Custer State Park
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Custer State Park
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.jpg) Bison on the Wildlife Loop Road |
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| location | Custer County in South Dakota (USA) | |
| surface | 287 km 2 | |
| WDPA ID | 22232 | |
| Geographical location | 43 ° 45 ' N , 103 ° 25' W | |
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| Setup date | 1912 | |
| administration | South Dakota Game, Fish & Parks | |
Custer State Park is a state park and game reserve in the Black Hills in southwest South Dakota , USA. The park is the largest and also the first state park in South Dakota. He was named after Lt. Colonel George Armstrong named Custer . Originally the park consisted of sixteen areas, which were soon merged into one area.
history
The park was established in 1912 and gained a lot of extra space in the 1920s. In the 1930s, the Civilian Conservation Corps built roads, laid out campsites, and built three dams for water sports in the park. In 1964 another 22,900 acres (93 km²) were annexed. Today the park covers an area of 71,000 acres (287 km²). The park gained particular fame in 1927 when President Calvin Coolidge moved into his Summer White House there and reported from the Black Hills that he would not run for president again in 1928.
geography
The area is equipped with many protected areas across states. Nearby are Wind Cave National Park , Mount Rushmore , Jewel Cave National Monument , Crazy Horse Memorial , Badlands National Park , Thunder Basin National Grassland , Oglala National Grassland , Pine Ridge Reservation .
| Northwest: Devils Tower National Monument |
North: Mount Rushmore Jewel Cave National Monument |
Northeast: |
| West: Thunder Basin National Grassland |
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East: Badlands National Park |
| Southwest: |
South: Wind Cave National Park Oglala National Grassland |
Southeast: Pine Ridge Reservation |
Attractions
The Peter Norbeck Center is on the National Register of Historic Places and is located on US Route 16A in Custer . The exhibition gives an overview of the natural history and cultural heritage of the park. In addition to wildlife dioramas and a Civilian Conservation Corps "Bunkhouse", there is a gold prospecting exhibition. The center was named after the Governor of South Dakota and Senator Peter Norbeck and forms the starting point for the nature programs offered by the park rangers.
Badger Hole ( Badger Clark Historical Site ) was home to Charles Badger Clark (1883-1957), who in 1937 became the first South Dakota Poet Laureate . He was known for his cowboy poetry . The house still has the original furnishings. Visitors can tour the house and take a stroll on the Badger Clark Historic Trail .
The Sylvan Lake is right on the Needles Highway and offers a variety of recreational activities such as hiking, climbing, boating and swimming.
Flora Fauna
The park is home to a famous herd of approximately 1500 free-range Plains bison . Elk , coyote , mule deer , white-tailed deer , mountain goat , prairie dogs , bighorn sheep , North American otter , pronghorn , puma , and wild burros (donkeys) are other large animals in the park. The park is famous for its landscape and scenic roads (Needles Highway, Wildlife loop ), with opportunities to meet bison herds and prairie dog colonies. It can be accessed from Rapid City .
Annual buffalo roundup (bison drive)
Every year in September, a buffalo roundup (bison drive) with auction takes place in the park . The bison are herded together in the park and several hundred are sold at auction so that the remaining animals have enough space again. The roundups began in 1965; today they attract around 10,000 visitors every year.
Begging Burros (begging donkeys)
Begging burros are the name given to the wild donkeys in Custer State Park. The donkeys are not afraid of the visitors and their cars. They come up and beg for sweets. Today visitors bring food especially for them. Often up to 50 donkeys block the road at a certain point.
See also
Individual evidence
- ^ Page of the Washington State Parks Commission.
- ^ A b John Thune : Custer State Park . In: Local Legacies . The Library of Congress. Retrieved October 18, 2007.
- ↑ a b Custer State Park . Archived from the original on October 24, 2007. Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Retrieved October 18, 2007.
- ↑ http://www.badgerclark.org/ Badger Clark Memorial Society
- ↑ Washington Post, September 23, 2012 Organizers: More than 10K spectators expected at the annual buffalo roundup in Custer State Park. Associated Press.
