Buffalo Roundup

The Buffalo Roundup is the annual event that brings the Custer State Park bison herd together, and it is one of the great spectacles of the Black Hills. It takes place on a Friday morning in late September, when cowboys, cowgirls and park staff on horseback gather about 1,300 animals from the prairie and drive them into corrals. The roundup is also a practical herd-management exercise, and the crews work the rest of the herd in October. Spectators watch from two viewing areas, one reached from the Game Lodge area on the Wildlife Loop Road and one near the Blue Bell campground, and parking opens very early in the morning. Arrive early to get a good spot, stay until the herd is in the corrals around noon, and bring folding chairs, binoculars, layered clothing and rain gear. Breakfast and lunch are available for a fee. An arts festival runs in the days leading up to the roundup, with up to 150 vendors, a pancake breakfast and Western and Native American entertainment. The park entrance license applies.

The scene itself is hard to forget. The herd comes over the ridge in a dust cloud, the horses run alongside, and the sound of hooves carries across the prairie. It looks chaotic, but it is carefully organized, with riders positioned along the route to guide the animals into the corrals.

The pace varies, and the crews adjust to the herd's behavior, so the timing can shift. The experience is as much about the crowd as the animals, with families, photographers and locals sharing the hillside. Many visitors rank it among the highlights of a Black Hills trip.

Planning matters because demand is high. Lodging inside and near the park books early for the roundup weekend, often many months ahead, and traffic on the park roads can be heavy before dawn. Choose your viewing area in advance, since vehicles leave the way they entered, and consider the shuttle if you bring an RV, which is discouraged.

Pets should stay home. Bring food or buy breakfast at the viewing area, dress for cold mornings and warm afternoons, and carry water. Binoculars help, but even without them the view is excellent. After the herd is corralled, the crowd disperses, and the Wildlife Loop reopens.

Combine the roundup with the rest of the weekend. The arts festival is a good way to spend Thursday or Friday afternoon, and the Crazy Horse Volksmarch is held on a Sunday of the same weekend, so some visitors do both. Check dates and viewing information with the park before you plan, since the exact Friday changes each year.

If you cannot attend, the park's bison are visible year-round on the Wildlife Loop, and a late-September visit offers fall color and quieter trails. The roundup is a seasonal pattern, so build the rest of your trip around it rather than adding it as an afterthought.