Buffalo (Bison) at Custer State Park.

Today we travel to the Custer State Park.  It is about a 20 minute drive from the RV park. The park has a variety of landscapes including mountains covered in pines, rolling prairie hills covered in grasses and deep rough rock canyons. The plan is to do the "tourist" drive through the State Park. 

Tourist drive:
To drive slowly on roads through a park (State, Federal, or otherwise) looking for wildlife or scenic views. Slowing or stopping traffic is expected.
Stopping at all pull-outs and reading informational signs is required.
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The park was built by the CCC (Civilian Conservation Corps) from 1933 to 1942.  They built 25 miles of roads, 20 bridges, and buildings for the park.  It is an amazing park.

Custer State Park started with 36 buffalo in 1914.  They have between 900 and 1500 in the parks herds.  From more than 50 millions of animals when the first Europeans came to the prairie the numbers had been reduced to less than 1000 by 1890. If it were not for ranchers deciding to save the species, buffalo would have be extinct.  One of the stated reason for the creation of Yellowstone was to save the last wild herds of buffalo.  Now there are herds in multiple states to protect the species.

There were several large herds of Buffalo we were able to see today.  It seems that every female has a baby.

Even more Buffalo.  Yes, I call them Buffalo not the "official" name of Bison.  No one has ever heard lyrics of "Where the Bison roam..." or that famous hunter and showman "Bison Bill",  ordered a dozen hot and spicy Bison Wings, have you ever visited that city in the north east Bison,NY ??

Further down the road, we could see a coral in the distance.  It is there for the park rangers to bring the buffalo together each fall.  They are checked and vaccinated.

The drive was beautiful beyond the wildlife.

We were also able to see some Antelope and Mule Deer on our drive.  The deer crossed just before we came to that point in the road.  They were so far up a hillside and in the trees that we did not get any photos.

The day ended with a great sunset.