Bear Country USA or Custer Park Jeep Tour

I hadn%26#39;t planned on driving through Custer National Park on our upcoming trip to South Dakota. We are spending 4 nights in Deadwood, then driving completely through Badlands National Park and staying at a Cedar Pass for two nights. However, I have been reading about Custer National Park and wonder if this is a good decision.

I%26#39;ve done drive through safaris before like Bear Country and have really enjoyed them, but would it be better to go through Custer National Park. It will be a day trip from Deadwood, so I want to make sure we get the most out of our experience.

Custer Expert and recent travelers, give me your advice!

Bear Country USA or Custer Park Jeep Tour

We visited both places two years ago, and hands down, Custer wins. Bear Country is cute, but if I had to choose, I%26#39;d pick Custer simply for its beauty and greater diversity over Bear Country. To me, there%26#39;s just something about seeing animals truly in the wild as opposed to a safari/zoo like attraction like Bear Country.

The Wildlife Loop in Custer is very enjoyable. You will see wild burros, bison, prairie dogs, pronghorn, deer, and big horn sheep. Dawn or dusk are ideal driving times. Iron Mountain Rd, Needles Hwy, and Sylvan Lake are also excellent. Iron Mountain Rd is known for its pigtail bridges and tunnels that frame Mt Rushmore. Both Needles Hwy %26amp; Sylvan Lake offer fine scenery Black Hills scenery. A picnic around Sylvan Lake, followed by a walk around the banks, is great!

Enjoy your trip.

Bear Country USA or Custer Park Jeep Tour

Treat yourself to the Needles Hwy and Iron Mountain Road and certainly go through Custer Park. I had been to South Dakota 26 times on vacation and had never done the park; I didn%26#39;t know what I was missing and now that I do, I will go through the park every time I%26#39;m out there. You can do a lot of great day trips from Deadwood. Check out Mount Moriah.

I don%26#39;t want to discount Bear Country because you can--and will--see bears, wolves, mountain lions and elk. But comparing the two is kind of like comparing mini-golf (Bear Country) to an 18 hole golf course (Custer State Park). If you%26#39;re looking for a quick in-and-out, try Bear Country. If you%26#39;re looking for the experience of a large scale mountain park, go for Custer State Park.

As far as the Jeep Tour, you can sure take it, but for the bang for the buck, you might try driving the Wildlife Loop and adjoining gravel roads in your own car. While you%26#39;re in the park, don%26#39;t miss the Needles Highway for a scenic drive.

I will throw in my hat for the wildlife loop in Custer over Bear Country. (along with needles).

I also don%26#39;t think I would splurge for the jeep tour. Even in mid-morning buffalo herds surrounded the cars while crossing the roads, so close to the car could touch them (but of course don%26#39;t do that!) There are also a bunch of donkeys that will come right up to your window to be fed (I am not sure if that is actually park-approved, but tons of people were feeding them right out of their windows). Also easily saw antelope, and two bighorn sheep and a baby on our way into the park.

a few videos that are fun/funny :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GDh-GB8P6Nw

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KukvXEaT0jQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RBrQZS9Ubg0

Another vote for Custer State Park (yes it is a state not a national park) ... we saw deer, elk, buffalo and the ever curious burros!

Beautiful drive and plenty to do. You could also visit Wind Cave Nat Park!

Thanks for all your replies! I will be posting a new question that I hope you%26#39;ll answer. The question is this: I really nervous around heights. Will the drive through Custer Park be through a lot of switchbacks, steep, etc.?

I don%26#39;t like heights either, and I know I never felt fearful in Custer or in any of the areas of the Black Hills. You will want to take it slowly in some parts. Iron Mountain Road is known for its pigtail bridges, and you have to go quite slowly, as it%26#39;s like a hairpin turn. It%26#39;s not high, however. No shear drop-offs. The drive is really great, as you can see Mt Rushmore framed by the tunnels. You will also want to go slow due to wildlife. You never know what could suddenly appear.

If anyone knows of any tricky spots, please chime in. We honestly didn%26#39;t encounter anything too wild.

I didn%26#39;t consider any of it to be ';scary';. Like said above it isn%26#39;t like driving steep mountains or anything.

There are several narrow tunnels (but short) on Needles and Iron roads, flash your lights and honk when going through the narrow short tunnels to go through to make sure no one is coming opposite direction. But no, I did not find this scary.

And the wildlife loop is not scary at all! It is pretty flat. Wildlife is the scenery there.

The park allows feeding of the donkeys. The donkeys aren%26#39;t technically ';wild'; since they descended from working animals years ago in the park.

They don%26#39;t allow feeding of any other animals.

dermatologist