Mount Coolidge, Wind Cave National Park, Wildlife Loop in Custer State Park

· animals · exploring · GIF · map · park · Custer SP

A scenic drive up Mount Coolidge in Custer State Park, then anti-clockwise through Wind Cave National Park (which is still not available for cave tours), and back through Wildlife Loop in Custer State Park, with lots of bison seen.

A fire lookout at the top of Mount Coolidge, at 6,020 feet elevation:

Fire lookout
Fire lookout

Views:

Road
View

Bison in Wind Cave National Park:

Bison in Wind Cave National Park

Pigtail loop in Wind Cave National Park:

Pigtail loop in Wind Cave National Park

One lane bridge in Wind Cave National Park:

One way bridge in Wind Cave National Park

More bison in Wind Cave National Park:

Bison in Wind Cave National Park

Out of the park, along a dirt road:

Dirt road

To an entrance back into Wind Cave National Park:

Dirt road entrance to Wind Cave National Park
Dirt road

Then joining Custer State Park’s Wildlife Loop:

Wildlife Loop

Bison Center:

Bison Center
Bison Center

A map showing where the wildlife was at the time. We told the ranger that the burros were actually in the corrals in front of the Bison Center (the fence was open, so they wandered in to eat the tasty food):

Bison Center

Wild burros and fans:

Burros

Following that map, we found a large herd of bison:

Bison
Bison
Bison
Bison
Bison
Bison
Bison having a dust bath
Bison
Bison
Bison
Bison

Nice.