Road Trip March - Day 19

March 31st 2026 (Tuesday) 

Today we're off to Custer State Park, hoping to see some Bison there. The weather from being in the mid 80s yesterday is a much, much cooler 35F and we've snow forecast from tomorrow! So it's a get out and explore day, whilst we can, also think the traffic will get busier as we head into the Easter weekend. Our campsite is just under an hour's drive from Mount Rushmore so very conveniently positioned.

In Custer State Park we drove along the Wildlife Loop Road, this is aproximately 18 miles long and is a great way to see some of the free roaming bison, alongside the varied hills and prairies. As soon as we entered the loop road we spotted our first bison in the distance, how exciting!

The park itself has a varied terrain from vast rolling pastures used for livestock to rocky outcrops with trees a plenty. On driving through we kept noticing A LOT of broken trees, big mature trees just snapped in half or uprooted altogether. Turns out in December 2025 there had been a really bad storm, that absolutely battered the area with high winds, coming from a different angle to normal and the dry winter meant alot more destruction occured to the area. There was also evidence of some wildfire damage too. This road is perfect for lots of photos and plenty of areas to stop and stretch the legs.

View of the praries in Custer State Park

Custer State Park view from up high

During our drive we suddenly came across a large herd of bison all tucked in a field patch surrounded by trees, we parked up safely and Fred managed to capture some amazing pictures of them whilst I made lunch. After lunch we continued our drive and came across yet another large herd of Bison, this time in clear view and totally unfazed by the vehicles passing right in front of them, it was amazing to watch and be so close to them and seeing them in their natural habitat. It is reported that there are 1,350 free roaming buffalo in the park.

The wildlife loop road also passes a section where you can watch prairie dogs. These are fun animals to sit and watch as they scurry about making interesting shouts and tail thumping, though I read to not get too close as they can often carry diseases, including the plague!

Another fun place on the loop road was the donkey sanctuary, where we came across a mother & her 4 day old baby, who was very bouncy and playful. Another group of people arrived whilst we sat and watch, carrying bags of carrots to feed the donkeys with, and of course, Fred joined in feeding the animals, The word obviously quickly spread in the donkey world as suddenly from just being mother and baby we had half a dozen donkeys all turn up. Carrots gone we continued our journey.

Just as we were about to finish the loop road we got yet another chance of seeing bison up close - so very close I could even hear it chewing the grass! Again they were totally unfazed with us being there (we were sat safely in the RV!!), and again being so close, was truly awesome. They really are magnificent beasts, their sheer size and strength is both amazing and somewhat scary with the raw power they possess. Yet they have a certain docile calming air about them, a sense of peace to encourage you to just relax and absorb natures tranquil beat of life. But never undererstimate their power, a mature bull can stand upto 6ft tall from the shoulders, weigh over a ton, with amazing turning agility and can run upto 35-40mph with quick accelleration!!!  Because of their speed and unpredictable nature, its recommended that you stay at least 25 yards away from them.

Bison are also amazing animals for their ability to help the eco system, free roaming bison act as essential "ecosystem engineers" that can restore biodiversity, improve soil health and combat climate change by acting as "gardeners of the prairie." Their grazing patterns increase plant nutrient levels by 150%, while their movement promotes healthier, more resilient grasslands, supporting rich biodiversity. It's such a shame that only a small percentage of bison live in herds managed for conservation and allowed to range freely.

Our next stop on todays drive was along the Peter Norbeck Scenic Byway (16A). We were lucky that this route was open today, as some of the scenic roads close over the winter. This particular route also had tunnels large enough for us to fit through. There are a few tunnels in and around this area that are height and width restricted. If you travel north along this road, towards Mount Rushmore the road has been carefully designed so that each tunnel entrance frames Mount Rushmore in the distance.

Looking back to one of the tunnels along the Peter Norbeck Scenic Byway that Wanda2 had to "squeeze" through

The drive itself was fun and "squeezing" our RV through the rock tunnels - despite knowing they are big enough, it always feels a squeeze when you are suddenly enclosed and surround by rocks! Another fun section on this route are the 'pigtail bridges', they were entertaining to drive down and around. I am so pleased we came this time of year as there was hardly any traffic and it was a real joy to be able to take our time and not feel rushed or in the way as there was very little other traffic on the road. I can imagine how busy and unpleasant it could get during the season.

And finally our final stop, before it got too late in the day, was to see the side viewing area of Mount Rushmore, here you can get a really clear side profile of George Washington and there's free parking to allow you time to take pictures.

Then it was time to get back to the RV park for a rest. Its been an exciting, fun filled day.

Road Trip Day 19 - we've driven over 100 Miles today!