A lot of dog poop that people do not pick up. No area for small dogs to romp around off leash…read more People don't really watch their animals and just let them roam. Does have a great creek for dogs to cool off in. It is kinda click based with many people knowing each other so they socialize and then do not watch their dogs.

My dogs love going here!! They start crying as soon as we get close! We go very regularly! They…read morelove swimming in the creek. We have never had any issues towards the land or the park! When I first started going here I had issues with other dog parents not watching their dog and letting them go unattended. (male dogs getting on my females back and the male owner not getting him off.) Has never stopped us from going just watch your doggies

Our visit to South Dakota was an unforgettable experience from beginning to end. Custer park was…read moreone of our top priorities to visit. Man was it worth it! Every turn along the scenic drives revealed something new and breathtaking--towering mountains, rolling hills, endless grassy plains, crystal-clear lakes and streams, beautiful log cabins, and wildlife roaming freely in their natural habitat. We drove arms reach from bison, and deer. We got out of our car to pet and feed burros, and marveled over other animals right alongside the roadway. The prairie dogs were adorable and funny too. It was an incredible reminder of how special this park truly is. Especially considering I love animals, history, and the artistry of nature. One of the highlights was driving through the famous narrow rock tunnels. The engineering is amazing, and the views framed through the tunnels are simply unforgettable. We also stopped at several cliffside overlooks where the panoramic views stretched as far as the eye could see. Standing there, looking out over the landscape, gave us a true appreciation for the beauty and scale of the Black Hills. Whether you're looking for incredible photography, scenic drives, wildlife viewing, or simply a peaceful escape into nature, Custer State Park delivers on every level. It's one of those places that makes you slow down, take a deep breath, and appreciate God's incredible creation. If you're visiting South Dakota, Custer State Park isn't just worth seeing--it's an experience you'll remember for a lifetime. We can't wait to return.

This place should be a national park, in my opinion!…read more Going in to it with an open mind is important--wild animals are, in fact, wild and can't be predicted or controlled! That being said, you're almost guaranteed to see SOMETHING. We were lucky enough to get stuck in a bison jam, see the burros and a number of deer and prongtails. Get up early or take a drive around dusk if you miss the wildlife during the day. It's a beautiful, diverse park. Needles highway is a must do and is so cool to see the rock formations. Starting after the wildlife loop and driving to Sylvan Lake was amazing and the lake offered a great break from the car. We wish we would have planned for more time at the lake and come prepared with swimsuits, etc! Even if just visiting for a day, I think the $25 park entrance fee is worth it. But if you have the time, plan to take your time and spend more than one day here!

I love that there is no entrance fee for Mount Rushmore, but you do have to pay for parking. It was…read moreregularly $10 or if you're over 62 it's five dollars you take a ticket when you go into the parking lot and you will pay at a pay station before you leave. It will ask you if you're over 62 There is a lot of room to view the monument as well as a restaurant, gift shop, clean restrooms, and plenty of areas to sit on benches and such to enjoy the environment Definitely something you need to check off your bucket list

We stopped at Mount Rushmore while driving through South Dakota, and it's an impressive site that's…read morevery well designed for visitors. The memorial is easy to navigate, with excellent viewpoints, informative exhibits, and a beautiful setting in the Black Hills. We also appreciated learning more about the history of the area. Knowing that the mountain was considered sacred by the Lakota people before it was carved gave us mixed feelings and added important historical context to the visit. If you have the opportunity, be sure to watch the short film in the visitor center. It does a great job explaining the history, construction, and significance of the monument, and it made our visit much more meaningful. Overall, it's a worthwhile stop, especially if you're traveling through the region.

We visited this attraction with our two young sons during a cross-country road trip, and it ended…read moreup being one of the highlights of our stop. The collection of reptiles and amphibians is impressive, with an incredible variety of species to see. Our favorite experiences were getting to pet the giant tortoises and watching the live alligator and snake shows. Both were entertaining, educational, and kept our kids completely engaged. Whether you're a lifelong reptile enthusiast or just mildly curious about these animals, this is a fun and worthwhile place to visit. It's especially great for families with young children and makes for a memorable stop if you're traveling through the area.

Our visit to Reptile Gardens was absolutely unforgettable! From the moment we walked in, we were…read moreblown away by how well-kept, interactive, and family-friendly everything was. Traveling with our 5-year-old, this was easily one of the highlights of our trip. He was completely fascinated by the huge variety of reptiles--especially the giant tortoises and snakes--and the live shows were both entertaining and educational. The staff did an amazing job keeping kids engaged while teaching them fun facts along the way. The grounds are beautiful and easy to navigate, making it a relaxing experience for parents too. You can tell how much care goes into the animals and the overall experience. If you're in the Rapid City area, this is a must-do--perfect mix of fun, learning, and memorable moments for the whole family!

This may be one of the most underrated national parks in the entire National Park System. Admission…read moreto the park is free, but if you're planning to take one of the cave tours, be sure to reserve your tickets through the park's website well in advance. The tours only cost a few dollars, but they sell out quickly, and we saw many visitors turned away after waiting to purchase tickets in person. The wildlife viewing alone made the trip worthwhile. We saw bison, pronghorn, prairie dogs, and mule deer from incredibly close distances, making it one of the best wildlife experiences we've had in a national park. We took the Garden of Eden Cave Tour and absolutely loved it. The cave formations were impressive, and learning about the Lakota emergence story added a meaningful cultural and historical dimension to the experience. Overall, it was an unforgettable visit and a park that deserves far more recognition than it receives.

I can't rate a park anything less than 5 stars; this is a small national park and easy to spend…read morehalf a day here and add in to a trip. This was a last minute addition so we missed the opportunity to do a cave tour. Next time! The visitor center is surprisingly large and really neat even if not visiting the cave. You can walk to the original entrance of the cave from the visitor center which is neat to see and "cool" to feel cold the air blowing out of the opening. We saw soooo many bison! And a coyote hunting prairie dogs! This national park doesn't charge an entrance fee to walk around or drive thru, so if you are in the area and maybe missed wildlife at the state park, it's worth a drive through to try and catch a view of some animals! Make sure your kiddos get junior ranger badges at the visitor center!

We visited Badlands National Park during our cross-country road trip with our 4- and 5-year-old…read moreboys, and it was one of the most breathtaking landscapes we saw. The scenery is absolutely stunning, with dramatic rock formations that were created from layers of ancient sediment deposited when this region was covered by water millions of years ago. The visitor center is excellent and well worth visiting before exploring the park. The exhibits are very informative, and we especially enjoyed the fossil preparation lab, where you can learn about the incredible fossils that continue to be discovered in the Badlands. Since much of the park is open for off-trail exploration, it's important to stop at the visitor center first to learn the rules regarding fossil collecting and what to do if you happen to find one. The views throughout the park are simply remarkable, and there are countless opportunities to stop, hike, and take in the unique landscape. Whether you're interested in geology, paleontology, wildlife, or just spectacular scenery, Badlands National Park is an unforgettable destination and one of the highlights of our trip.

I'm never going to rank something nature made less than 5 stars!…read more A unique national park...and a hot one! There is very little shade in this park and it is incredibly hot (we visited in July). We visited with two small kids (5 year old, 1.5 year old) so didn't do any major hikes. We did Door Trail which was fun to leave the boardwalk and explore for the whole family. We also did the Window "trail" which I would consider more of an overlook. We did the Cliff Shelf Nature Trail which I highly recommend for anyone! It gets you some different terrain and some shade. The views can be awe inspiring and otherworldly--not every overlook is worth stopping in my opinion but there's some really neat ones. The visitor center is good. Most stops have vault toilets which were all pretty well maintained. Would not recommend the extra drive to the prairie dog town...we saw prairie dogs all over the state so it wasn't really anything special. We saw several bison outside of the Pinnacles entrance and several herds on the way to the Interior entrance from the west. Try to go early in the day and late in the day to keep cool. And make sure your kiddos get their junior ranger badges at the visitor center.

We have been to the location in Arizona that is similar to this, and we were staying in a…read morecampground about 3 miles away, so we thought we would stop in here on our way to see Mount Rushmore and other tourist attractions It cost $44 for entrance, that includes a senior discount. You have a loop that you drive and you stay in your car to see the animals and then you park go through a visitor center and have a separate area where you could walk around and see other animals, such as the younger bears. You are definitely up close in Personal with these animals, they have a ton of bears, and they are all over the place, crossing the road, walking by your car. Everyone was super respectful, stayed in their vehicles. The bears did not seem agitated at all. They also had quite a few buffalo and obviously baby buffaloes too If you like animals, this one is definitely worth a stop. They do have a concession stand in the walkable area and they had pretty reasonably priced snack food, such as uncrushable, peanut butter and jelly, chips and such

This was such a great experience at around $25 per person. The big bear experience is a drive…read morethrough that gets you within a few feet of the bears. There are no fences that separate you, so if that gives you anxiety, this is not for you. We went through at feeding time, which made this even better. At the end of the drive through there was a small walk through zoo, which was also impressive. The highlight of the walk through was the bear cubs exhibit, they played and wrestled the entire time. The location is on the way from the airport to Mount Rushmore or Custer State Park. Convenient and recommended!

We stopped here to view America's largest Berlin Wall exhibit and of course see the many beautiful…read moresculptures we had heard about. It is a lovely park with lots of greenspace and beautiful foliage but there were many unhoused persons and some seemed to be living/sleeping next to the statues so we weren't able to spend to much time enjoying some of them or get to close and we didn't want to bother anyone. The ones we did see up close were magnificent! We enjoyed walking through the park on the paved trails and perhaps it was just because we were from outside the area but we had difficulty finding anywhere close to park so we also had a nice walk to and from the park as well. The highlight for my husband was getting to spin the 9,000 lb piece of granite. The engineering makes it possible but it's still pretty tough to get that 4 ton stone moving. This park is worth a stop just for that.

This park is a memorial to those that died in the Rapid Creek floods of 1972. An amphitheater,…read moreplayground, lake & war monuments are displayed here as well. There are sections of the Berlin Wall because this was the front line for the Cold War. Missile & launch control facilities are peppered through the grasslands & are run by the National Park Service.