A herd of bison approaches from the distance at Custer State Park.
The begging burros in Custer State Park are experts at their trade
The burros are friendly enough to pet at Custer State Park.
sauntering down the middle of the street with a regal air. We crept past him in our truck as he walked, and he glanced over at us, nostrils flaring. What an enormous and intimidating creature! Just a short distance further down the road we came across a small herd of burros. These guys were very cheeky, and they didn't hesitate for a moment to come over and press their noses against the truck window. We lowered the back window and a burro poked his head all the way in to give us the once over. These animals weren't the slightest bit shy, and we found out why when we saw several mares with their foals later in the afternoon. Each pair was surrounded by admiring throngs of children and parents fawning over them. Although visitors aren't supposed to feed the burros, several people had come armed with carrots and lettuce, and the burros happily munched away on the treats. Years ago, the domestic ancestors of this herd of feral burros had provided rides to park visitors. However, when the park decided to discontinue the rides, they simply released the burros to the wild, and a new kind of entertainment was born as the burros began to interact with the visitors on their own. Accustomed to people and unafraid of being petted, these funny animals have rightfully earned the nickname, the "Begging Burros!"
In other portions of the park we found several prairie dog communities. These little critters live in underground mazes, and we loved watching them pop up from their holes to survey the landscape and then disappear back down underground again. As we photographed them engaging in their charming antics, we suddenly heard the resounding hoofbeats of a herd of bison rumbling towards us from the distant hillsides. In just a few minutes the herd, which seemed to number about a hundred bison, made their way across the open meadow to where we were standing. The prairie dogs all disappeared into their dens when the huge beasts approached, and after snapping a bunch of photos we dove into our truck as the herd streamed around us on both sides like flowing water. There are lots of scenic drives in the area, and the Needles Highway is among the most popular. This skinny road winds between pinnacle rock formations (the "needles") and offers fabulous views as it twists and turns through the hills. Two very narrow and low tunnels through the rocks make it tricky to take a big pickup on this drive, even though tour buses manage to "thread the needle" through these tunnels every day. But smaller vehicles and motorcycles can get through the tunnels easily and the scenery is terrific.
SOUTH DAKOTA'S BLACK HILLS
COAST TO COAST SUMMER MAGAZINE 2020
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