Custer State Park, South Dakota

After leaving the Mount Rushmore National Memorial this summer we traveled south along the Peter Norbeck Scenic Byway towards the Iron Mountain Road where these wonderful distant views of the Memorial can be seen (all photos will enlarge when clicked on) .

We then drove on towards route 16A where we entered Custer State Park.

Custer State Park located south of the Black Hills of South Dakota, is the state's first and largest state park, and is named after Lt. Colonel George Armstrong Custer. The sprawling 71,000 acre park of open grasslands and rolling hills is home to roaming buffalo, four mountain lakes and a variety of hiking, biking and walking trails.

It is one of the largest state parks in America and many call it a mini Yellowstone, in respect to how many wild animals can be seen in their natural habitat, such as elk, mule deer, white tailed deer, mountain goats, bighorn sheep, pronghorn antelope, mountain lions, feral burros and prairie dogs

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The park is also home to one of the world's largest publicly-owned bison herds, which can easily be seen along the Wildlife Loop Road. Bison can be dangerous, so it is strongly advised that you view them from a distance, or from the safety of your car.

There are nearly 1,500 bison, commonly called buffalo, roaming the prairies and hills of Custer State Park.

We also viewed many pronghorn antelopes roaming in the hills...

.....and wild turkey and burros.

The "begging burros," as they are commonly called, are a herd of wild-roaming donkeys who are fond of begging for food from park visitors. The day we visited they were more interested in seeking out the shade under the trees.

Custer State Park is definitely a wonderful place to visit if you are spending time in the Black Hills area of South Dakota and an excellent park in which to see wildlife and to enjoy wonderous views.

I'm linking this post to Mary at The Little Red House blog's Mosaic Monday event. Please visit Mary's blog today to see her pretty mosaic and links to other participating blog's mosaic marvels!