Overview
About Legion Lake
Why stop
- A beach, easy loop and boat rentals make a flexible lakeside stop.
The name comes from the local American Legion post that once leased the land. The lodge area's story goes back to 1913, when this part of Custer State Park was a game preserve within Custer State Forest. The lodge was rebuilt in 2016.
Parkwolf’s verdictWhy it's called Legion LakeMap
Where it is
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Custer Tour Guide
Your drive to Legion Lake, narrated.
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Custer State Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
See the Custer audio tourRecorded for this place
Legion Lake: A Short Walk and Lakeside Lunch“Legion Lake is coming up, a handy stop for a short walk and a meal beside the water. Choose the Lakeshore Trail from the fishing-dock lot for an easy circuit of about two-thirds of a mile, taking around half an hour.”
Plays as you drive up to Legion Lake in the Parkwolf Custer Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Why Turtles Share a Sunny Log
- Badger Hole: The Poet’s Cabin
- The Dragonfly's Underwater Life
- The Vulture's Wobbly Glide
- 82 audio storiesacross Custer’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor Bison, Wapiti, Bighorn Sheep, and 13 more
- Works offlinemaps, 40 trails, 49 places, and audio download before you lose signal
- CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
“We recently toured Badlands, Custer State Park, Mount Rushmore and more! We learned so much from this app as we toured each of these sites. The audio tours are worth the money.”
Guide
More about Legion Lake
A good short stop for the waterLegion Lake is a lake along US 16A in Custer State Park, with a designated swim beach, fishing…
Legion Lake is a lake along US 16A in Custer State Park, with a designated swim beach, fishing dock and short shoreline loop. It works best as an easy recreation break: swim, paddle, or take a gentle walk around the water. The beach has no lifeguard, and pets and glass containers are not allowed on designated swim beaches.
Walk the shore or get out on the lakeThe Legion Lakeshore Trail is an easy loop of less than a mile (1.6 km).
The Legion Lakeshore Trail is an easy loop of less than a mile (1.6 km). Its trailhead is at the west end of the fishing dock parking lot. Swimming and fishing are allowed; bring a South Dakota fishing license if you plan to fish. Canoes, kayaks and paddleboards are rented from the lodge area, with life jackets provided. Only electric motors are allowed on Legion Lake.
Food beside the waterLegion Lake Lodge sits next to the lake.
Legion Lake Lodge sits next to the lake. Dockside Grill serves salads, sandwiches and all-day meals, while the resort store has snacks, picnic drinks and milkshakes. The restaurant and store operate seasonally, so they may not be available outside the lodge season.
Wildlife
Wildlife in Custer
993 sightingsBisonMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
91 sightingsWapitiMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
260 sightingsBighorn SheepMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
85 sightingsMountain GoatMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
259 sightingsBurroMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
711 sightingsPronghornMost seen around 6 AMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Custer. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
