Custer State Park Wildlife Loop

Grazing herds, road crossings, and cows with calves along the 18-mile Wildlife Loop Road, July 2019

Wildlife Loop Road runs 18 miles through Custer State Park in the Black Hills of South Dakota, passing open grassland and ponderosa pine forest where a herd of roughly 1,300 bison roam freely across 71,000 acres. The park maintains one of the largest publicly held bison herds in the world, and sightings along this stretch of pavement — including animals crossing the road itself — are common enough that rangers post warning signs for drivers.

The herd traces back to 1914, when 36 bison were reintroduced to the park after the species had been hunted to near extinction across the Great Plains. Custer State Park was established in 1913, and the 18-mile loop road was built in the 1930s specifically to give visitors close access to its free-roaming wildlife. Each September the park holds its Buffalo Roundup, a tradition begun in 1965 in which riders and volunteers drive the herd together for health checks and population management, drawing thousands of spectators to watch. This set moves through the full range of encounters the road offers — grazing herds, lone bulls weighing up to 2,000 pounds, cows with spring calves, and animals crossing the pavement between feeding grounds — covering the herd's daily presence across the park's mixed-grass prairie in greater depth than any single encounter along the route could show.

American bison with brown and black fur stands in grassland near coniferous forest. — *July 5, 2019* — The American bison grazing along Wildlife Loop Road belongs to one of the largest publicly held herds in the country, numbering around 1,300 animals within Custer State Park's 71,000 acres. Custer State Park holds an annual Buffalo Roundup each fall, drawing thousands of spectators to watch riders and volunteers herd the animals for vaccination and population management. Bulls in the herd can weigh up to 2,000 pounds, and both sexes carry curved horns that grow throughout their lives. The park's herd descends from bison reintroduced in the 1900s after the species was nearly wiped out across the Great Plains in the previous century.

Herd of bison crossing Wildlife Loop Road through ponderosa pine forest and grassland. — *July 5, 2019* — Wildlife Loop Road is an 18-mile paved route through Custer State Park in the Black Hills of South Dakota, built in the 1930s to give visitors close access to the park's free-roaming animals. Custer State Park maintains one of the largest publicly held bison herds in the world, numbering around 1,300 animals, descended in part from stock reintroduced to the region in the early 20th century after the species was nearly wiped out. Park rangers conduct an annual roundup each fall to manage herd size and monitor health, a tradition that draws thousands of spectators. Bison here regularly move across the roadway between grazing areas, and park rules require drivers to stay in their vehicles and keep a safe distance during these crossings.

Bison cow and calf grazing in grassland at Custer State Park, South Dakota. — *July 5, 2019* — Custer State Park's bison herd numbers around 1,300 animals, one of the largest publicly held herds in the world. Wildlife Loop Road, an 18-mile stretch through the park's mixed-grass prairie and ponderosa pine forest, is where visitors most often encounter the herd grazing or crossing the pavement. Calves are born in the spring, typically April through June, and stay close to their mothers through the summer months. Each September the park rounds up the herd on horseback, a practice started in 1965 to manage the population and check the animals' health.

American bison stands on Wildlife Loop Road in Custer State Park, South Dakota. — *July 5, 2019* — American bison graze along Wildlife Loop Road, an 18-mile route through Custer State Park in the Black Hills of South Dakota. The park maintains a herd of roughly 1,300 bison, one of the largest publicly held herds in the world, descended from animals reintroduced in 1914 after the species neared extinction on the Great Plains. Each September, the park holds its annual Buffalo Roundup, drawing thousands of spectators to watch cowboys and volunteers drive the herd across the prairie for health checks and population management. Bison bulls can weigh up to 2,000 pounds, and their grazing patterns help sustain the mixed-grass prairie that defines much of the park's 71,000 acres.

Mature American bison standing in grassland at Custer State Park, South Dakota. — *July 5, 2019* — Custer State Park's bison herd grazes across 71,000 acres of mixed-grass prairie and ponderosa pine forest in the Black Hills, much of it visible from the 18-mile Wildlife Loop Road. The park was established in 1913, and its bison population traces back to 1914, when 36 animals were introduced after the species had been hunted to near extinction across the continent. The herd now numbers around 1,300, making it one of the largest publicly owned bison herds in the world. Each fall, Custer State Park holds an annual roundup to manage herd size and monitor health, a practice that's been carried out since 1965.

American bison cow and calf crossing a paved park road through grassland. — *July 5, 2019* — Custer State Park's Wildlife Loop Road runs 18 miles through the southern Black Hills of South Dakota, cutting straight through open range where the park's bison herd roams freely. That herd numbers around 1,300 animals, one of the largest publicly held bison herds in the world, and sightings along this stretch of pavement are common enough that rangers post warning signs for drivers. Calves are born in the spring, arriving a reddish-brown color that darkens to the adult's blackish-brown coat within a few months. Each fall the park holds its Buffalo Roundup, a decades-old tradition where riders drive the herd together for health checks and population management, drawing thousands of spectators to watch cowboys work cattle that can weigh up to 2,000 pounds.

Large bison grazing in the grass — *July 5, 2019* — A herd of bison grazes in Custer State Park, South Dakota. Established in 1913, the park is home to one of the largest bison herds in the world, a testament to conservation efforts. The park's landscape, characterized by rolling hills and ponderosa pine forests, provides essential habitat for these American icons. Bison were reintroduced to the park in the early 20th century, helping to restore a species that had been nearly eradicated.

Custer State Park Wildlife Loop

Minneapolis Photographer