Win a Free Upgrade
New for 2026! All guests who are staying at a Custer State Park Resort lodge room or cabin on May 15, 16, and/or 17, 2026 will be entered into a drawing for a free upgrade to the Ponderosa Cabin at Blue Bell Lodge!
Back to News
Open House & Free Fishing Weekend
Open House & Free Fishing Weekend
Even though we officially open around the end of April each year, our first celebration takes place the weekend before Memorial Day Weekend. For three days, all travelers can enjoy free entrance to Custer State Park and free fishing, where no park license is required (camping fees and fishing regulations still apply).
Special Discounts All Weekend
20% off your Buffalo Safari Jeep Tour and/or Hayride & Chuckwagon Cookout for May 15, 16, and 17, 2026. Book your activity today!
Stay at any of our four resorts in Custer State Park between opening day and Open House Weekend for some of the best savings offered all year. Stay two (2) nights save 15% and stay three (3) or more nights and save 20% on most lodge rooms and cabins. Limited exclusions apply. Inquire for details or book online today.
Book Now
2026 Event Schedule
Stop out to Custer State Park for live music, demonstrations, special programs, and the annual Buffalo Chip Flip contest, which takes place at the Peter Norbeck Outdoor Education Center each year. First prize in both categories wins $100 CSPR gift card!
The 2026 Event Schedule [PDF] is out!
Custer State Park Open House Weekend 2026:
Friday, May 15 - Sunday, May 17, 2026
See the Schedule on the App
Trivia Night at Sylvan Lake Lodge
Join us for a fun evening of Custer State Park–themed trivia on the Veranda at Sylvan Lake Lodge! Test your knowledge of park history, wildlife, and local legends while enjoying the beautiful Black Hills scenery. Trivia begins at 7:00 PM on Saturday, May 16, making it the perfect way to spend a spring evening with friends and family. Bring your team, grab a drink, and see who knows Custer State Park best! 🦬🧠
Country Music Series at Blue Bell Lodge
Enjoy live country music all weekend at Blue Bell Lodge during Open House Weekend! Both Saturday and Sunday will have solo artists from 11am to 2pm and again from 5pm to 8pm. It’s the perfect way to unwind after a day of exploring Custer State Park. Check the Open House Weekend schedule for performance times and featured artists. 🎶🌄
Artist Lineup is on the App
Pancake Feed
We invite you to stop in to the pancake feeds at Legion Lake Lodge from 8am to 10am on both Saturday and Sunday morning of Open House Weekend. All donated proceeds from the pancake & sausage meals purchased support the Custer County Search & Rescue. Come one, come all and this year will be the biggest donation yet, as you enjoy some of the only lakeside dining offered in the Black Hills.
Daily Horse Roundup
The video went viral - come watch in person! Each morning at 7:00 am, our prized herd of horses is rounded up for the day and brought in to the stables from their night pasture. Stop by the Blue Bell Lodge Stables and wait at the picnic tables or the pipe fence next to the stables office. Our Wranglers will come out, run ropes, and stop traffic & chat with onlookers as all 70 horses cross!
Watch the Video
More Lodging to Explore
State Game Lodge Hotel Rooms Overview
A great spot for wildlife watching with all of the comforts and accessibility of a hotel room stay.
Creekside Lodge Rooms
Tucked along Grace Coolidge Creek, just 200 yards from the State Game Lodge. Creekside Lodge is open year-round.
Cowboy Poet's Cabin
What a view! Perfect for a small family of up to five, we have just three of this cabin type, all nestled behind Legion Lake Lodge. Peaceful, private lake views.
Rose Quartz Cabin
Tucked in the trees near French Creek Nature Area and the Wildlife Loop, these spacious chinked log cabins with private decks at peaceful Blue Bell Lodge can't be beat.
Spruce Cabin
At the top of Needles Highway, as you turn in to Sylvan Lake Lodge, this loop of cabins sits at 6,145 feet elevation...as if they were always meant to be there. One-room cabin with vaulted ceilings & a wood-burning stone fireplace.
Otis Cabin
These original log chink cabins with two (2) private bedrooms and a full kitchen are conveniently located within an easy walking distance to Coolidge Store.