Wildlife Loop Road Reviews

Visited CSP for the first time this past week. Crowds were light due to the shutdown and possibly the weather (snow flurries twice in May!). Saw hundreds of bison and deer (white tail and mule), several burros (with babies), pronghorn and goats. Had the opportunity to drive the road several times as we were staying in the park. Mornings seemed to be best time for viewing.

Was a nice drive with the family. Seen many Buffaloes and other wildlife. I would recommend this scenic drive if your in the area.

We met many animals in beautiful landscapes: prairie dog, pronghorn, bison.... We only took the main loop, without taking the tracks. We are delighted because it is our 2nd day of road trip only.

Nice, slow drive around the park, saw a herd of pronghorn antelope, bison, and burros. Beautiful scenery!

The wildlife loop is a really nice slow ride thru Custer state park. We found ourselves saying where are the bison blocking our path a lot. But once we found them then we were amazed how many and how close they got. We saw prairie dogs and goats. The landscape is also really cool.

I left another review for Custer State Park so be sure to check that one out as I have mor details on it. We absolutely love seeing the wildlife . This trip we saw lots of buffalo, many up close. We also saw the begging burros. What a fun time with lots of giggles. We highly recommend coming here. Please remember, these are not pets, and you can get hurt. Give them the respect they deserve, and all will have a good time.

Readers, we had a blast in the Black Hills.

But much of that was under the cloud of severe thunderstorms and CONSTANT rain.

But Lo, the sun did peak out of the clouds and shone upon us. My wife had a fever. A fever for Bison. (I will note, every time we called them "Buffalo" Robby corrected us, he is a stickler for being accurate)

The Wildlife Loop road is kind of fun! It is a lot of driving, it is a lot of waiting, but I can't really think of anything quite like it.

Our adventure stared with a staggeringly close encounter with a buffalo.

We struck out to hit the Wildlife loop after many hours of exploration. We headed towards it and pulled over at a small campsite because the boys desperately needed to use the bathroom. (props to the Custer State Park game Lodge Campground right off of 16A before you get on the wildlife loop)

After doing their business, we noticed a brown mass near the side of the road. Separated by a laughably feeble fence that gave the people around us a way more secure feeling than it should have, we found ourselves feet away from a large lone make near the head of the trail. Apparently he was kicked out of the heard and was a loner (or so the nearby ranger told us)

A loner with a bad boy temper, apparently this poor Bison had in the animal kingdom a sort of Klingon Discommendation (lol sorry. I'm a dork) And he was quite upset about it.

Of course, being right off the side of the road, gawkers *such as ourselves) were quick to take some snapshots and pus the boundaries and try to get close to the animal. One fellow got a little too close, which made the Bison a little hot and bothered and that resulted in much yelling by the local ranger trying to make sure none of us idiot-ed ourselves into injury from the animal.

It was kind of neat, being that close to a bison. But that would not be the only one we saw that afternoon.

While the wilderness loop itself is under 10 miles, it took quite a while to get through. That is because any time there were animals near the road people came to a grinding halt to look at them. Understandable. We were not in any hurry.

We saw an abundance of Bison right up on the road. A few donkeys here and there and off in the distance the occasional pronghorn.

Even when there were no animals to enjoy, it’s a lovely drive. Much of it looking like the old windows XP desktop “bliss”

I would say the biggest downside to the Wildlife Loop Road was the bottlenecks that occurred whenever an animal was close enough to snap photos of, but I suppose that is the point. It is one of the few spots we saw Bison while we were in the Black Hills (and we were looking)

It is a low cost fun drive that has more pluses than minuses. Readers, I would absolutely recommend the Wilderness Loop Road.

A full 5 burgers out of 5.

We saw everything from Buffalo to Chipmunks, Mountain Goats to Prairie dogs, Deer, Pronghorn, Burros, and more!

This was a nice drive. We saw several antelope and prairie dogs along the route. The buffalo were all in the corals (perhaps because it’s breeding season and they are more dangerous?). We had a chance to see them up close though and many of them which was neat.

We saw deer, elk, and buffalo at first which was cool to see since they are in the wild. But the best is when we got to the wild donkeys, there were about 10 who all stuck their heads in our car and wanted our snacks. We got out and pet them and fed them peanuts, they were hilarious and super friendly!

In 2 1/2 days time, we circled the Wildlife Loop at least 3 times, seeing bison (including cute babies!), elk, deer, turkeys, burros, and prairie dogs. A hundred times better than the Zoo!!

This was a very nice drive through an area unspoiled by man. We spotted lots of wild animals. Well worth our time.

My wife told my kids that the first kid to point out unique wildlife would get $1. My wife pointed out a few Pronghorns early in our trip. About 30 minutes later, we saw a massive herd of buffalo. Little ones and big ones...EVERYWHERE. It was fun to have them walk alongside your car.

Ask a local which road, loop, direction, and time of day to have the best chance of seeing some bufffaalllllooooo! We were incredibly lucky and took the PURPLE route around 6 am and saw, first, one lone fella - then - a herd. It was very exciting. We were lucky to have been given the good info!

We loved this loop! We only saw a couple bison but there were wild burros that let us stop to pet them. The kids went bonkers! This is a lovely drive.

We went in the early evening until past dusk. We took our time hoping to find a few animals. Instead, we found many deer, prairie dogs, turkey, donkeys, and 3 herds of Bison. This was an awesome trip with several places to pull off for scenic pictures.

We drove this road in anticipation of seeing lots of wildlife. We were quite disappointed in what we were able to see. Not many animals during our time there.

The Buffalo were mostly in a large fenced in area. There were a few roaming Wild. Because of how they are managed it felt like I was just looking at cattle in a farm

We drove the Wildlife Loop in the early evening. We saw herds of bison, but they were off in the distance. The highlight though was the begging burros. They were very curious and tame. Enjoyed the break from the drive.

The wildlife loop road was fantastic. We started our drive at around 5:30 pm to try and get there when the animals are most active. We saw hundreds of Buffalo grazing in a field to the west early on in the drive. We then encountered at least 4 Buffalo right beside the road, as well as other sightings throughout the loop that were at a distance. We also saw the burrows, deer, and antelope. Quite a nice ride.

When we first started traveling the Loop, we saw loads of bison droppings; but only a couple of animals way off in the distance.
Starting to be a bit disappointed, we passed the Bison Center; and then off to our left were numerous of these magnificent creatures. This allowed for lengthy and upclose viewing; which was quite amazing.
We also saw burrows and prairie dogs as our traveling continued; but for us, the bison were the stars of the Loop.

Morning drive left us with wildlife all over. Bison, burros and deer were out in abundance.
This drive took some of the sting out of the 20 dollar park entrance fee.

On our first visit just prior to sunset, we saw very few animals - deer, burros, and a handful of bison. We were disappointed. We returned the next day closer to sunset and we treated to hundreds of bison at the Blue Belle entrance - it was amazing! We loved seeing these animals so close. While we did not see many other animals, we enjoyed the scenery of the loop. A special place.

We enjoyed the loop. We saw deer, bighorn sheep, Buffalo, pronghorn antelope, and prairie dogs. We recommend bringing binoculars. The prairie dogs were adorable! Our tween boys loved taking pictures. The visitor center staff was very helpful.

Yet again…no buffalo. Two days in a row. How nobody can know where all those buffalo are is beyond me! So why the high rating? It’s beautiful. Pass is for 7 days. Two days in a row I went and just drove it. (Loop is longer than you might expect, btw.) second day I got smart and brought a lunch. No wildlife to be seen, so I pulled off on a ridge, opened the doors, and just enjoyed the view. Nice new-ish info center with gift shop. Be prepared for just a beautiful drive, and if there are buffalo-it’s a bonus!

The 18 mile wildlife loop is the whole reason to visit the park. We have never seen so many buffalo in one place. They literally cross the road in front of you and are so close you really realize how huge they are. Do use caution when photographing these creatures as they can become aggressive as the signs warn us. We even saw a couple of prairie dogs. We have never seen these in the wild so to speak but only in zoos. Major plus. We also saw some antelope early on but not many. Still this loop was a major highlight of our trip.

Entered the park at the east end and took the Wildlife Loop from 6 to 8 pm. Saw about 150 Bison, some Pronghorn Antelope, and lots of Prairie Dogs. The Bison own the park and walk down the middle of the road and right alongside vehicles. Great place to take kids to see nature. Similar to Yellowstone, but nearly as crowded. A fun drive.

It's incredible, the diverse terrain in South Dakota. Everything from the Black Hills, to prairie, to lakes. Don't miss this drive and the wildlife that's on it.

We drove the wildlife loop on our last day in Rapid City. The trees were starting to turn color. We were fortunate so see at least 100 Buffalo and several mule donkeys. It is amazing to see them up close. The donkeys blocked traffic a few minutes but no one seem to be bothered by it. We loved it. You will too. Best animal viewing is early morning or dusk.

The Wildlife Loop Road is the only place in South Dakota where we saw buffalo, and we saw plenty of buffalo, some very close to the road. We also saw plenty of prairie dogs. There are signs stating not to feed the wildlife, but when we came upon a group of wild donkeys, two nearly stuck their heads in my car looking for handouts. The drive was long, and we were beginning to despair of seeing any wildlife, but then suddenly, there they were. There is a $20 entrance fee to the road.

I had a great drive. Saw the Elk herd, buffaloes, pronghorn, and deer. March is a great time to visit the park. No tourists.

We started at the east entrance of Custer Park to enter into the wildlife loop. Within a mile the bison were present and stayed so for another 5 miles. They did not seem to care about you and moseyed along the road, crossed here and there, played in the mud, ate the tall grass, ran around and played with each other.
It was a unique experience that will not be forgotten.

Blue Bell entrance led us to a mother lode of bison just now! Neat experience. I’m satisfied even if that’s all we see today!

The whole family enjoyed the loop! We saw quite a few different animals there, but of course the highlight was the Bison.

They are gigantic creatures, and very much at home. The stroll right past you car without a care. All of the kids were awed by them.

We went in the morning and saw many animals. It was disappointing to see parents encouraging their children to feed the burros. There are signs everywhere that say “Do Not Feed The Animals”
We saw a herd of buffalo, pronghorns, burros, and deer.

Beautiful drive around the loop. Make sure you go down the different dirt roads available to the public. We ran into four hundred or more Buffalo hiding out over a hill. The burros greeted us on a corner they all hang out. Great visitor center bathrooms were clean.

My husband, a friend and I had an awesome time on the Wildlife Loop in Cluster State Park. We saw hundreds of bison, several wild donkeys, deer, pronghorn and prairie dogs. We would have missed the bison if we had not stopped at the ranger station near Fisherman Flats Road and ask. There were hundreds of bison along the 4 mile dirt Fisherman Flats Road. We saw lots of prairie dogs on Fisherman Flats Road as well. We saw the donkeys on the main road about 2-4 miles south of that same ranger station.

We have been to Custer State Park numerous times and this is always the highlight of our visit. There is always something new and exciting to see. On our visits we have seen bighorn sheep, pronghorns, burros, bison, prairie dogs, deer, and numerous raptors. We always like talking with other visitors at various stops. They can alert you to wildlife that is near the road ahead.

We headed out early morning,around 7:00 from Custer. Timing was perfect. We saw buffalo at numerous locations, deer, wild donkeys,pronghorn, turkey and prairie dogs along with numerous birds. The roads are well maintained and pull offs. We talked with people that went mid-day there that same day and they didn't see much at all animal wise. Early morning is definitely a good time to view.

Buffalo roaming through beautiful hills. Slow down and enjoy the drive to spot other wildlife too. Worth taking the time to drive.

Saw almost every animal in park one day.... had a wonderful dinner at the resort. Great program by the ranger on the history.

This is a easy driving loop through meadows and grassland - much different scenery from the northern half of the park. We entered from Custer and only saw buffalo and deer in the distance until we got to the visitor center. It was made of huge logs and stone - a beautiful structure. The next mile found us in the midst of a herd of about 200 buffalo. There was huge, shaggy beasts, and cows with nursing calves. Some passed just a yard or two away from our car. It was amazing to hear them snorting. We saw burros up on a hill, but none came to get any of the carrots or apple slices we had brought along. We also saw hawks and eagles. I know that was just a fraction of the possible wildlife in the park, but we were quite satisfied. Maybe another day and another time we'll be able to feed the burros!

We had a great time on the wildlife loop road. We definitely saw tons of wildlife. Buffalo, pronghorn, and prairie dogs. Be sure to stop at the Buffalo corrals if you visit in October after the roundup to see them working the herd. It was a sight we will never forget.

Antelope, donkeys, baby Bison, and wonderful scenery. This was a beautiful drive.

Plenty of pull offs with overlooks for pictures.

Loved this drive! Beautiful scenery and wildlife! Bison center was very informative, would love to go back for the round-up.

We love driving the Wildlife Loop around Blue Bell Lodge. It's about an 18-mile ride/loop thru winding roads looking at the most amazing wildlife. Mostly buffalo/bison roaming the roads/grazing the fields and coming right up to your car. There are also chances of seeing elk, ground hogs, cattle, horses, and so much more. This is an amazing loop of some of the largest animals in the USA.

Based on research, drove the wildlife loop road early in the morning. Great vistas of nature. Bison were being rounded up so watched the herd. Up close and personal viewing in the safety of our car. Prairie dogs were fun to watch and saw pronghorns as well. Highly recommend taking this drive! Photos were fabulous!

We had a beautiful day to be on the Wildlife Loop. We saw hundreds of buffalo and sat for a long time just watching. We went back the next day for the annual Buffalo Roundup. It was quite an experience to see riders on horseback rounding up the buffalo for their shots, etc. Also enjoyed seeing the donkey, pronghorn, deer......nice trip.

This is the BEST place to see wildlife! Buffalo come close to road. So do donkeys and sheep. We took a bus tour. I think you can see more from a bus than a car.

This is one you do not want to miss. Did it three times and saw lots of animals each time. Mother Nature at its finest.

This was the beginning of our two day/Custer State Park visit. Coming from Hwy 16A (Keystone) we drove south through the one way tunnels of the Iron Mountain Hwy into the Park's East Entrance. From there, we took the 18 mile Wildlife Loop Road back to our first nights stay at the Game Lodge. The Park has a diversity of habitat features; pine forest, granite formations and prairies. The loop road wound its way through an incredible prairie vista with a myriad of wildlife. The bison of course are the draw. Lone mature bulls can be seen off by themselves throughout the drive but the herd of 400-500 cows with calves and immature bulls can often be seen just south of the Wildlife Station Visitor Center by the Buffalo Corrals. Often times on the road. When this occurs, stop and stay in your car, turn off your engine, and admire their passing. Do not get out and approach them! These critters can weigh up to 1,500 pounds and do not get along with humans. Be respectful of the wildlife.

BTW, bring a spotting scope to view the myriad of other wildlife that inhabitat the area.

In summary, your drive around the Loop can take anywhere from one hour to a complete day depending upon your stops and the several dirt roads that take off from the paved Loop Road.

Enjoy!

There was a herd of buffalo, about 30 strong, when we rounded a curve. It was quite an exciting spectacle to encounter. We had hoped for this but when it materialized we were ecstatic.

A must do in Custer State Park. A beautiful drive with the opportunity to see wildlife. We saw bison, pronghorns and prairie dogs, and something preying on prairie dogs that I couldn't exactly identify.

September 9 we took a drive on the wildlife loop from 5:20 PM until 7:30 PM.

My husband and I saw a wolverine towards the end of our drive. It was sniffing around the meadow grasses on the way into the pine woods about 10 feet away. But before it disappeared among the low branches, it had turned several times to look toward our stopped car.

At first I thought it was a small bear, but its body was longer, it had a dark long fluffy tail, and shorter legs. Its face and ears were bear like, as it turned its head towards us. It studied us at length one of the times it glared towards our car from about 100 yards away. We didn't get a picture of it sadly.

I didn't know what it was until I saw a stuffed one at Cabellas shopping two days later. Upon seeing the displayed taxidermy wolverine I exclaimed to my assisting Cabellas staff, "that's the animal we saw 2 days ago driving in Custer Wildlife
Loop!" It was labeled a wolverine.

We felt fortunate to have seen one in the wild, thanks to the safe wildlife drive.

The drive of the main loop road takes about 70 minutes. I was with my kids and we saw buffalo, rams, mules, prarie dogs, and a bunch of gazelles. We drove it three times and early morning was the best. It was not very crowded which was nice. A great time.

We drove this several times just to check out for animals, and we were never disappointed. Bison, Pronghorn, prairie dogs were most prevalent. Would do again next visit

Perhaps our expectations were too high. We thought we would see a lot of wildlife. We did see the burrows and a small herd of maybe 15 bison. No other animals. It is pretty scenery if you just want a slow drive through rolling hills.

We saw several large buffalo, deer and wild donkeys. A nice drive with plenty of animals near or on the road.

We thought we weren't going to see the buffalo but around the bend there they were. The burros come right up to your car expecting treats. Antelope are usually near the creek. You will see wildlife there.

We did the Wildlife Loop twice! We had booked a Jeep off-road tour for 4:30 one evening. We were lucky and saw tons of bison. It was great because there were so many calves. We were able to get up close and personal. I got some great photos. We also saw the pronghorn, several types of birds, deer, and prairie dogs. The driver was very knowledgeable. He has worked for the park for over 9 years now. We would have loved our tour if it hadn't been so cold and rainy!

Upon leaving the park, we decided to take the Wildlife Loop Road again. Unfortunately, it stormed significantly the night before. We were told that drives the animals inland. The only animals we saw were the tame donkeys. Actually that was fun, too, because donkeys are the only animals you are allowed to pet and feed.

We saw 1 coyote and 2 pronghorn. Didn't go at the most opportune time to view wild life. No one was home! But the drive was spectacular. We parked a few times to take a short walk through the prairies.
Gorgeous rolling hills with lush healthy vegetation.

Somehow, we visited at, what seemed like, just the right time. We were able to drive through at our own pace (without crowding) and experience the scenic, sweeping views and with the wildlife right up close. I don't think that I would ever go back to this part of the country (too many other places to see) but am very glad we visited here while in the area.

I think it was too hot so the wildlife was hidden in the shade. Even so, we did have a few, “Hey, look at the…” moments. The scenery was great, though!

Well worth the $20 fee. Spent 1 day on the drive. Lots to see., landscape and animals (deer, mtn goats) Picnic area & pit toilets were appreciated. Don't skip the tunnels they are a unique experience.

After stopping in Custer, we took off on the Wildlife Loop Trail. A scenic drive through the southern part of a Custer State Park, it was very scenic and relaxing, with rolling hills and open prairies. One hope to see wild Bison, Buffalo, Deer and Donkeys, but there is no guarantee. For the first part of the drive, we saw no wildlife….then we hit a bonanza! Wild Bison and Donkeys were everywhere. Don’t get too close to the Bison - it’s recommend you stay more than 75 yards away at all times. The donkeys will wander right up to your car, but don’t feed them! The total drive took about 1 hour. Highly recommend!

Wanted to see the wildlife, so we took the drive. Didn’t see anything, so we stopped in to the Bison Visitor Center, talked to a ranger and told us exactly where to go to find Buffalo! We wouldn’t have seen any if we didn’t talk to the ranger.

What a great adventure!! The burros are fantastic. They are very gentle and LOVE carrots. Be sure to stop at the ranger/wildlife station on the east side of the loop. They did a great job of telling us where to go to find the bison. There were babies EVERYWHERE!!! It is so fun when they are right by the road or crossing over. We actually took the loop twice it was so great.

Fantastic! At first we were wondering where the buffalos were, then saw herds and herds of them along with the proghorns. Wish we saw the big horn sheep. Also saw burros and prairie dogs.

We visited Custer State Park a few years ago and saw a variety of wildlife and hoped to repeat it this year. We were disappointed, maybe it was the weather, but we didn't see as many (yes, I know they are wild and not always close to the road). Most of the animals we saw were far off the road. We did see one antelope laying down close to the road. Even though we were disappointed we didn't see much wildlife, the scenery didn't disappoint. The views are amazing no matter where you are. Definitely recommend a drive on the loop road.

We loved everything about this drive. There were a few spots where Buffalo blocked the roads and went at their own pace. It was awesome seeing them in their own environment and up close. We got to see a baby in the herd. It was an amazing experience!

The Wildlife loop made our trip exceptional. The bison in the open prairie is what you expect to see in movies. So beautiful. Take advantage of the 7 day pass. Wish we had.

First, I read some reviews and agree about the animals not being seen, but that is probably because they did what we did. There is a huge area where there are little buffalo and then there is another huge area where there are tons of buffalo. One thing I wish South Dakota would consider is putting up just a few signs telling people which way to go! We were so upset that we could not find our way until we bumped into someone who told us which way to go. AND, the area where the buffalo were was a lot less scary! No huge drop offs and tight, twisty, narrow roads! That would have helped to know! Regardless, drivers in South Dakota are the most awesome anywhere and we got lots of buffalojams as one person put it so we didn't miss seeing these exciting creatures! We will treasure our visit. Too bad the herds have to be thinned out unnaturally and sadly.

Probably hit or miss. But $ 20 is $20. Not worth the price of admission. The needles road is better.

Depending on where the herd is, you could easily run into hundreds of buffalo. Beautiful road with gorgeous vistas

This was great. Simply must do this if you are spending time in the park. So much wildlife to see! We loved it.

I have ridden the loop dozens of times. I have seen Buffalo about three quarters of the time. The $20 it costs to enter the park is for 7 days so if you are unlucky the first time through, try another time of day or another day. The one down side of the park is that people seem to think its okay to stop in the middle of the road to take pictures regardless of whether or not there is traffic behind them. If you want to go slow or stop and take pictures, be kind and pull over.

My family and I visit the Custer, SD, area several times a year, and we never miss an opportunity to drive Wildlife Loop Road in Custer State Park. We always see Bison, Pronghorn Antelopes, Whitetail Deer and Mule Deer, Burros (descendants of Burrows abandoned in the late 19th or early 20th Century when a gold mining operation went bust), and (of course) the Prairie Dogs! We often see Mountain Goats, and have occasionally been treated to sightings of Bighorn Sheep and Elk.

We saw bison, prairie dogs, and burros. It was a great drive that we almost missed. Thankfully, we did it and it did not disappoint.

My husband and I got to enjoy the Wildlife loop twice. Definitely go early in the morning or evening. We saw lots of wildlife, including the begging burrows and lots of buffalo. I think it's great that Custer has this area to see the wildlife.

September is a great month to drive the loop. We seen lots of Buffalo, donkeys, and Coyotes. I can't wait to go back!

Lots of wildlfe, bison, pronghorn sheep, and even wild burros to pet, bribg the kids and have a blast

Didn’t finish full loop. Herd of buffalo had road blocked for over an hour. When we got closer we saw they were bulling in between cars that were bumper to bumper. The rangers would drive through to move them off the road and the Buffalo would
Move right back in the way of traffic. We finally turned around worried the huge animals
Would bump our vehicle.

Just a pleasure to drive at a leisurely pace and see what you happen to run into. Very scenic besides the animals.
We saw a large herd of bison, pronghorns, lots of prairie dogs and 2 coyotes.
The bison center worth seeing. Just opened last year.
$20 to enter the park.

I’m giving this an excellent review because, though we saw only 4 bison, I know had we gone a different time of year/day the potential of seeing more is there. We arrived at 9:30 am, July 14, 2022 and it was already 80+ degrees so there wasn’t much to see.
Along with the few bison we saw a handful of donkeys and one female elk in the 18 mile drive.
The bison center is pretty cool and if you can come in September that’s when they do the buffalo roundup.

We loved seeing the animals along the loop! Lots of bison, prairie dogs and more. What a nice drive and we had a beautiful day for it too!

Stop at the Visitors center before diving on the loop. The Park Rangers will be able to tell you where the Buffalo are. It says it takes 1 hour to drive the loop but plan on pulling over a lot for picture taking. We saw buffalo, Elk, Antelope, Prairie Dogs, Turkeys and the awesome fun Donkeys! Also stop in the brand new Bison Center.

A perfect way to see the park’s animals up close. Dusk is the best time to go. The little burros are delightful.

We absolutely LOVED it! At first we didn’t think we were going to see anything at all.... We were on our way and in front of the Lodge there were two Bison. We thought they were statues, NOPE we were wrong, they were real! Then we stopped to pay for the permit which was $20.00. We started on our way and came across a deer, then another Bison was sitting under a tree. Thought was the end due to the weather and the time of year... NOPE was wrong again, we make this turn around a bend and there they were.... a ton of bison... they run up to your car! Ours started licking the car all around. I couldn’t stop laughing and so wanted to roll down the window, but husband says NO! He squealed like a little girl! We finally got through and made another turn around another bend, and again another HERD! Again they ran up to the car again! Totally worth the $20 and the best money we spent the whole trip! ❤️❤️❤️ and will definitely be back and tell EVERYONE they need to go!

Well, I guess the heat kept the animals in hiding. We saw a lot of bison running around in the road, but only at the very beginning. After that, there was pretty much nothing. But the bison were pretty amazing, so it was worth it, and the rest of the drive was quite scenic, so it was definitely worth our while.

Saw the burros and some prairie dogs but never came across the large herd of Buffalo. Probably should have stopped at Ranger station and asked or done one of the interior dirt roads.

Beautiful scenery. Nice view of wildlife. Some nice options for shortish hikes. DON"T miss the bison exhibit and herd

Tranquil driving experience, for those not looking for a city zoo visit. Great for those who love nature and appreciate natural wonders.

the landscape is beautiful. places to pull off and take photos. did not see alot of wildlife. roads were good

One of my favorite drive through, stop often roads! Buffalo, mountain goats, prairie dogs and wild donkeys. A long drive with frequent stops for seeing these animals. Kids love chasing the prairie dogs. Our dog liked rubbing noses with the roadside donkey!

We definitely just had a bad day (as did all the other people who we drove past) as there was no wildlife around anywhere! While it was still a scenic drive we were a bit deflated not getting to see anything. We went to the gate where buffalo were last spotted but by the time we arrived they were long gone. I’m sure it’s great when you can see them!

There’s plenty of camping and hiking to offset your entry fee, but I would have paid 10 times what we paid for the experience we had. The scenic loop is a beautiful ride and you may be lucky enough to peep a few animals like antelope or goats off the side of the road. There were two incredible parts to note for us. First, about halfway through the loop, we came up the burrows. Known as the beggin’ burrows, if you’re there early enough in the day, they’ll walk right up to your car looking for a treat. If your windows are open, they’ll come right into the car. Most suggest apples or carrots, but we brought bananas after reading they are favorites of the burrows. This was such a fun time!
The other great experience was near the end of the loop, when we got caught in a traffic jam of buffalo (or bison?) and weren’t able to move for about 30 minutes. Seeing these amazing creatures up close in their natural habitat on both sides of the car, and also front and back is something else. Sure, it’ll throw off your timeline, but it’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
I have never been somewhere on earth where my love of the natural environment and animals has so perfectly come together.

WIldlife Loop Road is an approximately 15-mile must-do drive in Custer State Park. It is very scenic, as you go through the rolling foothills and prairies of the Black Hills. We visited early one morning as recommended and saw two large herds of bison. It was very cool! At one point we were surrounded by them, as they moved across the road. They are an awesome sight up close, and the calves are so cute. There were also several very active prairie dog towns along the road. It was fun listening to them "bark" and watching them scurrying around. I highly recommend a drive on the Wildlife Loop Road.

You have to turn to the cobblestone road opposite Visitor Center and drive some 5-6 miles to see buffalos

The Wildlife Loop is always one of my favorite attractions when visiting the Black Hills. I am impressed at the size of the Bison herd.
We were able to find the Bison herd off the beaten path on one of the gravel CSP roads and the Begging Burros on another BSP road. Both of these were in the early afternoon. On the next day we got to the loop early and found two large bison herds on the Loop and the Begging Burros at one of the picnic areas shamelessly accepting snacks from the generous visitors. We also spotted many antelope, deer and Prairie Dogs.
Go early in the morning or later in the evening for best results and take snacks for the begging burros. They preferred carrots when I was there.

Fantastic views and the buffalo were sooo cool to watch. One of the best parts of our trip. The trip was long so expect to spend a bit of time driving.

Several people note that it is best to go early, that sounds like good advice. We went later, and the drive was still beautiful but we did not see that many animals. Even so we did see an antelope, a bunch of burros being fed carrots, and some buffalo, pretty cool!

We were happy to see the wild life we got to see, but we didn’t see a lot. We saw hundreds of bison, a few antelope, and the burrows were fun to pet. We went twice, once in the afternoon and one early morning with pretty much the same experiences. I would do it again, though.

The Wildlife Loop was very interesting, pretty and fun to drive and see all the assorted animals. Really enjoyed all the bison and donkeys.
It was a relaxed drive in early October. It is 18 miles and took us several hours to complete.
Best time to drive is am or sundown.
I would definitely drive it again if we visit again.

We saw a buffalo herd and a donkey herd on this drive, as well as admired the way the park is managing burned trees from a past fire. We visited the Buffalo Museum which is very well done. Kudos to the park for their management.

The moment we entered the park we were met with buffalo (see photos). How cool is that? We saw herds of them on our drive. You just have to drive slow as there are many 'buffalo traffic jams'. It looks like they are going to hit your car but they avoid it. We also enjoyed see turkeys and meeting the burros who actually nudge you for food. You aren't supposed to feed them but it sure looks like everyone does. *Hint* Grab some apples from the breakfast area of your motel, slice them up in advance. Even burros need to eat healthy instead of the potato chips type snacks. Have fun! We sure did.

Be sure and ask a Ranger where wildlife has been recently seen. Whereas in the past we experienced bison blocking the paved roads, this time the herd had found a more secluded valley several dirt road turns from general tourist areas. This isn't a ZOO and animals do not appear on demand. Look around you and go out early in the morning or in the evening. We saw bison, elk, pronghorn. Of course, prairie dogs. And the beggar burros who can be quite aggressive for handouts. Please do not put your children in danger by treating the burros like pets unless you keep a spare.

This loop drive is filled with the splendor and natural beauty that inspired Peter Norbeck to act to protect Custer State Park in the first place. You’ll see Buffalo, lions, donkeys, turkeys, coyotes, deer, elk, sheep, goats, and all manner of wildlife.

Lots of driving with the hope of seeing bison and we were rewarded on 2 occasions. We also saw donkeys and prairie dogs (less interesting). There is quite a traffic jam when bison are spotted and sometimes they are right along the road. There were lots of moms with their babies.

We drove this in the afternoon around 5pm. Saw gophers and a herd of buffalo. The buffalo were all over the street and traffic was stopped for a bit. One of the buffalo rubbed his head against the rear of our car. On the way out of the loop we saw some goats alongside the road. Very pleasant drive. Worth going for the buffalo!

I am sure this is different when the weather is nicer. While we thoroughly enjoyed Custer State Park, this part of the park was disappointing as we saw just one bison up close. Unfortunately we had to go today and couldn’t reschedule to a day with better weather.

It was late in the day, a perfect time to drive the wildlife loop. The problem was the traffic. We were very disappointed in the numbers of wildlife that we encountered. We saw a few Buffalo, a few Elk, a few Deer and a few Burros. We drove for about two hours and we encountered many more people with cars and trucks than we saw animals or birds. The road conditions were extremely dry which created limited visibility. Overall I wouldn't do it again.

About 20 bison was on road in front and did not move away actually approached toward my car and rubbed face on hood.
Did not know what to do, finally moved backward slowly and made a way to go around bison.
It took about 30min .

Allow plenty of time. I thought this would be a few hour venture. For me, it was not but then I'm a burgeoning photographer and like to just sit and watch. And there was plenty to watch and experience. I even saw my first buffalo wallow! May and June is calving season. There hers are made up of mamas and babies. You will catch the lone bull and they're many times rather close to the road. Add in deer, antelope, burros, elk and stunning vistas. A highlight of my 2-week trip. Don't forget to bring a couple of bags of carrots for the burros! They eat from your hand and I was told it was okay.

I wasn't expecting to see any Bison but we not only got to see lots of them but some up close. We also saw pronghorns and prairie dogs. This is well worth the drive.

Get off the pavement and take one or more of the CSP gravel roads. But know where you are going as online maps may not work. And after sunset it gets pretty quiet out there. We saw a herd of bison out there!

This loop is awesome, at different times of the day you will experience different animals, but almost always see bison, so many pull offs pack a lunch and a good book and just pull over and enjoy or better yet do one of the hikes

We drove the wildlife loop road one morning and were rewarded with many animal sightings. Bison, pronghorn antelope, and prairie dogs were numerous. Some pronghorns were right on the roadway. We also saw deer, a coyote, turkeys, and a variety of other birds. This was one of our best ever wildlife viewing days. And the countryside was also outstanding. Make sure you bring binoculars and cameras.

Drove this in the morning and it wasn't too crowded. On our drive stopped to see Antelope, Burro's, and turkeys. The scenery was fantastic. Did it again on a tour and saw so many buffalo. On our way out one morning, a herd of sheep were on the side of the road. At the Visitor Center saw some mule deer. Glad we didn't do this in the summer, as I'm sure the crowds of cars stopping would have made it hard to get around.

The road was so exciting! My family said wow, ooh, and aah so, so many times! Bison, pronghorn, views, etc The scenery is gorgeous! We arrived on the east entrance at 6 am the one day and had the road to ourselves for miles! It was great to feel like the only people around and to absorb the quiet and beauty of this road/park.

We saw so much wildlife! Bison, mule deer, antelope, prairie dogs, eagles, ravens, mountain goats etc!! I could spend days drivning this road!! Add Needles Highway, Crazy Horse, Mount Rushmore and many other sites and you have a great vacation!! South Dakota has so much to offer!!!

Like most people we've driven on scenic roads. Wouldn't call this highly scenic, but it was OK. We didn't see any wildlife, probably deer in the distance, but since we consider deer a pest who eats our plants at home in NJ, the sight of them isn't exciting. However we did come to one spot around the foot of the loop where buffalo are rounded up and we happened to be there at that time (between 3 and 4 pm). They were not roaming free, but I was able to take good pictures through the wire fencing. We had a pretty good day, but not entirely something to write home about. The other drives in the area we enjoyed better such as Spearfish, Needle and the Badlands.

Great loop. We went twice. Both times saw Buffalo herds in the distance. The babies were so cute. We saw the burros as well. People brought food for them which clearly shouldn’t happen. They tried to feed the babies and it was clear they we still nursing but you know people they persist.

We drove the Loop mid-morning so much of the wild life had already been out to do their thing. Didn't see any prairie dogs as we had years past; that was disappointing.

First time, we didn't see much wildlife. It may have been due to the time. I believe that it was mid afternoon. The second time was a game changer. I believe it was earlier in the morning and the herds of bison were everywhere. Be sure to keep your distance and be safe. We were able to get some amazing photos. We saw prairie dogs, white tailed deer, and even a large buck. A must do in Custer. Don't give up if you see little wildlife on your first try. Keep an eye out for smaller herds of bison in the forest as you travel up in elevation as well. That was neat to see.

We had a great adventure seeing all the wildlife bison, prairie dogs, donkeys, and prong horns. The new Buffalo Center was a great learning experience. Be prepared to give yourself enough time with traffic and animals I'm the road.

Our trip took us past burros, buffalo, pronghorn and prairie dogs. The wildlife loop is truly an appropriate name.

Dan our guide on an evening jeep tour through Custer State Wildlife Loop was worth the extra. We saw prong horns, some burros, elk, deer and hundreds of buffalo/bison up close and personal. The term "reach out and touch someone", could have happened except remembering these animals are wild and we are the intruders. The herd took over the road ways and the wait was great to watch how they interacted as a herd. The mother of the herd ruled well, keeping the group moving to grazing areas.
Dan had a lot of information about the park, herd management, and how to enjoy the wildlife with a camera safely.

We went to the Wildlife loop and the park has them corralled up in a fenced in area. I get you can pay fir a private Jeep ride and get close. Don’t waste your time...... I am sorry we did this.

We drove through Custer SP on Sept. 3 with the hope of seeing a herd of bison. We were informed at the gate that the bison were off a gravel road in the interior of the park and since we were in a 25' RV we opted to stay on paved road. We did see one bison resting in the shade, a few antelope and a wonderful surprise of "begging burros" who were enjoying some carrots from other travelers. We also stopped at a scenic overlook only to find bouquets of wild flowers in little cups lined up all around the covered patio. A marriage proposal was about to take place with the fiancé and families there waiting for the soon to be engaged lady. How amazing is that?

Custer State Park is amazing, the scenery is stunning and I saw pronghorn, prairie dogs and the very impressive Bison. Well worth a visit.

Some days are better at seeing the buffalo than others. I have read great reviews and seen wonderful pictures of buffalo herds blocking the road. That is what I was hoping for. I did see buffalo just not any herds along the road the days we were there. I would still stay this is a must do and recommend it.

Beautiful drive lots of animals. We stopped to feed the horses and donkeys. Hiked hills and walked beautiful trails.

Great road to drive. Easy to navigate while looking for wildlife. And the name is quite appropriate! While we saw individual buffalo at the beginning, we saw the entire herd in the flats along the stream. Wild Burros too. We were there on a Saturday and it wasn't too congested at the areas where wildlife was present. Nice to see such a great attraction in a State Park.

The loop travels through the area of the park where you will see buffalo, elk, antelope, both white tail and mule deer, prairie dogs, and possibly sheep and mountain lions. If you love wildlife and nature's beauty, this loop must be taken

Relaxing drive looking for wildlife. Tons of buffalo. Prairie dogs. Antelope. Mules. Kids got a big kick out of feeding the mules. We started con the end closer to Blue Bell lodge, mules were towards the end from that route.

We drove the loop twice, once during the day and once more toward evening. Both were different experiences. We saw the burros walking around right up to vehicles during the day and there were more crowds but less wildlife overall. In the evening, there were less folks were driving the loop and we saw a ton of wildlife! It was fantastic! Not a super long drive and very nicely paved. Highly recommend this drive!

Easy loop drive in Custer State Park. We got to see burros near the entrance, deer, many bison, and big horn sheep. Also saw coyotes. Really enjoyed the green rolling prairies. This is a wonderful drive in the park.

Also stopped at the bison center.

Great view of the buffalo. You need to go early because they let a lot of the buffalo out of their pens in the morning around 8:30 and the buffalo migrated to the south end. The map they give you has a picture of bison and that is where they are.

I saw so many animals on this road! It takes a while to get through the entire loop, but it is worth it if you like to animal watch. I even saw buffalo!

We had a wonderful time touring the Wildlife Loop Road over the two days we were in Custer. We saw many bison, prairie dogs, pronghorn and burros. All can be seen from the paved wildlife loop. But you can also explore some of the gravel roads such as the one on the east side of the loop leading to the French Creek Nature Area. Or, make the short loop of Fisherman Flats Road, Swint Road, Lame Johnny Road and Oak Draw Road from the Wildlife Station Visitor Center. A lot of it can come down to timing. The bison especially roam all over this park. They can be anywhere at any given time. Sometimes they're right next to a roadside parking area. Other times they're way off in a field. Take a couple days and travel the loop more than once each day.

We all know that nature does not always cooperate with our vacation plans, but it did this time. WOW! We drove the Wildlife Loop twice, and it was so much fun both times.
We came across 3 different herd of bison, an elk herd, deer all over the place, burros, and the pronghorns. It was fun and relaxing. Everyone seemed to be respectful of the wildlife and area. Park staff at the Wildlife Loop VC was friendly and helpful in sharing tips.

Do you want, prairie dogs, turkeys, vultures, pronghorn antelope, buffalo? This is the place. Others on the tour saw a beaver.

Best enjoyed in the morning before the heat sets in or in the evening at dusk. We did the look in the afternoon and saw some wildlife. When we went back at dusk, we say a lot more!

The wildlife loop will not disappoint if you’re in search of wildlife, especially buffalo. We saw plenty of Big Horn Sheep, Antelope and a few deer too.

if you want to see Bison, you won't be disappointed to go there, every people go there, everyone can see bison, and lots of bison. Actually we've been to Yellowstone and see bison for several times already, but the bison you saw here is also very large herd, may be even more than that in Yellowstone? we saw a large herd crossing the road from one slope to another, the ranger will spot the bison location (i.e. you have very high chance to see them) on the road, but even you don't know, you should certainly see them when you drive through the whole loop. There are also some other points on the loop road, e.g. the Mount Coolidge Fire Lookout tower, the Wildlife station visitor center, you may also stop by.

Custer is great--restaurants, wildlife viewing...Elk bugling at Wind Cave, cave tours, bison and more bison. scenery great. not too crowded.

We rode the Wildlife Loop again this year during bike rally. This year we were treated to some of the wildlife that live and roam freely around the park. We saw herd of Bison, several wild donkeys. First thing remember Bison can be aggressive so keep your distance, the donkeys were friendly enough and got very close, but again remember they are wild animals and can be unpredictable. The ride itself is amazing, this is an absolute must, highly recommend

If you are here - you must see and go on this road. It goes through the park, winding it way past the beauty of this area. We saw buffalo, ground squirrels and other wildlife in this beautiful winding road!

It took us about an hour and we saw bison herds from afar and three bison on the side of the road eating. We saw what we think were mule deer and also regular deer. We enjoyed the ride.

Did this today and loved it. First, a couple of hints: if you google map getting there from Rapid City, it will take you down a dirt/gravel road that is not in the park, but this is not a bad thing, because this is where we saw Pronghorn Deer, which are rare around here. Second, when you finally get inside Custer Park, make sure you find and pay the park fee, our road did not have a stopping fee station, and the fine is large. Third, the buffalo herd moves around, and the “loop” is confusing, so stop at the ranger station to get a map and the current location(s) of the buffalo herd and the “begging donkeys”. Fourth, bring carrots for the donkeys, which are quite tame. Enjoy!!

Drove the loop road and saw lots of buffalo in several areas. Also saw turkey, and a variety of birds. Did take a couple of short hikes to stretch the legs.

This is a wonderful drive. We saw bison, deer, burros and prairie dogs. Beware of the burrows because they are very friendly. The drive has several places to pull off to take photos and other drivers are courteous while you’re looking at the scenery. We went in October and saw many hues of green, yellow and golds.

When I went through, the location of the Visitor Center was pretty much ground zero for buffalo. Saw some donkeys a little to the south as well. If you have time, I would consider CSP 3 or Fisherman Flat from the Visitor Center to the Blue Bell Campground. However, letting the location of the herds dictate your trip is probably the best bet.

We went through I think a little after 8. I don't know if there was a larger wildlife presence closer to dawn, but I was plenty satisfied with what I saw, considering the buffalo were actively crossing the road and making traffic pause.

There is a certain coolness factor to this, but I don't see a repeat visit necessary. Would rather be hiking up Saint Elmo or Black Elk/Harney.

We drove here directly from Jackson Hole, WY after two mediocre days in Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks. Each park has different things going for it, but we agreed that the Wildlife Loop Road in Custer State Park is by far the best. Wow, wow, wow. At the entrance gate we purchased a week long pass for $20, a friendly ranger told us where there were recent sightings of bison and wild burros, and we were off. Within 10 short minutes we were enveloped in a “bison jam” and further down the road we saw the burros on a hillside with people walking out to meet them. We also saw pronghorn antelope, deer, and prairie dogs. Blue skies and rolling hills seemed to go on forever, providing picture postcard views in every direction. The road is scenic, curvy, and fun to drive. The second day we were prepared and brought carrots for the burros, now we were the ones walking out to meet them, they would tolerate brief petting before ambling off to the next hillside. Our last day we did an early morning drive-through and lucked out by seeing over 1,000 bison in 7 herds (5 on the Wildlife Loop and 2 others nearby). It was unforgettable. Loved it and we can’t wait to return to this beautiful place someday.

We went mid morning and saw lots of buffalo and burros. The burros were the most domesticated. The stuck their heads in our van and wanted to us to feed them. We didn't feed them but everyone else was, which was kind of disappointing. However it was great to imagine what the area would have looked like hundreds of years ago. Lots of buffalo. Off season was great, less traffic. Not sure I would want to do it in the summer with all the tourists. We also saw a fox which was cool. And the buffalo took over the campground at the end nearest Keystone. A camper there told us they have a shovel available if you want to clear off you campsite!

We drove Wildlife Loop Road during our stay at Custer State Park. We really enjoyed seeing the wildlife and scenery.

to dedicate an hour and a half to, almost guaranteed sightings of bison, the famous begging donkeys, and prairie dogs, a must do if you are in the area.

Absolutely Incredible. The bison, wild donkeys, prairie dogs, and scenery are not to be missed when in Custer area I was on a motorcycle and the loop was great to ride. The animals along the loop only added to the ride.

We took a morning drive through on the Wild Life Loop. We saw many buffalo grazing along side the road and down in the valley. We could have stayed and watched them for hours. A couple of them were walking down the road. We also saw the burros as we were heading out. They ate carrots and apples out of our hand. Saw deer, and prairie dogs to numerous to count. This was a highlight of our day. Worth the drive.

Go early. Plenty of wildlife: Bison, Burros, Prairie Dogs...The drive is well worth it and a highlight of our trip. The area is beautiful.

You have to go around the entire to see the herd of buffalo. It was a sight to see and it only took place in 1 area. enjoyed it!

We did this in the early morning and saw hundreds of Bison and other wild life. It is very beautiful so drive slow and enjoy God's creation.

We took a less traveled road off the loop and saw hundreds of buffaloes from calves to the huge males. They were a stone's throw from the road. It was quite a sight to see two males challenging each other and to see a nursing calf.

Always one of our favorite parts about visiting the Black Hills.

Go early in the day so you can catch native wildlife in action. Lots of bison, wild donkeys and mule deer. Plan on driving slowly and taking many pictures.

Take the gravel road off the loop that goes into the middle of the loop - the buffalo tend to be on that. Ask the ranger when you enter where they are. Stop at the Buffalo visitor center at the bottom of the loop. Interesting exhibits on buffalo.

A morning cruise on the Wildlife Loop is always a must when we visit Custer State Park. While there is no guarantee you'll see buffalo, there is always plenty of wildlife to enjoy. Don't expect to see buffalo or burros at every turn; the Wildlife Loop is just a place to catch a glimpse of a host of animals (if they so choose) :)

If you have kids along, or you're a kid a heart, bring some apples or carrots along. It is a WONDERFUL treat for the Begging Burros of Custer. And so much more healthy than crackers or cookies.

We got into a buffalo jam, which we loved. We pulled off a number of times to watch and listen to the prairie dogs, which we found very entertaining. We saw burrows in the wild, deer, buffalo, prairie dogs, goats- a ll in the wild. So fun!

One of the primary reasons for visiting Custer State Park is the drive around the Wildlife Loop. One of the main attractions is the Bison Herd, which is managed by the park and they have an annual "Buffalo Round-up" where they round up and test the herd for disease, and sell off the excess animals in the herd. They know how many the environment can sustain, so excess animals are sold off at auction. There are also wild donkeys that are pretty tame. Even though the park tells you not to approach the wild animals, many people stop and go to pet the donkeys.

I had heard so much about this in tour books, blogs and tripadvisor that I could not wait to drive it. So our party arose early on the day of our flight home to see animals on the Wildlife Loop at dawn.

We were first met with disappointment when the eastern end of the loop was closed for road construction. This meant we had to wind 30 more minutes through the hills to the western entrance. The trip was on a pretty road in the mountains where we saw lots of deer and one buffalo. Still we wanted to see the plains within an hour of sunrise, best animal viewing time to see animals. We drove the entire 9 miles of the loop to the turn around only to see a couple of deer, a turkey and a sparsely populated prairie dog town. It was a total disappointment.

The only saving grace is to timely make it back to Rapid City we had to cut through Wind Cave NP on the dirt road Highway 5. However, here we drove through a heard of buffalo and a vibrant prairie dog town as well as seeing a flock of turkeys, antelope and coyotes. It was everything I had heard about Wildlife Loop but wasn't.

It was $30 to get in. We spent about 2.5 hours driving around. Have to do this. We got there around 10am and saw animals like donkeys and buffalo. The donkeys (not sure if this is what they are) were super friendly. Bring apples or carrots to feed them. You can get out and pet them. The buffalo are not social at all. They won’t bother you, just don’t get out of your car. Neat to see. The drive around toward the end got kind of long but still the majority of the loop was incredible and beautiful. We made the loop then up to Iron Mountain Road then onto Mt Rushmore.

Custer State Park is a must see when visiting Mount Rushmore area. It’s beautiful and has so much history. On the wildlife loop we were in a buffalo traffic jam (car wash!) they came right up to our car and were licking everyone’s vehicle. It was awesome and the kids loved it!

This is the loop you want to take. We saw hundreds of Buffalo as they were on the move to get to the watering hole. There are all sizes and they are majestic!! They past right by your car also you are up close and personal! We all loved seeing the huge animals. There were very tame burros. You are able to get out of your car where they are located and you can pet them . So much fun!!! Keep your eyes opened for turkeys, deer, prairie dogs. We were told elk were there but did not see anyway. Paved roads and an easy drive

Our first time and it was all we had hoped for! Can't believe how close we were to Bison, my type of traffic jam !

We enjoyed our ride on this beautiful scenic road. The landscape of green rolling hills, meadows and forests was wonderful. We did encounter buffalo and their calves up close on the road on three occasions, and watched them forage and interact. So peaceful. They only other wildlife we observed were the donkeys, who were cooling themselves in the shade of several trees. We did see two Pronghorn deer near the park's entrance. There is a small visitor center inside the park where rangers provide advice, and there are some displays of the animals. It's hard to concentrate on your driving skills when all are zoned in on spotting the wildlife. On one occasion, several cars were pulled over and everyone was eyeing what they though were bighorn sheep in the distance, but alas turned out to be rocks!

If you want to see more variety of animals go at dawn or dusk, but no matter what time of day the Buffalo will be our and the Burroughs are friendly. (Buffalo areas stay in the car)—they let you know they own the area and they have the right away. Great views

Wow! Those American Bison aren’t afraid of cars! We got an up close and personal view of many of them from our car. I couldn’t believe how many there were & how close they got! You really get a great view! We also saw some antelope and a couple of longhorn sheep. This is a must do if you’re in the area!

Rode my motorcycle out to South Dakota just for fun and stayed in the Black Hills. Did the 18 Mile Loop in Custer in the Wildlife Reserve on my first night there. I highly recommend either going at dawn or near dusk as this is when most of the animals are out. I am no expert by any means this was my very first time out but when I went back in the middle of the day there were far fewer animals out than in the evening. Anyway I even saw a mountain lion on my way back but not in the wildlife preserve. I was heading back towards Custer prior to getting on Rte 16 when a mountain lion came in front of me and remained just about 10 to 15 ft inside the wooded area next to the road. I came to a stop on the motorcycle just perpendicular to him and we both just stared at each other for several minutes. I finally left because neither one of us was doing anything so I decided to continue back since it was very cold out that night. Anyway I found out how blessed I was to be able to see this as many of the locals do not even get to see one. All in all I've been to Yellowstone as well and as much as I love Yellowstone and would never put it down in any way shape or form as it is truly magnificent I would say that if you can't make it to Yellowstone definitely make your stop in Custer as it was well worth the ride to see many different animal species. I saw a hundred or more Buffalo and large herd of elk also mule deer I think they were that I'm not sure and Mountain goats, and on my way out on my last day a white coyote. Of course there were wild turkey and regular white-tailed deer but I have those around my house and I see them everyday. So it wasn't very exciting to see them but all in all lots of Wildlife and a good time.

Beautiful scenery, so different than the rest of Custer! We drove at 7:30 pm since it was a hot day and we knew wildlife would be more active in the evening. Saw a few pronghorn next to the road and lots of deer. Neared the end and feeling bummed about not seeing more, rounded the corner to see a herd of bison in the road!! Then on our way back we saw elk, another lone bison crossing, and more deer. Wonderful experience we will never forget!

We read the reviews, planned for an early day to see all the expected wildlife, drove slowly through the park, stopping to search with binoculars, but our excursion was a dud! Saw zero bison (where were 1300 bison hiding?), three individual pronghorn sightings, one deer, many prairie dogs, and the easy to find beggin burros (apparently they are always there!)

The lack of buffalo viewing blew our minds. We saw many bison up close near the road at Wind Cave and the Badlands, and saw herds of them with binoculars in the Badlands. More pronghorn too at the Badlands right by the road. We’ve been to Yellowstone, and the bison are everywhere, all times of the day. Didn’t see one elk either on our Black Hills week long trip. Again saw lots of elk every day in Yellowstone. Frankly we have more deer in our backyard at home than we saw here!

The weather was a little strange, with severe thunderstorm warnings for 2 days, and it was in the low 60’s which is a little cool for June. But it was a sunny day, and we were there early morning, around 7am. Nonetheless, we were very disappointed. It was a nice scenic drive, but we were there to see wildlife. And unfortunately we didn’t have additional time to make another visit.

It just goes to show that unfortunately you can do all the right things, but sometimes nature doesn’t cooperate. After all, its not a zoo! So if you are going to visit the loop, it might be wise to plan a couple visits just in case the first one doesn’t work out. And by the way, the burros prefer junk food like crackers much more than the healthy carrots we tried to feed them!

We only did about half of the loop but our mission was accomplished! We saw a huge herd of bison! That was our main goal and it was amazing!

Loop takes about an hour. We saw buffalo, deer, and donkeys. There are pull offs along the way. Park costs $20 per vehicle.

We saw two herds of bison. Prairy dogs and pronghorn antelope. Good roads. Worth the trip. Lots of scenery.

The day in May we drove this loop we didn’t see any wild life and we had to pay to take this drive. What we found was that there was a lot of wildlife, (Buffalo, Prairie Dogs, even a Badger) on Highway 16 coming in from the south to the loop. It was amazing and free!

We did the loop while the Sturgis bike festival was on. There were tons of bikes, and the noise kept some of the animals in hiding. I would suggest early AM or late afternoon. We stopped at the visitor center and asked about the bison, so glad we did. There was a huge heard of over 200 outside the loop on 87.

The scenery vary pretty but only saw one Buffalo 🐃 but still very pretty drive around the loop did see much but did go through the loop .

Don't pet the "furry cows " joking aside do NOT found out that someone did and got very hurt.

Pretty long auto route. Reminded us of Cades Cove in the Smokies. Pull-off areas, bathrooms available. Education & visitor info available; we skipped these due to covid. Bison were found off the loop but they wander so keep your eyes pealed!

This is my 4th or 5th time driving the Wildlife Loop. Everytime has been good, but this is probably the best. Other trips were in June and Sept. This was in late March.

We entered from the east side. Right near the entrance was a herd of 4-5 Bighorn Sheep lying by the road. We came across several small herds of Pronghorn Antelope. In one herd were several that had big bellies, indicating that they were pregnant.

Most of the buffalo were farther away from the road, but there were several within good viewing and photoing distance. In the meadow where we ususally see the most buffalo and they are on the road, there were just a few. We were the only car there and so we didn't stop, but slowly drove by. No other cars to run interference !

The begging burros were there and when the wife rolled down the window, their ears perked up but then they saw we had no carrots for them.

The highlight was a MOUNTAIN LION. Just ahead of us it came running from the side and ran across the road in front of us and down the valley. Boy, could it run fast. No time to get a photo, Darn!

While it is frequently mentioned in the SO\outh Dakota forum here on TA that the spring is not the best time to come to the Black HIlls, I cannot agree. There were very few cars and lots more wildlife. What I would recommend is that you make last minute plans to insure decent weather.

Was so nice to be able to see bison up close from the car. There were a couple of herds along the way. Also some donkeys and prairie dogs. The day we went the road was closed about half way so had to go back the way we came.

That did it for us. Bison, a few right on the side of the road. You’ll see antelope and prairie dogs too. There’s a coral of donkeys and we watched all the mothers with their babies. Beautiful vistas.

We went on the wildlife tour twice during our stay. The first day was around 4:30-5:30 in the late afternoon. It was a cool day, and we were told that there were great viewings that day - we saw bison from a distance and a few pronghorns. The next day we went later - around 7:00 in the evening. What a treat! We saw hundreds of bison close up, many pronghorns, prairie dogs, big horn sheep, deer, birds, and even a few burros. So many incredible animals in under 90 minutes.

A wonderful drive where your practically guaranteed to see the bison and burros! Make sure you take some carrots or apples to feed the burro and for God’s sake stay in your car around the bison!!

We are so glad we went on this. Our family really likes to look at the wildlife so we took our time as we drove through. We pulled over and let quite a few vehicles pass us. If you plan on just quickly driving through, you may not see anything. We saw prairie dogs, whitetail deer, pronghorns, burros, and Buffalo.
For the burros, we brought carrots along. I would recommend the full size carrots as the.burros grabbed those right away over the little baby carrots.

We took the wildlife loop around Custer State Park. It was an amazing ride though fantastic scenery. The big Bison herds we’re close by. The wild burros came right up to our car, kids will love this place

We tried early afternoon and only one buffalo at a time on 3 locations. Decided to wake up earlier and we were treated with a herd of them. Daughter and of course we, adults, had fun!

The Wildlife Loop Road was a true adventure. We saw lots of beautiful country and could not image how close the buffalo, will come next to your car. Going through the numerous tunnels that went thru granite and were long and some short ones and to exit a tunnel and see Mount Rushmore was a real thrill. As dusk came, we then saw countless deer along and on the road, nature was at its very best. The road is one of America's true treasure's.
Tom S.

We loved the Wildlife Loop. Don’t forget to bring some carrots for the begging burros on the south(east) side of the loop. One of our favorite experiences on the trip.

Definitely take this route in the morning g or towards evening. We saw bison both times. If you check in first at the visitor center they will tell you where they were last seen. Take along some carrots for the tame begging donkeys.

This trip we saw the usual assortment of pronghorns, mule deer and prairie dogs. We also saw a massive herd of buffalo, approx. 300..

Wow! We drove to the area to see MT Rushmore and a park ranger suggested we go to Custer State Park. So glad she did. Very scenic drive and we loved the Wildlife Loop Road. Certainly lived up to its name. Lots of bison.

We traveled Wildlife loop for a chance to see animals in their native habitat. We weren't disappointed.
Upon starting Wildlife loop, there was a good size herd of Buffalo meandering through the cars, parking area, and grasslands. For a majority of the loop, we only spotted one prairie dog and one antelope. At the end of the loop, we came upon a giant herd of Buffalo and a jam as they blocked traffic.
Plan for the loop to take three times as long as you expect and make sure to have a full tank of gas!

We stayed in the Black Hills for 6 nights and only got to the Wildlife loops once but it was perfect - we saw dozens of bison, got lucky and found the burros and also saw a pronghorn. The park is beatiful - they do an amazing job of keeping up the park and managing the herds.

This is part of Custer State Park and well worth it. They have put the buffalo in an enclosed area for the winter but we had good photo ops; we also did see a few that they managed to forget on the roadside.
There is an area where the donkeys come and if you bring an apple, you can feed them. We also saw longhorn sheep, prairie dogs. And hike Sylvan Lake that is fun too. Then go in to Custor town for lunch. The countryside here is amazing. Never knew there was so much to do in the Black Hills of South Dakota.

Prairie dogs may be the only wildlife you see. The amazing landscape and spectacular views make this a must do drive.

The loop will allow you to see much of the wildlife at Custer. It is nearly impossible to not see Bison, Burros, and Prairie Dogs at the minimum.

Definitely worth the $25 7-day Custer State Park pass to drive the wildlife loop to see the bison and burros. Plus, the scenery is nice. The pass also gives you access to drive Needles Highway & Iron Mountain Road (to Mt Rushmore), which are both MUST DO's too.

It was the first time in my life that I had an opportunity to see wild buffalo, and this area didn't disappoint. A winter visit meant that once we did find a herd, many of them were on the road licking salt, so you have to be patient and not try to force them out of your way! And expect that if you stick around to observe them, you'll have a few walk up to your vehicle and lick it from one end to another for that precious salt. Be careful, bad stuff can happen, but this was something that I won't soon forget.

kinda bummed! We were in hopes of seeing the donkeys but they were not out. I know they were calling for rain and snow the next day so they may have taken them in for safety.

Bucket list item for me , and it was awesome highly recommend it for anyone who loves buffalo. other than waking up that early to get a good spot it was well worth it . check the weather if you go it was cold in the am but was sunny and warm when the sun came out highly recommend it

We were here at Buffalo Round-Up, hundreds of buffalo, thousands of people, but still worth the traffic!

Take the wildlife loop if you want to see bison. They're east of the bison center which is worth a visit as well as the rangers will answer all your questions and give you a map. Lots of places to stop and have a picnic or to gaze off into the distance.

As you drive the wilderness highway, make sure you take the time to look for the Prairie dogs just off the road, the horses and Burroughs in the fields and of course the bison!

We got there early and had an amazing drive with Buffalo, Prong Horns, Deer, Prairie Dogs, etc. But do it early or late...otherwise the animals are gone and the sounds of nature are mufflers and buses.

What a great place to observe herds of wild bison, and what amazing animals they are! Do plan to add some extra time to your planned route, just in case these very large, noble creatures decide to walk across the road and stop to rest. They can hold up traffic for hours, although only 20 extra minutes were added to our drive. In addition to the bison (which you do NOT get close to!), white and brown burros wait for tourists to stop, feed and pet them, despite the "no feeding wild animals" signs in the park. Keen eyes will also spy prairie dog cities along the roadside, complete with chirping lookouts and burrowing escapees...and an occasional deer or elk. There are lovely, clear lakes and trails to explore, if time allows, but the free-ranging bison are the real draw.

There were two herd of bison, right next to the road and the donkeys were friendly and happy to see us (we had apples). What a fun and exciting day!

We probably saw between 300 and 400 bison on this visit. Along with deer, antelope, and prairie dogs. Fantastic drive with lots to see.

went early so at times were all alone. even without wild life sightings the drive itself was great. stop and you will hear birds singing. saw all one would expect....bison, a fox, deer, prairie dogs. Again, thanks to those who created this and those who work to preserve it.

Pretty landscape, but limited wildlife sightings. Overall Custer State Park very beautiful with lots of great scenery, but this was the second time we were disappointed with the small amount of wildlife seen. We actually saw much more wildlife south of the Wildlife Loop in Wind Cave National Park.

You will see lots of buffalo, burros, horses and prairie dogs. Not much traffic as this is not a well traveled park. Fun drive!

It was a fun drive, and you can make lots and lots of stops on the way. We had some fun animal sightings, and a few hikes. Plan on spending a minimum of 2 hours driving, Could spend the full day, if you want to get out of the car and hike.

The road is paved the whole way and the chances of seeing bison are very good at various times of the day. I can't imagine it's ever crowded, so it's very easy to drive at a moderate pace and enjoy the scenery or to stop to see the bison or other wildlife.

visited later in the day to tuffee wilderness trail... like about 6pm. stopped in there visitors center and they said 'no recent reports of "the herd" '

no problem..... we feel lucky. the guide told us sometimes you have to take the side roads to see what is not visible from the main loop.

so, off we went, excited to see wildlife. umm.... where are they?

we drove lots... and saw lots of beautiful scenery.... but, where are the animals? on one side road, my daughter did spot one female pronghorn.... and we slowly pulled up to it and took photos.

that was it for a long time. beautiful views, but no wildlife. that is, until we're got near there end of the loop... rounded a corner... instant traffic jam. Bison... everywhere. laying in the grass, munching grass, standing in the road, posing right next to the car.

it was really exciting... for the kids, and for dad. so cool to see such majestic animals up close. sad to think there were millions.... and now so few.

a new appreciation for the Buffalo, due to our chance encounter on the wildlife loop.

it was incredible. don't miss the beautiful views along the way. (sorry my pics arent great)

Part of the Custer State Park, this road provides an abundance of wildlife to enjoy. In particular, the bison are incredible and the begging burros are very entertaining.

Drive the Wildlife Loop at dusk or dawn to see the most animals. Don't forget to watch for wildlife at the top of the loop near the State Game Lodge. We saw a lot of deer in this area as well as Bighorn sheep licking the centerline. The first time we drove the loop we started on the East side in the morning and saw Bison right away. Then we went through Wind Cave NP to Hot Springs and took a different way back to the cabin. We check in on the Bison 9 hours later to see how far they traveled and they were 1.9 miles further! We drove the West side of the loop a different evening. We didn't see any wildlife that night, but the drive was beautiful!

We entered Custer SP from the Blue Bell entrance @ 4:15pm after driving up from Nebraska. We only wanted to drive through once so we thought the $30 7-day pass was a bit steep. However, we did see Prairie Dogs, Antelope and hundreds of buffalo. As a matter of fact, we got stuck in a one hour traffic jam as the herd decided to cross the road. They didn't just cross but more like obstructed the road. Males were fighting, mothers were nursing, and some we just staring in our car window. It was unnerving because we weren't sure about their behavior and didn't want to spook them. We got more great photos than we bargained for! However, I have to say the behavior of other tourists were scary. Some were prodding the buffalo with their fenders causing them to jump or revving their car engines to get them to move. All it did was spook the buffalo. If you don't have time to be stuck in traffic, don't visit the park! I was fearful for our rental car when this happened. We saw more buffalo than we ever anticipated!

They will tell you where the buffalo are on the loop at the gates when you enter. It is worth the drive.

Loved this natural, non-zoo experience with wildlife. We were fortunate to visit shortly after spring to see the buffalo (or are they bison?) calves. Such noble creatures. The herd had migrated near the road so we had an up-close but respectfully distanced interaction with them. We also saw some pronghorn antelope, but did not see other wildlife. As it's not a zoo, we kept our expectations low, and we greatly appreciated what we did get to see. Speed limit 25 is definitely a safety requirement for the wildlife and made for a more immersive experience for the driver. Just set the cruise control and enjoy!

We saw donkeys as well as, at the very end, a rather large herd of buffalo. Was certainly worth the trip.

In the Custer State Park this 18 mile loop rides through all manner of scenic topography and takes the visitor up close and near the wild animals including buffalo, antelope, big horns sheep, elk, deer, prairie dogs and more. There are several big lakes along the way; visitor center and lodges offer excellent information and break up the trip. Well worth it.
There's an admission per car. Short and long term permits are available and very reasonable. Also entitles the car to go to ANY state park for the duration of the permit

This was a really lovely drive on a fantastic winding road with speeds 25-35 mph. The territory is stunning.

We drove the loop in about two hours, but we spent a long time stopped looking at the bison. We also stopped for lunch at Bluebell Lodge.
The scenery is spectacular, and THE BISON! Taking dirt baths, suckling their babies, eating lots of grass, generally living their best bison life...they were amazing! Worth the time and effort to visit.

Was so exciting to see the buffalo roam. I could go back again. It was fun feeding the begging burros, too.

Soaring across prairie . gulch and rolling peaks is the wildlife loop in the Custer State Park- at late afternoon or even early morning you will see deer grazing thoughtfully by the side of the road and if you are lucky you ,might see pronghorns , big horned sheep donkeys and of course bison - it was a lengthy journey but we did it twice and were rewarded with great piles of buffalo some in the road and one mama was nursing her little yearling in the center of the bi way - needless to say we all stayed in our cars - well worth the $20 for the weeks access - we used it three times in a week- well worth the driving !!Do it !!

Nice leisurely drive with views of wild animals and green grass with rolling hills and blue sky. Must see!

We arrived early and started our drive in Custer on the Wilderness Loop. Within a short period of time, we saw a Pronghorn and hundreds of bison. Some of the bison were quite inquisitive and wandered over to look in the cars while they were walking across the road. There were also many baby bison there as well. As we proceeded, we saw prairie dogs and burros. Someone from the park was there with feed and was handing it out to visitors to feed the burros. They were also very inquisitive and unwilling to move so traffic became a little congested. This was a lot of fun and a great time for families with children.

State in Custer for 4 days but the best day was 8am doing the wildlife loop. No traffic and the animals were everywhere! Especially loved the wild burros to start our day!

We had a ton of fun on this trail! it's not as busy as the other roads so it's easier to go at your own pace (without holding up traffic) and there's still a ton of wildlife and great views!

Not worth $20 to see a few bison and prairie dogs.. we must of missed all the other animals(we went early morning) , so not worth the drive or money 🤷🏼‍♀️

Love the loop the beautiful this to see all the animals love the donkeys and buffalos. The drive is something everyone should do. Great for the whole family

This loop looks like the road to safari, a lot of animals even on the road. I watched a fox hunt and jump, pronghorns blocked our road which was amazing right in front of us. The burros were so friendly that they even approached us as soon as we pulled in and the cute prIre dogs. We watched these Prairie dogs go in n out of the burrows and the whole fields is like a village .

Nice scenic drive in Custer State Park. Saw some buffalos, elks, and a few long horned sheep. The route we took detoured us on a long dusty road. I think the detour was due to the buffalo roundup that took place the weekend we were there. Some nice foliage as well.

We drove it twice and loved it. We loved seeing the Bisons and especially loved getting tied up in the bisonjam’s (bisons walking in the road tying up traffic)

This was a great self driving ride through some nice scenery. The plus was getting to see “Begging Burros” and Bison. We also saw several Prairie Dogs and Pronghorns. There is also several areas to stop and learn about the area.

Custer National Park is $20 per vehicle, and is open for one week. The Wildlife Loop is a beautiful stretch through the Black Hills and past beautiful grasslands. We haven’t seen many animals, but that’s how it is with nature, you can’t order them. We still saw a bison, some forks and a buffalo. In addition, the famous "begging Burrows" were out carrot hunting :-) . Even with only a little wildlife this route gets 5 stars from me as it goes through beautiful nature. Every animal you see is a bonus.

We were very disappointed with this journey as there was no wildlife- except some donkey's in a carpark being fed by people and creating a bit of excitement, no one's fault - that's just nature. The road was windy and boring and so we decided to take an exit road out of the park, this was a stoney road and the most excitement were my two sons "pretending" to make the wildlife sounds and saying "Lets blow this town!!" We managed to find our own fun :)

We encountered several hundred bison, pronghorns, some burros and a few huge male bison, who are not part of the hurd because they're aggressive. Also a female nursed her calf right in the road in front of our car. Take carrots or apples for the burros as they are very friendly.

This was an amazing experience. Went in the early morning shortly after sunrise for prime wildlife spotting. I was a bit nervous as no bison the first 40 minutes of the drive. Did see some antelope and deer. Ended up in the midst of a huge herd of bison literally surrounding my car. Quite surreal. Went back in the late evening and again found the herd not far past the Blue Bell Entrance to the Park. Not as active as they were in the early morning but still out in large numbers. If you aren't finding any wildlife, ask a ranger and they will point you in the right direction.

We didn't see many animals and tried the loop three times, however, it was a very peaceful and beautiful drive. Either way, it was worth the drive for the scenery, just be aware you might not see many animals. We went twice early in the morning and once at sunset.

Beautiful scenic drive on awesome, smoothly paved roads. We took some gravel roads too to make a loop, and they were really good too. We saw lots of bison and some sheep. Several bison were right next to the road! A must-see!

July. Evening. Nothing
Nothing to be seen. Glad I didn’t pay a tour.
Must write more. Roads paved nicely. No wildlife must write more. Ok TripAdvisor. No wildlife. Waste of time. Weird curvy road nothing to see

So beautiful and so many animals to see! Look closely to spot prarie dogs. Bring carrots for the burros.

We are so glad we made a trip to Custer State Park and the Wildlife Loop. Bison, Big Horn Sheep, Deer, Antelope Burro and Prairie Dogs were all seen on one drive through. We were fortunate to see a Very Large herd migrate to a location near the end of the loop. A must see if you are near this place.

Beautiful park but if you're looking for wildlife, good luck. We saw one buffalo in the distance lying down. Thats it. I was told After the fact you need to go very Early in the morning or early evening.

We went twice. The first time there was a bison jam. We sat still in our truck for over 20 minutes so we turned around and left. The next day we went back and it was much faster.

We had one day to sightsee on a quick weekend trip with our kids, ages 16 and 13. We picked three places to see...Custer Park’s Wildlife Loop, Mount Rushmore and Bear Country USA. It was a rainy day so that played a part in things not living up to their hype. Saw some buffalo here and there but that was all for wildlife. This maybe had to do with the time of day and that it was raining. We were not blown away by the drive, did not see anything spectacular or even worth taking a pic of.

took the wildlife loop and it was so enjoyable. You see all kinds of landscape. Buffalo herd is amazing and huge. Please stay in your car when you see them. There are also donkeys by the road that are by the road. They are tame and love to be fed. Please feed them healthy food. We bring corn and carrots . It's a must when in the Park

When we first started on the loop road we didn’t see anything but one lone buffalo and a prong horn. Then about halfway through we came upon a buffalo crossing for about 45 minutes. How awesome that was!!

This is a must when visiting the area. The scenery and wildlife are phenomenal!
Look for the wild mules and rams and take pictures of the bison and playful prairie dogs

My husband and I greatly enjoyed driving the loop. We drove it twice. We saw herds of bison. One walked in front of our car it was a wonderful experience.

well maintained dirt road network through the park without the crowds. Goes through both lush forest and the burn area. Lots of prairire dogs and bison

We saw Buffalo right on the road. Donkey were right on the road and came up to our car. Also saw long horned sheep.

Best part of Custer, like the wild burros. People are dumb though so be careful and remember these are wild animals.

Excellent viewing of wildlife. Awesome drive through a piece of Custer State Park. We were stuck in a Bison traffic jam, which we enjoyed!

Beautiful rolling hills and abundant wildlife. We saw bison, Antelope, coyote, turkey, Burros. This is a gem of a park.

The drive was beautiful. We had a group of burros (donkeys) who walked right up to our van and stood in the road. As we slowly moved forward they walked with us. We also saw a herd of bison, over a hundred, who were in the road and grazing. 2 males challenged each other. They also walked right up to our van. We stopped at the ranger station and asked where the herd was. If you don’t see them, stop and ask. Highly recommend!

The Wildlife Loop Road in Custer State Park is a must-do for any visitor to the Black Hills. It's a scenic drive that takes you through rolling hills, forests, and prairies, and it's home to a variety of wildlife, including bison, elk, deer, pronghorn, and burros.
We recently took a drive on the Wildlife Loop Road, and we were amazed by all the wildlife we saw. We saw bison grazing in the meadows, the bison herd passed very close to us, elk crossing the road, and pronghorn running alongside our car. We even saw a few burros begging for carrots at the roadside.
The scenery along the Wildlife Loop Road is also stunning. We drove through forests of ponderosa pine and Black Hills spruce, meadows filled with wildflowers, and rolling hills that seemed to go on forever.
We highly recommend taking a drive on the Wildlife Loop Road to anyone visiting Custer State Park. It's a great way to see the park's wildlife and scenery.
We would definitely recommend taking this drive early in the morning or late in the evening, when the wildlife is more active. And be sure to drive slowly and carefully, so you don't disturb the animals.

It is wonderful to know that these Buffalo that they round up once and year and are helping bring back the Buffalo with healthy genetics across the United States in many different herds. It is so nice to see us do what is right for this animal that we nearly destroyed. The burros are lots of fun and very entertaining as they are so used to the tourists. Many deer and antelope can also been seen here. It is great to have a natural area for all to be on display.

Take this road either in the morning or evening to see the most animals. Also there will not be that much traffic at those times as well.
we saw pronghorns, prairie dogs, buffalo & deer.
also saw a coyote going after the prairie dogs.

Exciting to see a traffic jam caused by Bison crossing the road or in some cases standing right in the middle of it for a few minutes. They’re fascinating looking animals. Don’t go walking too close to them, respect their distance. We saw a large herd gathered in one area.

We drove the loop one afternoon and saw quite a few Bison, and the famous Donkeys. The next morning, we were in the park at 8:15. That is when we had no traffic and many more animals, including deer, grouse, and wild turkeys.

For the best experience go out early in the morning. The bison may be blocking the road, but, hey, you came here to see them! You will almost certainly see the famous begging burros and will certainly see the prairie dogs. In the morning, there is a good chance of seeing pronghorns (antelope) as well, and in the evening, mule deer.

We were lucky to see so much wildlife roaming freely along the Wildlife Loop and Lame Johnny Road. Bison, Pronghorn, Deer, Turkeys, Prairie Dogs and Donkeys. We saw a number of donkeys looking for food in the passing vehicles. We drove through around 8:30AM.

Since the buffalo have all been rounded up, we needed to go to the south end of the Wildlife Loop to see them...and there they were! The road is a very nice drive but be alert for deer that jump out in front of you and wild turkeys. Keep your eyes open for a few scattered bull buffalo that weren't in the round up. They are still roaming on the pastoral hills. Very beautiful area!

Exciting driving through the prairies and finding a buffalo herd or just a simple coyote walking across the prairie, but both are very beautiful. It is absolutely a must see when in the Rapid City SD area,

We signed up to take a private jeep tour through the wildlife loop,while we stayed at the State Game Lodge, Although it was pricey, our driver was very friendly and certainly knew the area and could answer any questions we had. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, we appreciated that we could tour without a group. We saw the burro's, buffalo, prairie dog colony and so much more, that we probably would not have seen if we hadn't taken the tour. It rained, but quickly the sun came back out, and our driver provided blankets for protection from the rain. We highly recommend taking this tour if you are seeing the Wildlife Loop for the first time,

Long drive on unpaved roads, but great opportunities to view wildlife. We took this drive on a dreary dall day, which was great, as we could stop where we wanted, and had nobody on our tail! Saw some buffalo, lots of prairie dogs, and a beautiful rainbow over a corn field. Peaceful drive!

Really enjoyed the beauty of this drive. We saw Buffalo, antelope, and white tail deer. Had never seen a large herd of Buffalo before. It was exciting to watch. This park is a must see.

You will see so many animals! Comparable in some ways to Yellowstone. We were not disappointed as a herd traveled with our car slowly for a mile!

I saw buffalo, sheep, wild burros, many deer. It is a fantastic but slow drive. I really enjoyed seeing the animals.

Make sure to give yourself enough time to drive down side roads off the main road. This summer we saw amazing heards of bison when we traveled on side roads. It was amazing. Last year we did not go down the side roads and din't not see the heards that we saw this summer. One is west of the Wildlife Loop nature center-I do not remember the name of the building. It's on the east side of the loop.

You never know what to expect from wildlife, so we tried to keep our expectations under control. We hit the jackpot! Ran into a bison traffic jam and were stuck on the road without moving for about 30 mins. No problem. We saw bison of all sizes up close, crowded around the cars. A ranger had to drive through with a noise maker to clear them out.

Just a bit farther down, the burrows were out in the road begging. Granddaughter got out to pet them when we saw folks out of their cars. The burrows were downright docile. She loved it.

No way to guarantee this experience, but we sure enjoyed it.

Loved the wildlife loop! We saw bison up so close you could almost touch them. You need to drive slow because bison may be around any curve in the middle of the road. Please just take your & enjoy the drive. There are numerous pull over spots to let people go around you or for viewing the wildlife.

Got to see a bunch of different animals up close. We were there just after the buffalo roundup so most of the bison were corralled in big area waiting to be examined by park staff so it was easy to see them up close. Also saw deer, prairie dogs, large birds, and burros. It was a snowy day so traffic was light.

We saw several big herds of bison/ buffalo as well as coyotes / pronghorn it was just beautiful allow an hour or so

To see the wildlife you need to go slow.. watch the scenery for animals and if someone has stopped there is probably an animal. The burros were loving the quests in the road. The babies are cute.
Be prepared to stop and take pictures. This is a very popular road. Enjoyed it but suggest getting there early morning to see alot of animals. In the heat of the day they are not as visible.
I would go back and do an early morning trip and one in the evening.

Rode up about 10ish and after paying to get in it wasn’t 2 seconds after we turned on the road did we see bison everywhere. Looked like a scene out of a movie. Just grazing all over and in the road. Made the rest of the day worth it.

We saw plenty of buffalo and at times the traffic was stopped by them crossing the road. I imagine it would get busy during high season. We saw donkeys, praire dogs and deer too.

My husband and I came here with our teenage gransons. We were all just stunned by the wildlife and natural beauty. It is a truly majestic drive.

This was amazing. So many bison, goats, and antelope. Not to mention the views along the way. You have to do this.

Beautiful scenic drive. You can stop at the Visitor Information Center prior to doing the drive to see where the bison were last spotted. Take apples for the burros. If you miss the bison, don't worry, you can go do some other activities and try again later in the day.

Fun, relaxing drive! Beautiful scenery!! We saw Buffalo deer antelope Prairie dogs! There were plenty of areas to pull off if you wanted to spend more time, observing the beautiful landscape and wildlife.

For scenic views and often loads of wildlife, you simply must take this fairly short loop through Custer State Park. It is definitely worth the time.

We did the wildlife loop multiple times a week. One day we did it three times, and drove all the back roads too. We even hiked part of the French Creek trail. Mid day and dusk were our times of day. We saw many different animals, and even caught a heard of elk at dusk. Bison, Pronghorn, burros, deer, elk, prairie dogs, bighorn sheep, and heard a pack of coyotes one night. If you love nature, you’ll love the wildlife scenic loop!

This is where all the buffalo hang out!! They were to far off the day we went to get a good picture! The scenery out there is so amazing and peaceful!!

We decided to try a morning trip of the Wildlife Loop, in hopes that the buffalo would be active. We saw about 50 of them, and the rest were out in the hills, which was still beautiful to see. We stopped at one of the visitor centers and found out the location of the begging burros, and were pleased to find them, as we had brought carrots and apples. My kids adored the donkeys so much that we did a grocery store run for more carrots and a second wildlife loop trip later in the day. That time we also had a better for the buffalo, as we got to drive through a couple of small herds. Definitely a must-do when visiting the Black Hills!

Yes, there is wildlife on this drive. We saw bison, deer, prairie dogs and sheep. A lot a fun and a photography buff's dream.

Serenity in abundance in the wild life loop. Plenty of wildlife and if you are lucky you can spend some time near the magnificent herd of bison....but please don’t pet the fluffy cows!!

We took the Wildlife Loop while camping in Custer State Park. It was a very beautiful and slow drive. At one point we were stopped and surrounded by a herd of bison which was both interesting, fun and scary. Definitely worth the time if you are in the area.

The main reason to go to the Loop is to see the roaming buffalo and their young. The key is to ask the ranger for their location at the buffalo visitors center. They keep a close watch on them and can steer you in the right direction.

Deciding if it’s worth the drive? Definitely is!
Paid $20 to get in and stayed 1-2hr. Oh and bring carrots!

It took a while to reach the buffalo but once we did, oh boy. My heart was a flutter. They will just stand there in the road and no, theyre not going to move if you drive up to them in a huff (I'm talking to you folks from Ohio!) The buffalo own the roads and are simply majestic. Just keep your distance if you value your car or lives. The donkeys are also awesome. Bring carrots and they'll stick their heads in your window to let you feed them. My kids were giggling like crazy! The loop has gorgeous scenery as well. Well worth the drive.