This isn’t a zoo drive — it’s the Wild West thundering back to life.
At Custer State Park, the road doesn’t just wind through pretty scenery — it cuts straight through roaming herds of massive American bison. And when one of those shaggy giants decides to cross in front of your Jeep, you feel it in your chest.
This is the Buffalo Safari Jeep Tour, and it trades paved predictability for dust, drama, and wide-open prairie. You’re not watching from behind a fence.
You’re rolling through their territory, guided by someone who knows every ridge, every grazing ground, every story stamped into this rugged corner of South Dakota.
The engines hum. The grass ripples.
A herd appears on the horizon like a scene from an old frontier film.
If you’ve ever wondered what the Old West actually felt like, this is your chance to find out — windows down, camera ready, heart racing.
Getting Up Close with the Buffalo Herd
Nothing quite prepares you for the moment a 2,000-pound bison lumbers past your Jeep close enough to reach out and touch. At Buffalo Safari Jeep Tours in Custer State Park, getting up close with the herd is the crown jewel of the entire experience.
Guides know exactly where the buffalo roam at different times of day, and they navigate the terrain with impressive precision to bring you right into the heart of the action.
Reviewers consistently describe the encounters as jaw-dropping. One guest wrote about watching a young bison do a front flip while bucking on a hillside — a spontaneous wild moment that no staged attraction could ever replicate.
The sheer size and power of these animals commands a deep respect, and guides are careful to remind guests to keep their distance and avoid reckless behavior like attempting selfies.
The best time to visit is just before the annual Buffalo Roundup at the end of September, when herds gather in staging areas and literally wander around touring vehicles. Whether you book a sunrise, midday, or sunset tour, spotting buffalo up close is virtually guaranteed.
This is wild America at its most raw and thrilling.
Expert Local Guides Who Bring the Park to Life
The guides at Buffalo Safari Jeep Tours are what truly separate this experience from a simple drive through the park. Names like Wayne, Dan, Rich, Deb, Scott, Roger, Dave, and Alan come up again and again in glowing reviews, each praised for their deep knowledge, warm personalities, and genuine passion for Custer State Park.
These are not just drivers — they are storytellers, historians, and wildlife experts rolled into one.
Wayne earned praise for his relaxed demeanor and rich history lessons. Scott wowed guests by passing around physical artifacts like pronghorn horn sheaths and bison fur so everyone could feel connected to the land.
Rich reminded riders that they were merely guests in the buffalo’s domain — a humbling perspective that stuck with visitors long after the tour ended.
What makes these guides stand out is how they personalize each trip. Private tours allow guests to ask as many questions as they want, get route recommendations, and explore areas a solo driver simply cannot access.
One reviewer noted that the guide’s knowledge alone was worth the price of admission. Tipping your guide is strongly encouraged — they earn every cent of it.
Sunrise Buffalo Safari Tour Experience
Early risers are in for a special treat at Custer State Park. The Sunrise Buffalo Safari Tour kicks off in the soft golden hours of morning when wildlife is at its most active and the landscape glows with a quiet, almost magical energy.
Mist often hangs over the valleys, the air smells like pine and prairie grass, and the buffalo seem especially unhurried as they graze across the open meadows.
Guests who have taken this tour consistently rave about the peaceful atmosphere. One reviewer mentioned that after the tour ended near the State Game Lodge, they grabbed a delicious breakfast and sat with the morning still buzzing through them.
That kind of natural high is hard to find anywhere else. The park feels entirely different at sunrise compared to midday, and the lighting makes for absolutely stunning photographs.
Booking the sunrise slot also means smaller crowds, both on the tour itself and throughout the park. Wildlife sightings tend to be more frequent in the early hours, giving you a better shot at spotting pronghorn, deer, prairie dogs, and of course, the iconic bison.
If you can drag yourself out of bed, this tour is absolutely worth setting that alarm for.
Sunset Tour: Views That Leave You Speechless
At $74 per person for a two-hour adventure, the Sunset Tour at Buffalo Safari Jeep Tours might just be the best value in all of South Dakota. One reviewer who visited in June noted that the 7:00 to 9:00 PM window is prime time for wildlife activity, and the fading light turns the Black Hills landscape into something straight out of a painting.
Animals become bolder near dusk, making sightings feel even more electric.
One guide treated his group to a view complete with a double rainbow stretching across the sky — the kind of moment that makes you forget your phone and just breathe it in. The golden hour light bathes the rolling hills, rock formations, and open meadows in warm amber tones that photographers and casual visitors alike absolutely love.
You simply cannot recreate this by pulling over on a highway.
The sunset tour also has a slightly more relaxed, reflective vibe compared to the energetic morning options. Groups tend to linger a little longer at viewpoints, ask more questions, and soak in the scenery at a comfortable pace.
If romance, dramatic landscapes, and wildlife sightings all in one evening sounds like your kind of adventure, the sunset slot is calling your name.
Wildlife Beyond Buffalo: Pronghorn, Prairie Dogs, and More
Buffalo may be the headliners, but Custer State Park is packed with a remarkable supporting cast of wildlife that keeps guests glued to the scenery throughout the entire tour. Pronghorn antelope — the fastest land animal in North America — dash across open fields with effortless speed.
Prairie dog towns erupt into chatter and activity as the Jeep rolls past, with dozens of the tiny creatures popping up from their burrows to investigate the visitors.
Guides also know the best spots to search for elk, deer, wild turkeys, and even the occasional mule. One guide spent extra time on back roads looking for elk, and even though the group did not spot any that day, the off-road adventure and stunning views more than made up for it.
Long-horned cattle also roam parts of the park, adding an old-fashioned Western flavor to the whole experience.
Scott, one of the fan-favorite guides, brings along physical props like a pronghorn horn sheath and bison fur so guests can feel a hands-on connection to the animals they are learning about. That extra layer of engagement makes the wildlife education feel genuinely fun rather than like a lecture.
Every tour feels like a new episode of a nature documentary you get to star in.
Off-Road Adventures Through the Black Hills Terrain
Part of what makes Buffalo Safari Jeep Tours so thrilling is that you go places a regular family sedan simply cannot follow. Guides navigate bumpy dirt tracks, climb mesa tops, and venture into corners of Custer State Park that most visitors never see.
That off-road element transforms the experience from a sightseeing trip into a genuine adventure, and the open-air Jeep design means nothing stands between you and the wild landscape rushing past.
One guide took guests off-road while searching for elk, winding through forested trails and rugged terrain that had everyone holding on and grinning at the same time. Another climbed to the top of a mesa where the 360-degree views stretched across the Black Hills in every direction — an experience one reviewer wished had included more time outside the vehicle to fully absorb the panorama.
The vehicles themselves are well-maintained and sturdy, and guides handle the terrain with obvious skill and experience. Blankets are thoughtfully provided for cooler mornings and evenings, so even when the temperature drops, you stay comfortable throughout the ride.
Whether the trail is smooth or rocky, the Jeep keeps rolling and the scenery keeps delivering. Every bump in the road just adds to the story you will be telling for years.
Chuck Wagon Dinner and Cookout Experience
After a couple of hours of wildlife encounters and off-road thrills, sitting down to a proper chuck wagon dinner feels like the perfect reward. Several tour packages at Buffalo Safari Jeep Tours include a stop at a cookout, and reviewers have been genuinely surprised by just how good the food is.
One guest admitted their expectations were low but ended up calling it one of the best meals of the entire trip — high praise when you consider they were comparing it to home-cooked VRBO dinners.
The menu leans into classic Western fare, with perfectly seasoned steaks taking center stage. One reviewer raved about the seasoning rub on the meat, while another mentioned that even cold and rainy weather could not dampen the enjoyment of the meal.
Live music adds a festive, communal atmosphere that makes strangers feel like old friends sharing stories around the fire.
The Creekside Lodge setting gives the whole dinner a rustic, authentic charm that fits perfectly with the Old West spirit of the tour. Staff are consistently described as kind, welcoming, and attentive.
Whether you are celebrating a special occasion or just treating yourself to a memorable evening in the Black Hills, the chuck wagon cookout turns a great tour into a complete, unforgettable experience from start to finish.
Private Tour Option for a Personalized Adventure
Group tours are fantastic, but if you really want to tailor the experience to your interests, booking a private Buffalo Safari Jeep Tour is the way to go. Private tours give you the full attention of your guide, the freedom to ask every question that pops into your head, and the flexibility to spend more time at spots that genuinely excite you.
It feels less like a scheduled attraction and more like exploring with a knowledgeable friend who happens to know every inch of Custer State Park.
Deb, one of the park’s most praised guides, led a private tour that one couple described as deeply educational about bison behavior, conservation efforts, and park history. Another reviewer noted that their private guide helped them plan the rest of their week in the park, recommending specific hikes, scenic routes, and tips for avoiding traffic on busy event days like the Buffalo Roundup.
The intimacy of a private tour also means guides can adapt on the fly — swinging down a back road if there is a fresh wildlife sighting, or pausing longer at a viewpoint because someone in the group is a passionate photographer. Small group public tours are already intimate by design, but going fully private takes the whole adventure to another level entirely.
Park History, Conservation, and the Buffalo Roundup
Custer State Park is not just a pretty backdrop — it carries a rich and fascinating history that guides at Buffalo Safari Jeep Tours are eager to share. From the early days of Peter Norbeck’s vision for the Needles Highway to the science behind modern bison herd management, every tour doubles as a history lesson wrapped in adventure.
Guests consistently mention that the historical storytelling is one of the most unexpectedly enjoyable parts of the trip.
The annual Buffalo Roundup, held at the end of September each year, is one of the most dramatic wildlife events in the American West. Cowboys on horseback round up the entire park herd of nearly 1,400 bison for health checks, population management, and auction.
Timing your safari tour just before the roundup means the bison are concentrated in staging areas, practically guaranteeing the most spectacular close-up encounters of the season.
Guides like Dan and Deb go beyond basic facts, touching on conservation challenges, herding behavior, and the cultural significance of bison to Indigenous communities. Understanding why these animals matter — and how the park works to protect them — makes every sighting feel more meaningful.
You leave not just with great photos, but with a genuine appreciation for why places like Custer State Park deserve to be protected for generations to come.