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