Encompassing 71,000 acres in the Black Hills, Custer State Park is home to abundant wildlife and adventure. We spent two weeks here hiking and enjoying our surroundings. My dad joined us half way through our stay here to see Mount Rushmore (pictures coming soon).

While you are not supposed to feed the wildlife, many people were feeding the wild burros. They were used to people and I made friends with this one.

Wild herds of Bison can be found along the Wildlife Loop Road.

There are also some spectacular hikes in the park. Little Devils Tower and Black Elk Peak are among some of the top hikes.

Harney Peak Lookout elevation is 7,242 ft and is the highest point east of The Rocky Mountains and west of the Pyrenees Mountain in Europe. The Lookout sits on top of Black Elk Peak.

Frank and Albert Michaud, two local prospectors, discovered what is today Jewel Cave in 1900, when they felt cold air blowing out of a small hole in a canyon. Jewel Cave is the third longest cave in the world.

Established on January 3rd, 1903 by President Theodore Roosevelt, Wind Cave National Park was the seventh national park and the first cave to be designated a national park anywhere in the world. The cave is notable for its calcite formations known as boxwork, as well as its frostwork. Approximately 95 percent of the world’s discovered boxwork formations are found in Wind Cave. The cave is recognized as the densest cave system in the world, with the greatest passage volume per cubic mile. Wind Cave is the seventh longest cave in the world with 154.2 miles.