Black Hills Magic - Custer State Park
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View From Needles Highway
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Custer State Park, the nation's second largest state park, is named for Lt. Col. George A. Custer, who in 1874 led the first official expedition into the Black Hills. It's here that the Black Hills become their most colorful.
The serpentine road of Needles Highway weaves through rocky granite passes allowing for an intimate view of these ancient mountains. The largest mountain, Harney Peak, is 7,242 feet and is the highest point east of the Rocky Mountains. Sylvan Lake with its needle-vistas is a favorite spot for fisherman and visitors alike. In 1925, President Calvin Coolidge loved the park so much he stayed for three months. Today, visitors can stay in one of the park's four lodges - even the ones that were occupied by Coolidge and his entourage. One of the most unique aspects of the park is three single-lane granite tunnels that perfectly frame Mount Rushmore in the distance.
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Granite Tunnels With View of Mount
Rushmore
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There is more wildlife here than there is in some of the country's most famous national parks, and they aren't afraid to be seen. We were continually amazed by how unaffected these animals were by our presence. To get real feel for the park we opted to take the Buffalo Safari Jeep Tour from the historic State Game Lodge. Our tour would take us along the Wildlife Loop, an 18-mile road through grasslands and woods. Our guide, Dean Shaffhausen, offered us his unique insight into the park's history, flora and fauna.
Dean is a real cowboy; prior to becoming a guide he managed a 6,000-acre ranch. He's quick to tell you he went to church with President Calvin Coolidge in 1927, though he can't remember it since he was only two. Still, he's a living history book as parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles have passed down so much knowledge.
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Buffalo Jeep Safari Guide,
Dean Shaffenhausen
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As we began our tour a contingent of bighorn sheep block the road, even as the jeep approaches they seemed reluctant to move. After climbing the first hill along the road we come upon our first herd of bison (buffalo). They are magnificent creatures to behold. Custer State Park is home to one of the nation's largest bison herds, numbering nearly 1,600 in the summer, and 950 in the winter. Today, there are approximately 270,000 bison in North America, a miniscule amount compared to 60 million that inhabited the Great Plains prior to the 18th century.
Our jeep came within two-feet of the bison as they grazed along the road, you could almost reach out and touch them. Bison are enormous animals often weighing 2,000 pounds or more, yet they are remarkably agile and quick - -they have been clocked at speeds of 50 mph. Dean points to a spot and says, "This is where we had our first fatality two years ago. A man stepped out of his car and went to stand next to a bison to have his wife take a picture; the bison attacked, the man bled to death." He adds, "As long as people stay in the confines of their vehicles they are safe."
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Mighty Bison
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Dean has had his own hair-raising encounters with bison. The most memorable occurred several years ago while he was conducting a tour. Noticing that a park gate needed to be closed he felt it was safe to leave the jeep after surveying the area and seeing no bison. No sooner had he started back towards the jeep when a female bison came charging at him. Luckily for him there was a nearby tree he could run to. The tree acted as a barrier between Dean and the animal. As the bison tried to attack Dean he was able to land a few good punches to the bison's snout. Eventually, the bison gave up and left. He then motioned for one of the tourists in the jeep to drive it over towards him at the tree. "I usually don't put on a show like that for the visitors," he chuckles.
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Bison Herd
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We drove along the road in search of bison calves, unfortunately we were too early. Each October 1, the entire bison herd is rounded up at the park's corral. It's a process to sort, vaccinate, and brand the new calves. Those that stay in the park get sent back to graze, those that will be auctioned off stay in the corral. When a female bison reaches ten years, they are immediately auctioned off. Auction is usually a mix of yearlings, bulls, and cows. According to Dean, the average bison lives about thirty years.
The park's auction occurs the third Saturday in November. It's tradition for South Dakota's Governor to lead the bison into the corral to start the auction. Even Ted Turner (owner of 15,000 buffalo on his Montana ranch) has come to the auction. Since Custer State Park is self-sufficient it relies on the auction to fund a significant portion of its budget. Currently, times are tough in the park, the last auction, which normally brings in close to one million dollars brought in a paltry $84,000. Bulls went for as little as $400, a sharp contrast from three years ago when Dean watched two men get in a bidding war over a 3 year old bull - the winner ended up paying $11,000!
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Prairie Dogs
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While bison are the park's star animal attraction, they are by no means the only animal. There are dozens of species including: mountain lion, fox, mink, white tail deer, elk, bighorn sheep, turkey, prairie dog, and antelope. Unfortunately, the coyote population is thinning the antelope herd. "Those poor baby antelope don't stand a chance with these pesky coyotes," Dean says. To deal with the problem the park will hold a coyote hunt in the fall. The other pest is the adorable prairie dog. Dean pulls over next to a field full of thousands of mounds - this is called a "dog town." We watched thousands of prairie dogs, barking, scurrying, and bobbing up and down out of their holes. Cute as they are they are destructive to the landscape. The park's other infamous pesky creatures are burros that have a thing for junk food and will come right up to cars begging. Unfortunately, we didn't get to see them.
Dean is in search of a large bison herd; so far we've encountered scattered herds of 30 or more. Because the cow bison are close to having their calves the herd has split up into smaller groups. Eventually, they will congregate to make one big herd of 800 or more. "It's an awesome sight", remarks Dean. We drive up a large hill and take in the amazing vistas. "You're seeing the park at its worst," he says. Somehow, I find that hard to believe. I guess it is prettier when its greener, still even at its so called "worst" it's amazingly beautiful.
We're at the end of our tour and Dean says we must come back in season when they do nightly hay-rides to a remote canyon featuring a chuck wagon outing with Western food and entertainment. We agree, we're definitely coming back to experience that!
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