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Print Friendly MapThe Custer State Park Spur offers a 3.2-mile paved connection between South Dakota's 109-mile George S. Mickelson Trail and Custer State Park, home to bison, coyotes, and prairie dogs in the beautiful Black Hills. For those on a multi-day adventure on the Mickelson Trail, this spur also provides a link to camping opportunities inside the park.
The trail begins on Custer's east side and parallels U.S. Highway 16 to Stockade Lake in the park. Here you'll find the Gordon Stockade, a replica of a log fortress built during the 1874 gold rush. A wide grassy median separates the trail from the road, but note that there is little shade along the route.
Parking is available in Custer State Park.
Biked from Custer State Park to the main trail. Nice wide asphalt surface for biking. Trail runs along the highway. There are a couple of climbs but both fairly short.
Skated from the Shopko in Custer to Custer State Park and back. $4 fee for the trail, there's a self-pay station at the trailhead in Custer State Park. The pavement is pretty rough most of the way, but since this is mostly used by cyclists it's probably fine for most users. The bridges are pretty bad too, several have big bumps on the transition from asphalt to wood and the parallel planks are sketchy. Views are pretty nice though, and Fort Custer is an interesting stop.
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