-4521), located near the junction of the Needles Highway (S. Dak. 87 and U.S. 16A), dates from 1913 and features cottages in the pines near the lakeshore. The dining room and store provide guests with the best in deli, bakery, and burgers in a casual lakeside setting. Here you can pick up fishing licenses and all the supplies you need. The 110-mile Centennial Trail passes through the Legion Lake area.

Rates vary depending on the lodge and also by cabin and room type. Rates range from $130 per night (Legion Lake sleeping cabin) to $260 per night (10-person housekeeping cabin at Sylvan Lake Lodge). Several unique one-of-a-kind cabins are also available at a higher rate.

The more facilities and amenities, the more you pay. Most of the lodges open in late April or May and close down in late October. Creekside Lodge and a few cabins are kept open for winter visitors. Creekside Lodge is open year-round. These fill quickly, and some people call 6 months in advance for reservations. For more information or to make reservations at any of Custer State Park's lodges, contact Custer State Park Resort Co., 13389 W. Hwy. 16A, Custer, SD 57730 (tel. 888-875-0001; www.CusterResorts.com).