Custer

Custer is a city in the southern Black Hills of South Dakota, the first city founded in the region. The city lines were laid out by the notorious Al Swearengen who was portrayed in the popular HBO series, Deadwood. == Understand == The town is named for General George Armstrong Custer, whose military explorations of the Black Hills discovered gold in 1875, sparking the gold rush that lead to the town's founding. He is better remembered for the way he was defeated and killed the following year at the Battle of the Little Bighorn in Montana, sometimes called "Custer's Last Stand". === Tourist information === Visit Custer website == Get in == Custer is at the junction of US Highway 385 and US Highway 16. == Get around == == See == Four Mile Old West Town, 11921 West Highway 16 (4 miles W). Four Mile is situated in the heart of the Black Hills and was named Four Mile by the earliest stagecoach line that came through this area. 1 1881 Courthouse Museum, 411 Mount Rushmore Rd., ☏ +1 605-673-2443. (updated Dec 2017) 2 Crazy Horse Memorial, 12151 Avenue of the Chiefs (on US-16/385), ☏ +1 605-673-4681. The incomplete, and controversial, memorial's mission is to honor the culture, tradition and living heritage of North American Indians. Sculptor Korczak Ziolkowski (an assistant to Mount Rushmore's Borglum) and Lakota Chief Henry Standing Bear officially started Crazy Horse Memorial June 3, 1948. It dwarfs Rushmore in size, and is intended to be the world's largest sculpture, but only the head, face, and basic outline of the outstretched arm have been completed. The project relies exclusively on private donations and admission to the visitors center, which features a theater and a massive collection of Indian art and history. $35 for 3 or more people in a vehicle, $30 2 people in a vehicle, $15 1 person in a vehicle, $10 per person on a motorcycle, bicycle, or walking. == Do == Take a wander through all of the unique stores and businesses. == Buy == Ken's Minerals & Trading Post, 12372 US Hwy 16A, ☏ +1 605-673-4935, kensmineralsllc@gmail.com. Lots of rocks, crystals, and fossils. (updated Dec 2021) == Eat == Purple Pie Place, 19 Mount Rushmore Rd, ☏ +1 605-673-4070. It would be worth stopping in Custer even if Mount Rushmore were elsewhere, if only for its rhubarb pie. Also, soups, sandwiches, and ice cream. $8-15. == Drink == Gold Pan Saloon. Frontier Bar & Grill. VFW. == Sleep == Bavarian Inn, 855 N 5th St, ☏ +1 605-961-0203, service@bavarianinnsd.com. Check-in: 3-10PM. (updated Dec 2021) == Go next == Mount Rushmore - 20 miles away from Custer. Go north on US-16 and east on SR-244 to get to the famous monument. Jewel Cave National Monument - The main Visitor Center and cave entrance is thirteen miles west of Custer on RT 16. This 136 mile long cave is one of the longest caves in the world. It is filled with calcite crystals and other wonders that make up the "jewels" of Jewel Cave National Monument. Wind Cave National Park - Wind Cave National Park is located 6 miles north of Hot Springs, SD. One of the world's longest and most complex caves and 28,295 acres of mixed-grass prairie, ponderosa pine forest, and associated wildlife are the main features of the park. The cave has an outstanding display of boxwork, an unusual cave formation composed of thin calcite fins resembling honeycombs. The park's mixed-grass prairie is one of the few remaining and is home to native wildlife such as bison, elk, pronghorn, mule deer, coyotes, and prairie dogs.