Parking
Use the marked Center Lake access for the north trailhead. The other end has a trailhead and parking near Grace Coolidge Campground off US 16A. If you do not arrange a pickup, walk one way and retrace the creek corridor.
Overview
About Grace Coolidge Trail
Why go
- Nearly level walking follows the creek past deep trout pools.
Heads up
- Repeated creek crossings can leave boots wet.
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Custer map
Full mapElevation4,406–4,843 ft
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Safety
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Custer Tour Guide
Your drive to Grace Coolidge Trail, 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.
Recorded for this trailhead
Center Lake: A Lake Day and Lost Stone Paths0:00 / 0:27
“You're nearing Center Lake, a good place to spend an afternoon swimming or fishing beside the pines. Boats run at no-wake speed, and the swimming beach has no lifeguard.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Custer Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Seven Centuries in a Pine
- Black Hills Playhouse: A Summer Show
- The Tunnels Beneath Pine Bark
- Ice in the Granite Cracks
- 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.”
Trail guide
Hiking Grace Coolidge Trail
The walkThe unpaved Grace Coolidge Trail follows Grace Coolidge Creek between Center Lake and the…
The unpaved Grace Coolidge Trail follows Grace Coolidge Creek between Center Lake and the access by US 16A. It is a 4.6-mile out-and-back, using the detailed trail panel's 2.3-mile one-way distance; allow about 2–4 hours. The grade is nearly level and the park rates it easy to moderate, though repeated creek crossings make it more than a dry stroll. Other park and visitor materials give longer figures, up to 3 miles each way, so confirm which access and turnaround your map describes.
Creek crossings and poolsThe route crosses the creek several times, and the park warns that water can splash your boots.
The route crosses the creek several times, and the park warns that water can splash your boots. One reported walk found plank bridges at many crossings, but don't count on staying dry. Six low-head dams create deep, cool pools that support brook, brown and rainbow trout. This is the walk-in fishing corridor, distinct from the paved Creekside Trail along the same creek.
A creek named for Grace CoolidgeThe creek takes its name from First Lady Grace Coolidge.
The creek takes its name from First Lady Grace Coolidge. During the Coolidges' 1927 stay at the State Game Lodge, she was known for hiking these hills while Calvin fished and worked. The dams were built to keep pools deep and cool through hot summer months, giving the valley its fishing character as well as its repeated crossings.
Access and alternativesUse the marked Center Lake access at the north end; the other trailhead and parking are by…
Use the marked Center Lake access at the north end; the other trailhead and parking are by Grace Coolidge Campground near US 16A. Unless you arrange a pickup, turn around at the far end and follow the same creek corridor back. For a paved, wheelchair- and stroller-accessible creek walk, the separate Creekside Trail is 2.4 miles one way. Bikes are also allowed on this route; horses are prohibited in the watershed.
Wildlife and petsDogs are allowed on a leash no longer than 10 feet, but not on designated swim beaches or in…
Dogs are allowed on a leash no longer than 10 feet, but not on designated swim beaches or in park buildings. Bison and elk are wild; keep at least 100 yards away and give them room to move.
Wildlife
Wildlife in Custer
993 sightingsBisonMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
91 sightingsWapitiMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
258 sightingsBighorn SheepMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
85 sightingsMountain GoatMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
256 sightingsBurroMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
707 sightingsPronghornMost seen around 6 AMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Custer. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
