Is Custer or Makoshika better?

Custer wins for free-roaming bison, scenic drives, and pairing with Mount Rushmore. Makoshika wins if badlands scenery and dinosaur fossils are your main interest.

Does Makoshika State Park have dinosaur fossils?

Yes. Makoshika sits on the fossil-rich Hell Creek Formation, and remains of dinosaurs including Tyrannosaurus rex and Triceratops have been found there. Its visitor center has fossil displays.

Which park is better for wildlife?

Custer is far better for wildlife, with large free-roaming bison herds, burros, and pronghorn along its Wildlife Loop Road. Makoshika's draw is geology and fossils rather than animals.

Can I pair either with other attractions?

Custer pairs perfectly with Mount Rushmore and Wind Cave in the Black Hills. Makoshika fits a route along the Montana Dinosaur Trail through eastern Montana.

Head to head

Custer vs Makoshika: How to Choose

The short answer

Pick Custer if you can only do one. South Dakota's flagship park delivers free-roaming bison herds, the Wildlife Loop Road, the Needles Highway, and easy pairing with Mount Rushmore, making it the more complete and scenic visit. The exception is the traveler fascinated by badlands and paleontology: that person should choose Makoshika, Montana's largest state park, where eroded hoodoos and Hell Creek fossils, including T. rex and Triceratops finds, are the entire draw.

Pick Custer State Park if

Free-roaming bison, burros, and Black Hills wildlife are the draw
Scenic drives like the Wildlife Loop and Needles Highway appeal to you
You want to pair the visit with Mount Rushmore and the Black Hills

Full Custer State Park guide

Pick Makoshika State Park if

Badlands scenery and dinosaur fossils are what you came for
You want a quieter, more remote park with big dark skies
A visitor center with real fossil displays interests you

Full Makoshika State Park guide

Aperture Authority rules check

Photography rules before you go

If photos are part of the trip, permit and drone rules can change the better pick. Aperture Authority keeps the sourced, dated rules library for the locations below.

South Dakota state park rules

South Dakota rule check for Custer State Park.

No standalone film office anymore; the Department of Tourism points productions to land managers, and Game, Fish and Parks permits all commercial photography in state parks including Custer.

Permits: Usually fine for personal shoots; commercial or large productions can need a permit
Drones: Legal under FAA rules; commercial drone work requires FAA Part 107

Checked 2026-07-01

Full photography rules

Montana state park rules

Montana rule check for Makoshika State Park.

Montana has no statewide photo permit; the film office coordinates, FWP permits state parks, and only Bozeman and Livingston mandate city film permits.

Permits: Usually fine for personal shoots; commercial or large productions can need a permit
Drones: Commercial drone work requires FAA Part 107

Checked 2026-07-01

Full photography rules

Side by side

	Custer State Park	Makoshika State Park
Best time	May to October, with summer services and fall wildlife events as peak draws	May to June and September to October for hiking before and after badlands summer heat
Entrance fee	South Dakota park entrance license required	Free for Montana-resident vehicles; $8 per non-resident vehicle for day use
Size	Not reported	Not reported
Visitors	Not reported	Not reported
Nearest airport	See park page	See park page

Who wins on what

Decision	Winner	Why
Best wildlife	Custer State Park	Large free-roaming bison herds, burros, and pronghorn along the Wildlife Loop.
Best for fossils and badlands	Makoshika State Park	Eroded hoodoos and Hell Creek fossils, including T. rex and Triceratops finds.
Best scenic drives	Custer State Park	The Needles Highway and Wildlife Loop Road are signature routes.
Fewer crowds	Makoshika State Park	Its remote eastern Montana setting keeps it far quieter than the Black Hills.
Best pairing with landmarks	Custer State Park	It sits beside Mount Rushmore, Wind Cave, and the wider Black Hills.
Best dark skies	Makoshika State Park	Remote and open, it offers excellent stargazing over the badlands.
Best range of activities	Custer State Park	Hiking, fishing, swimming, and lodging make it a full-week base.

Can you do both?

These parks are not close together, with Custer in the South Dakota Black Hills and Makoshika in eastern Montana, several hours apart, so most people pick one. Custer pairs naturally with Mount Rushmore and Wind Cave. Makoshika fits a badlands and dinosaur-themed route along the Montana Dinosaur Trail.

Frequently asked questions

Is Custer or Makoshika better?: Custer wins for free-roaming bison, scenic drives, and pairing with Mount Rushmore. Makoshika wins if badlands scenery and dinosaur fossils are your main interest.
Does Makoshika State Park have dinosaur fossils?: Yes. Makoshika sits on the fossil-rich Hell Creek Formation, and remains of dinosaurs including Tyrannosaurus rex and Triceratops have been found there. Its visitor center has fossil displays.
Which park is better for wildlife?: Custer is far better for wildlife, with large free-roaming bison herds, burros, and pronghorn along its Wildlife Loop Road. Makoshika's draw is geology and fossils rather than animals.
Can I pair either with other attractions?: Custer pairs perfectly with Mount Rushmore and Wind Cave in the Black Hills. Makoshika fits a route along the Montana Dinosaur Trail through eastern Montana.

Plan your visit

Whichever park wins for you, here is the gear keyed to these conditions, the tools to size your trip, and related guides.

What to pack

Plan with our tools

Keep reading

Planning either trip? Each park guide has when-to-go, what-to-pack, and camping reservation details. Browse the full national parks index.