Custer State Park Lodging
Every lodge inside the park, how to actually book one, and where to stay when they are full
Updated: July 16, 2026 | Park lodges open May to October
Quick Answer: Where do you stay in Custer State Park?
There are five lodges inside Custer State Park: State Game Lodge (historic, best dining, jeep tours), Sylvan Lake Lodge (best scenery, Black Elk Peak trailhead), Blue Bell Lodge (best cabins, closest to the Wildlife Loop), Legion Lake Lodge (easiest with young kids), and Creekside Lodge (most modern rooms). All five are run by one operator, Custer State Park Resort, and are only bookable direct at custerresorts.com or 888-875-0001, not through Booking.com or Expedia. They are seasonal, roughly May to October, and summer dates sell out 6 to 9 months ahead. If your dates are inside 90 days in summer, assume they are gone and stay in Custer, Hill City, or Keystone instead. A $25 per vehicle entrance license is required either way.
This page covers lodging inside the park boundary. For the park itself, the Wildlife Loop, Needles Highway, entrance fees, and what to do once you are there, see our full Custer State Park guide. For a ranked list of hotels in the town of Custer, see best hotels in Custer, SD.
Table of Contents
Read this before you search a booking site
The five lodges inside Custer State Park are all run by a single concessionaire, Custer State Park Resort. They are not listed on Booking.com, Expedia, or Hotels.com. If you search those sites for "Custer State Park hotels" you will get properties in the surrounding towns, not the in-park lodges. The only way to reserve a room or cabin inside the park is directly at custerresorts.com or by phone at 888-875-0001. We earn nothing from that link. We are including it because it is the only booking channel that works.
All 5 Lodges Inside Custer State Park
Custer State Park covers 71,000 acres, and the five lodges are spread far enough apart that the one you choose determines your whole trip. Sylvan Lake sits at 6,145 feet at the top of the Needles Highway. Blue Bell is down in the southwest near the Wildlife Loop. State Game Lodge and Creekside are together on US-16A on the east side. Driving between Sylvan Lake and Blue Bell takes about 30 minutes on slow, twisting park roads, so pick for the mornings you want, not for the map.
State Game Lodge
The historic oneUS-16A, east side of the park
Native stone and wood lodge built in 1920 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It served as the "Summer White House" for President Calvin Coolidge through the summer of 1927, and President Eisenhower visited in 1953. It is the park's activity hub: the Buffalo Safari Jeep Tours depart from here, and it has the most substantial sit-down dining in the park.
Lodging types: Lodge rooms, motel-style rooms, cabins
Best for: History, dining, jeep tours, first-time visitors
Sylvan Lake Lodge
The scenic oneTop of Needles Highway, 6,145 feet
The 1938 stone and timber lodge sits at the top of the Needles Highway, and the site was chosen by Frank Lloyd Wright. Many original building elements are still in place. It is the closest lodging to Sylvan Lake itself and the trailheads for Black Elk Peak and the Cathedral Spires, which is why it is the hardest room in the park to get in July.
Lodging types: Lodge rooms, cabins
Best for: Hikers, photographers, Black Elk Peak, scenery
Blue Bell Lodge
The western oneSD-87, southwest corner of the park
A cabin-first property with a western theme, hayrides, and a chuckwagon cookout. It has some of the best cabin rooms in the park and sits closest to the southern end of the Wildlife Loop, which matters if you want to be on the loop at dawn. The adjacent Blue Bell campground is typically sold out months ahead.
Lodging types: Cabins, campground
Best for: Cabins, families, Wildlife Loop access, horseback riding
Legion Lake Lodge
The lakeside oneUS-16A at Legion Lake
Classic lakeside cabins on a small swimming lake with watercraft rentals and casual lakeside dining. President Eisenhower fished here during his 1953 visit. It is the most kid-friendly of the five because the lake, the food, and the cabins are all within a few steps of each other.
Lodging types: Cabins
Best for: Families with young kids, swimming, kayaks, low-key stays
Creekside Lodge
The modern oneUS-16A, next to State Game Lodge
The newest and most conventional building of the five, sitting beside the State Game Lodge on US-16A. If you want a modern hotel room with contemporary bathrooms rather than a historic room or a rustic cabin, this is the one. It shares the State Game Lodge's dining and jeep tour departures.
Lodging types: Lodge rooms
Best for: Travelers who want a modern room inside the park
Rates and room inventory change by season and are set by Custer State Park Resort. We do not list nightly prices for the in-park lodges here because we cannot verify them live, and a stale price is worse than no price.
Which Lodge Should You Pick?
Hardest to Book
Sylvan Lake Lodge, then the Blue Bell cabins. Both go first for July.
Best Odds Late
Creekside and State Game Lodge hold inventory longest.
Quietest Month
September. Mild days, thinner crowds, and the Buffalo Roundup.
How to Book Custer State Park Lodging
- 1Go direct. Reserve at custerresorts.com or call 888-875-0001. There is no OTA shortcut and no third-party inventory.
- 2Book 6 to 9 months out for summer. June and July are the peak and they sell out fast. For a July stay, you are booking in the previous autumn or winter.
- 3Call for cabins. Custer State Park Resort specifically asks you to phone the reservations office for cabin bookings rather than relying on the web form.
- 4Add the entrance license. A lodge reservation does not include park entry. You still need a $25 per vehicle license, valid seven days.
- 5Check the season. The lodges are seasonal and generally run May through October. Shoulder dates can close without much notice.
Cancellation tip: because everything routes through one operator, cancelled rooms go straight back into the same inventory. If your dates are fixed and the park lodges are full, it is worth re-checking custerresorts.com a few times in the last month. Meanwhile, hold a refundable room in town so you are not left without a bed. Most of the Custer hotels below offer free cancellation.
Sold Out? Where to Stay Near Custer State Park
This is the situation most people are actually in. The in-park lodges are a small amount of inventory in a park that draws heavy summer traffic, so for a lot of summer dates the honest answer is that you are staying outside the boundary. That is not a downgrade. The town of Custer is about 12 minutes from the US-16A entrance, it has far more choice, and unlike the lodges these are bookable right now with free cancellation.
Bavarian Inn, Black Hills
Custer, 12 minutes from the park entrance
Exceptional
(1,265 reviews)
A European-inspired resort built in 1973 with 64 rooms, indoor and outdoor pools, a pickleball court, and a playground. The most complete family property in Custer and the closest thing to a resort experience outside the park boundary.
Comfort Inn & Suites Custer
Custer, near the US-16A park approach
Very Good
(655 reviews)
Large family suites, a 24-hour fitness center, free breakfast, and adult-only swim times. The reliable mid-range pick when you need multiple rooms on short notice and the park lodges are gone.
Holiday Inn Express & Suites Custer By IHG
Downtown Custer
Very Good
(704 reviews)
Modern suites, a heated indoor pool, and complimentary breakfast, within walking distance of Custer's restaurants. A dependable option if you would rather eat in town than at the lodge restaurants.
Rocket Motel
Downtown Custer
Excellent
(450 reviews)
A preserved mid-century modern motel with neon signage and owner-run service. Genuinely charming, walkable to downtown, and usually holds availability later than the chains.
Chalet Motel
Custer
Very Good
(60 reviews)
Locally owned and operating in Custer since 1938. Basic rooms with modern updates and a continental breakfast. The cheapest credible bed near the park when everything else has repriced for summer.
Custer
Closest town to the park and to Crazy Horse. The default choice if the lodges are full.
All Custer hotelsHill City
Central to the whole Black Hills. Good if you are splitting time between the park and Mount Rushmore.
All Hill City hotelsKeystone
Closest to Mount Rushmore. Choose this if Rushmore matters more to your trip than the Wildlife Loop.
All Keystone hotelsNot sure which town to base in? Our where to stay in the Black Hills guide compares all of them, and Black Hills driving distances shows the real drive times between each town and the park. If you would rather have a kitchen and more space, see Black Hills cabins and vacation rentals.
Camping Inside Custer State Park
If the lodges are gone, campgrounds are the other way to sleep inside the boundary. The park runs nine campgrounds, and they are reserved through South Dakota Game, Fish & Parks rather than through Custer State Park Resort, so it is a separate system with a separate booking window.
Blue Bell Campground
The one everyone wants, near the Wildlife Loop and the Blue Bell cabins. It is typically sold out months in advance for summer dates.
Booking Window
Campsite reservations open on a rolling window ahead of arrival, and the exact window differs by campground. Check SD Game, Fish & Parks for current dates before you plan around it.
Camping cabins are also available through the state system, which is a useful middle ground if you want to be inside the park without a tent. Details are on the GFP camping cabins page.
Tours From Your Custer State Park Lodge
The Buffalo Safari Jeep Tours leave from the State Game Lodge, so if you are staying in the park you can walk to the departure point. Worth booking before you arrive:
Best Custer State Park Wildlife Tours →
Bison safaris, Needles Highway drives, and biologist-led tours.
Best Jeep Tours in Custer State Park →
Open-air safaris into the backcountry, plus chuckwagon dinners.
Custer State Park: Complete Guide →
Wildlife Loop, Needles Highway, fees, and what to skip.
Best Hikes in the Black Hills →
Black Elk Peak, Cathedral Spires, and Sylvan Lake trails.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you stay inside Custer State Park?
Yes. Five lodges sit inside the park: State Game Lodge, Sylvan Lake Lodge, Blue Bell Lodge, Legion Lake Lodge, and Creekside Lodge. There are also nine campgrounds. The lodges are seasonal, generally May through October.
Are Custer State Park lodges on Booking.com or Expedia?
No. All five are operated by Custer State Park Resort and book only through custerresorts.com or 888-875-0001. Booking sites that appear to show "Custer State Park hotels" are showing you properties in the nearby towns.
How far in advance should I book?
Six to nine months for June, July, and August. Sylvan Lake Lodge and the Blue Bell cabins go first. Inside 90 days for a summer date, plan on staying in Custer instead and treat a park lodge as a bonus if a cancellation appears.
Which lodge has the best views?
Sylvan Lake Lodge, without much argument. It sits at 6,145 feet at the top of the Needles Highway, the 1938 building still has its original stone and timber, and the site was picked by Frank Lloyd Wright.
Do I still pay the entrance fee if I stay at a lodge?
Yes. A $25 per vehicle entrance license is required in addition to your room, and it is valid for seven days.
Is it worth staying in the park instead of Custer?
If you want the Wildlife Loop at sunrise or the Black Elk Peak trailhead without a drive, yes. Otherwise the town of Custer is roughly 12 minutes from the entrance with more dining and more rooms, and you keep the flexibility of free cancellation. For most first trips the difference is smaller than people expect.
Booking Custer State Park Lodging for 2026
Try the park lodges first at custerresorts.com or 888-875-0001. If your dates are inside 90 days in summer, they are probably gone, and the practical move is a refundable room in Custer about 12 minutes from the entrance. You can always cancel if a lodge opens up.