Custer State Park, SD
A paved creekside stroll with bridges and easy campground access.
Overview
Map & elevation
Plan your hike
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Custer Tour Guide
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 trailhead
Grace Coolidge: Creekside Camping and a Gentle Walk“Up ahead is Grace Coolidge Campground, a small wooded camping area beside the creek. The highway divides it: six tent-only sites are on the north side, while the south side takes other camping units.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Custer Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
“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.”
Trail guide
Creekside Trail is a paved point-to-point walk beside Grace Coolidge Creek, linking Game Lodge Campground and Grace Coolidge Campground. Budget about 2 miles one way and 1 to 2 hours. Published figures range up to 2.4 miles; the mapped line between the campground access points measures about 1.9. The mostly level surface makes it an easy waterside outing and is suitable for wheelchairs and strollers. It does not loop: leave a car at both ends, arrange a ride, or walk back for roughly 4 miles.
From Grace Coolidge Campground, follow the paved path beside US-16A toward the Game Lodge end. Several bridges cross the creek. Along the way, the route passes the park office, Coolidge General Store, Peter Norbeck Visitor Center and State Game Lodge, so it is easy to split into a shorter stretch from one of those access points. The grade is mostly level; cyclists should walk their bikes on the steeper section near the park office.
Bison may move through the creek corridor and onto the path, including its bridges. Give one plenty of room and wait for it to leave or turn back rather than trying to pass close. Pets are allowed but must remain under immediate control.
The route follows clear pools and a series of creek crossings through a mix of shaded trees and open meadow. The park stocks Grace Coolidge Creek with brook and rainbow trout; you can look for fish from the bridges without leaving the path.
Grace Coolidge Creek is named for First Lady Grace Coolidge. She and President Calvin Coolidge stayed at the State Game Lodge in 1927, putting a small presidential connection right alongside this easy walk.
Wildlife
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.
Keep exploring
ModerateLovers Leap Trail4 mi · 3 hr · 1.2 mi awayA steep ridge, a rocky perch, then Galena Creek crossings.
ModerateGrace Coolidge Trail4.6 mi · 3 hr · 2.1 mi awayA nearly level creek walk past trout pools and repeated crossings.
ModerateLost Trails: Lower Loop1.5 mi · 1 hr · 2.1 mi awayA rocky lake loop with waterfall views and CCC stonework
ModerateLost Trails: Upper Loop and Overlook1 mi · 45 min · 2.1 mi awayA short, steep loop climbs old stone paths to a lake overlook.
ModerateBarnes Canyon Trail4.9 mi · 4.5 hr · 2.7 mi awayA 4.9-mile one-way walk through Dry Creek backcountry.
ModerateCalkins Draw Trail4.4 mi · 2.8 hr · 2.7 mi awayA backcountry trail from Barnes Canyon down to French Creek.
ModerateGalena Trail6.4 mi · 2.5 hr · 3 mi awayA 6.4-mile out-and-back on a marked, shared-use Custer trail.
EasyBadger Clark Trail0.6 mi · 45 min · 3.1 mi awayRock-lined tread, poetry signs, and a loop beside Badger Hole.
Campground · At the trailheadGrace Coolidge CampgroundCreekside camping with tent-only sites across US 16A.
Campground · 0.7 mi awayShady Rest Non-Profit Youth Camp AreaPrimitive tent camping reserved for organized nonprofit youth groups.
Store · 1 mi awayCoolidge General StoreA former Coolidge staff house with pizza, malts, and useful supplies.
Sight · 1.1 mi awayPeter Norbeck Outdoor Education CenterHands-on nature exhibits lead straight to open-ended outdoor play.
Lodging · 1.3 mi awayState Game LodgeA Summer White House still working as a lodge and restaurant.
Lodging · 1.5 mi awayCreekside LodgeRoomy suites and a paved creekside trail, right in the park.
Campground · 1.7 mi awayGame Lodge CampgroundA central base near Wildlife Loop Road and State Game Lodge.
Campground · 1.8 mi awayCalvin Coolidge Group AreaFive electric sites share a shelter and central fire ring.Parkwolf’s Custer ranking
The audio tour guide for the drive, plus offline maps, trails, and wildlife heatmaps for when the signal drops.
