One of the largest state parks in the United States, Custer State Park in the Black Hills of South Dakota, is celebrating its 100-year anniversary this year.
I traveled to the park in June, and I was blown away by the beautiful landscapes and the abundance of wildlife that are free to roam their natural habitats. None of these things would have persisted in this way without the vision of Peter Norbeck, the park’s founder, the dedication of hundreds of state land managers, park workers, and the public’s support in preserving this special place over the years.
As R.A. Hodgins, the Director of the South Dakota Game, Fish, and Parks Department in 1969 said, “Creation of Custer State Park has been more than merely taking an area and proclaiming it as a park. Years of toil without sufficient funds or help often made the dream difficult…But the dogged determination of these unrewarded individuals kept it alive” (Tatanka, 2019).
This photo essay is a celebration of the diversity of wildlife and natural habitats generations of visitors have, and can continue to, experience at Custer State Park. This successful park is a testament to our cultural values of having natural places to enjoy.
May we all continue to value and protect natural habitats and the species that reside within them, both inside and outside of park boundaries.
Diverse Habitats
The park encompasses 70,750 acres and has three very distinct types of geography; steep granite spires, forested hills, and rolling grasslands. The main ecosystem types of the park are forestland, mixed grassland, and water and riparian (stream edge) areas (South Dakota Game, Fish, and Parks, 2010). This section showcases the variety of natural areas within the park.
Mixed Grassland
Granite Spires
Forestland
Abundant Animals
Throughout the park’s existence, wildlife management has been a priority. When the park was first established in 1919, many of the animal species had been hunted nearly to extinction. So, to repopulate the area, a variety of historically native animals were reestablished in the park through stocking programs. These stocking programs, combined with other management strategies, were successful and now there is an abundance of animals in the park. This section is not an all-encompassing list of species that can be found in the park, but it is a sample of what I saw and photographed on my short journey.
Mixed Grassland Wildlife
Pronghorn antelope on Wildlife Drive in the early morning. A mother bison and calf on Wildlife Drive in the early morning.
A black-tailed prairie dog relaxing near its burrow. An upland sandpiper emerges from the grassland.
Forestland Wildlife
Bighorn sheep with a tracking collar. A mother mountain goat watches her baby try to make it up a rock face. She found another route so the baby could follow.
Aquatic Wildlife
100 Years and Beyond
Custer State Park is truly a wild and wonderful natural park! Places like this survive because we put value on having natural spaces and protecting species so they can survive in their natural environments.
It’s up to each of us to continue to value and protect natural habitats and the species that reside within them, both inside and outside of park boundaries. With an attitude of respect and concern for these creatures and their spaces, we can continue to choose behaviors that protect our environment and help natural places like Custer State Park survive 100 more years and beyond!
If you would like to visit Custer State Park, please see their website to start planning.
2 thoughts on “100 Years of Conservation in Custer State Park – A Photo Essay”
Awisome essay, very educatiional, and interesting to read. Thanks for sharing
Awisome essay, very educatiional, and interesting to read. Thanks for sharing