Custer, SD Road Trips

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". Visit Custer website

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.

Take a wander through all of the unique stores and businesses.

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.

Gold Pan Saloon. Frontier Bar & Grill. VFW.

Bavarian Inn, 855 N 5th St, ☏ +1 605-961-0203, [email protected]. Check-in: 3-10PM. (updated Dec 2021)

Custer is at the junction of US Highway 385 and US Highway 16.