Custer State Park South Dakota - this is great!

     Custer State Park has emerald green grass, granite needle structures, alpine pine trees draped in moss and lakes nestled in the Black Hills of South Dakota. There are no words and no pictures that can do this park justice. It is teaming with wildlife of all kinds, outstanding landmark rock structures and beautiful meadows and tall pines. This is a park not to be missed. It is home to the Cathedral Spires Landmark and the Needle rock formation. Visitors are allowed to hike all of the park both on and off trail.
    Please enjoy some of the pictures from this outstanding area. The entrance fee is $15 a car and is for all week - by far the best buy I have ever made. There are multiple tunnels through the park that cut through the solid granite formations, these tunnels are exceptionally narrow so it is not recommended for trailers. These were taken on different days thus different lighting.

 An alpine pine above and the picture below is of the famous Needle which is granite that has weathered out a part and left this behind.

 Take a look at the ominous sky below.

 Below is what we thought looked like a sentinel for the Cathedral Spires.

 Cathedral Spires is granite but the shape reminded us of Seneca Rocks West Virginia.

 And yes the park allows dogs, there is our dog under the plaque marking the area a National Landmark.

 This view is from behind one of the rocky outcrops. You are allowed to walk anywhere in the park - but be careful as there is no one looking.

This looked like a persons head to me stuck between the rocks.

Deer.

 Rabbits.

Baby bison.

I had never seen so many chipmunks. Someone had put sunflower seeds on a rock and they were coming from everywhere to get them.

Antelope also known as pronghorns.

Mountain goats.

Ah and prairie dogs. These were great. This is their area where they have dug their holes.

  There was the pair we called the teacher and student.

 There was the whistler - once she whistles she falls over backwards.

And of course there are turkeys.

     We picnicked in the park, hiked, explored and drove in the park each of 5 days and saw something different each day. Because of the Needle structure and the National Landmark, the park may win National Park status and I would surely see why. The diversity of flora and fauna and shear natural beauty is at least on the order of any National Park. However, if it were to become a National Park, visitors would no longer be able to scramble over all the rocks and have the complete unrestricted access to the entire park and that would be a shame. By far this park was the crowning jewel of anything seen east of Yellowstone - this is a must see, a bucket list two thumbs up visit!

     This is to all my rock buddies - Fairburn as in Fairburn agate is located within an hour from here in the French Creek campground. Below is where the agates come from. I did not find any Fairburns but we did find a few small agates. 

The agates need no polishing, they look like this when you pick them up - happy hunting!