Here are my Custer State Park top finds:
🏨Lodging: K Bar S Lodge, Under Canvas Mt Rushmore, Custer SP Lodges
📍Tours: Full Day Jeep Bison Safari, Custer SP - Mt Rushmore & Crazy Horse tour, and Mt Rushmore Night Ceremony & Tour with Tunnels & Stargazing
Creekside Lodge at Custer State Park
Creekside Lodge at Custer State Park is located near the State Game Lodge. This newer hotel offers 30 lodge rooms. The Creekside Lodge was built in 2008 and offers many modern conveniences. Creekside Lodge is open year-round so you can explore Custer State Park at any time.
Room Types
Queen/Queen Junior Suite
All rooms at Creekside Lodge are junior suites, and the Queen/Queen configuration is the most versatile option for families or groups. Each features two queen beds and a sofa sleeper that accommodates up to six guests, with a sitting area, coffee table, dresser, flat-screen TV, refrigerator, microwave, coffee maker, and an expanded vanity outside the bathroom that makes it easy for two people to get ready at the same time. First-floor rooms have a small private patio with seating, while second-floor rooms offer a private balcony. Creek view rooms look out directly over Grace Coolidge Creek.
- Queen/Queen Junior Suite with Two Queen Beds, Sofa Sleeper, and Standard View (sleeps up to 6)
- Queen/Queen Junior Suite with Two Queen Beds, Sofa Sleeper, and Creek View Patio or Balcony (sleeps up to 6)
- ADA Accessible Queen/Queen Junior Suite with Tub and Grab Bars
King Junior Suite
The King Junior Suite offers the same spacious junior suite layout with a single king bed and sofa sleeper, making it the right choice for couples who want more room to spread out. The expanded vanity outside the bathroom, sitting area, and private balcony or patio are included in all king room configurations.
- King Junior Suite with One King Bed, Sofa Sleeper, and Standard View (sleeps up to 4)
- King Junior Suite with One King Bed, Sofa Sleeper, and Creek View Patio or Balcony (sleeps up to 4)
- ADA Accessible King Junior Suite with Roll-In Shower and Seat
Click Here to Book the Creekside Lodge
Room Amenities
- Private Bathroom
- ADA Accessible Rooms Available (roll-in shower or tub with grab bars)
- Private First-Floor Patio or Second-Floor Balcony (select rooms)
- Creek View (select rooms)
- Sofa Sleeper in All Rooms
- Sitting Area with Sofa and Coffee Table
- Desk and Chairs
- Dresser
- Expanded Vanity Outside Bathroom
- Mini-Refrigerator
- Microwave
- Coffee Maker
- Flat-Screen TV
- Air Conditioning and Heat
- Free WiFi
- Complimentary Lobby Coffee Station (7 am to 9 am daily)
- Coin-Operated Guest Laundry (second floor)
- Two Meeting Rooms with Built-In Sound System (groups of 12 to 75)
- Free Parking
- No Pets
- Non-Smoking Property
Two Queen room at Creekside Lodge
We stayed in a double queen room at the Creekside Lodge located on the first floor. One of the highlights of the room was the buffalo print couch. It was super comfy and so well-themed out. I really wish I would have taken a close-up photo of it.
The room had a flat-screen tv, sitting area, dresser, ensuite bathroom, and lots of room. This was the largest room we had at any of the lodges in Custer State Park.
Our first-floor room had a small seating area out the back door. The 2nd-floor rooms have small balconies.
This was a great quiet place to relax with a book and take a deep breath.
The Creekside Lodge lobby has a nice fireplace and comfortable seating.
Things to know when booking a room at Creekside Lodge
Reservation phone number - 888-875-001
We definitely suggest calling for reservations. The online system can get confusing and a bit overwhelming. Each room is given a rate code and it can be mind-numbing to figure them out.
When you book a room the cost of your room for the first and last night including tax is required as a deposit.
The park will refund your deposit if you cancel at least 15 days prior to your arrival date. There is a $25 cancellation fee
If you plan to visit during the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally the entire stay must be paid in full when you make your reservation. You can cancel thirty days before the rally rates for a $25 cancellation fee.
$10 for a rollaway/crib per night - available in select units
$10 for extra person
Pets are not permitted at Creekside Lodge.
Things to do When Staying at Creekside Lodge
🦬 Drive the Wildlife Loop Road for close encounters with the park's legendary bison herd, pronghorn, burros, bighorn sheep, and elk
🥾 Hike the Cathedral Spires Trail and other Black Hills trails through dramatic granite formations
🚗 Drive the Needles Highway, one of the most spectacular scenic roads in the American West, through towering granite spires and narrow tunnels
🛶 Rent a canoe or kayak on Legion Lake and Sylvan Lake for paddling among the Black Hills
🌌 Stargaze under the dark skies of the Black Hills on clear nights
🍽️ Dine next door at the Pheasant Dining Room at the State Game Lodge, open seasonally
🏛️ Visit Mount Rushmore, Crazy Horse Memorial, Wind Cave National Park, and Jewel Cave, all within easy driving distance
❄️ Explore the park in winter when crowds thin and the snow-draped Black Hills take on a quiet, peaceful character tripadvisor
Best Custer State Park Tours & Activities
Mt Rushmore & Crazy Horse with Iron Mtn Rd, Needles & Sylvan Lake
⭐️ Rating: 4.5 out of 5 Stars (40+ reviews) | ⏳ Tour Length: 6 hours | 🚙🏔️ Check Rates and Availability
Explore South Dakota's largest state park on your own with a fully private Black Hills Open Top Tour, an extrmely popular tour that typically books an average of 40 days in advance!
The itinerary covers an impressive range of terrain and landmarks. The adventure begins on the famous one-way tunnels and pigtail bridges of Iron Mountain Road, followed by a stop at the lesser-known George Washington Profile View before a full 90-minute visit to Mount Rushmore National Memorial, where your guide brings the history of all four presidents to life against the sweeping backdrop of the Black Hills. From there the route winds through the stunning granite spires of Needles Highway to the serene pine-forested shores of Sylvan Lake before a full 90-minute visit to the Crazy Horse Memorial, the largest mountain monument in the world and one of the most inspiring stops in all of South Dakota. A picnic lunch complete with snacks, bottled water, and beer or wine is included along the way.
Mt Rushmore Night Ceremony, Tunnels & Stargazing Tour
⭐️ Rating: 4.5 out of 5 Stars (82+ reviews) | ⏳ Tour Length: 4 hours 45 minutes | 🌟🚐 Check Rates and Availability
One of the most popular and memorable evening experiences available and is booked an average of 69 days in advance, making it one of the most sought-after evening tours in the region!
This open-top tour from Black Hills Open-Top-Tours combines a full narrated visit to Mount Rushmore National Memorial with the park's iconic nightly Lighting Ceremony before finishing with a scenic after-dark drive up Iron Mountain Road through the famous one-lane tunnels and a stargazing stop at Norbeck Overlook under some of South Dakota's darkest skies. The sliding glass roof of the open-top vehicle makes for a uniquely immersive stargazing experience on clear nights.
Lodging in Custer State Park
⭐️ 4.3 of 5 Stars - State Game Lodge - Click here for Rates and Availability.
The crown jewel of Custer State Park, a National Register of Historic Places landmark that served as the Summer White House for President Calvin Coolidge in 1927!
Make sure to read my full review of the State Game Lodge.
⭐️ 4.3 of 5 Stars - Sylvan Lake Lodge - Click here for Rates and Availability.
Perched at 6,145 feet on the Needles Highway at the top of the Black Hills, this stunning 1937 lodge overlooks one of the most breathtaking lakes in all of South Dakota!
Make sure to read my full review of Sylvan Lake Lodge & Cabins.
⭐️ 4.0 of 5 Stars - Creekside Lodge - Click here for Rates and Availability.
A beautifully modern 30-room lodge nestled among pine and oak-covered bluffs along the babbling Grace Coolidge Creek, right next door to the historic State Game Lodge!
Make sure to read my full review of the Creekside Lodge.
Make sure to read my lodging guide to Custer State Park.
Lodging Near Custer State Park
⭐️ 4.8 of 5 Stars - K Bar S Lodge - Click here for Rates and Availability.
A wonderfully secluded mountain lodge nestled in the Norbeck Wildlife Preserve and Black Hills National Forest, with stunning profile views of Mount Rushmore from three outdoor decks!
Located just 30 minutes from Custer State Park and 5 minutes from Mount Rushmore, the 96 spacious rooms feature flat-screen HDTVs, Keurig coffee makers, and select rooms with private hot tubs and refrigerators. A complimentary hot breakfast buffet is served each morning in a stunning glass-walled gazebo where guests can watch local wildlife wander the grounds. Two outdoor hot tubs, fitness center, business center, outdoor fire pits, laundry facilities, free WiFi, free parking, and pet friendly. Open April through October!
⭐️ 4.4 of 5 Stars - Under Canvas Mount Rushmore - Click here for Rates and Availability.
A luxury glamping resort in the Black Hills just 15 minutes from Custer State Park and 6 miles from Mount Rushmore, where you sleep under the stars in a premium canvas tent with a king bed and wood-burning stove!
Choose from Stargazer Tents with a skylight above the bed, Suite Tents with a private ensuite bathroom and soaking tub, or family-sized tents sleeping up to 6. The on-site restaurant and espresso bar serve seasonally inspired meals and s'mores kits, with fire pits, guided hikes, a complimentary activity schedule, adventure concierge, and free parking. Pet friendly, open May through September!
Click this link or the map below for a map of lodging and vacation rental options in the area of Custer State Park.
Distance from the Creekside Lodge to other attractions in the area.
- Rapid City - 31 miles
- Mount Rushmore - 20 miles
- Custer, South Dakota - 13 miles
- Wind Cave National Park - 22 miles
- Jewel Cave National Monument - 27 miles
- Crazy Horse - 20 miles
- Wall, South Dakota - 81.4 mile
- Devils Tower National Monument - 140 miles
Additional Custer State Park Information
Check out all of the South Dakota National Parks along with neighboring National Parks in Wyoming, National Parks in North Dakota, National Parks in Nebraska, Montana National Parks, Minnesota National Parks, and Iowa National Parks.
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