State Game Lodge

Custer State Park, SD

This gracious stone and wood lodge is set in a beautiful mountain valley, surrounded by a ponderosa pine forest. Grace Coolidge Creek winds through the valley and offers excellent trout fishing. Oak, birch, and aspen trees line the babbling creek, providing a colorful year round display.

The State Game Lodge served as the "Summer White House" for President Calvin Coolidge in 1927 and was visited by President Dwight D. Eisenhower for several days in 1953. It was built in 1920, and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Inside, you'll discover a blend of the past and the present, the elegant and the outdoors. Accommodations range from stately lodge rooms to modern motel rooms and cozy cabins. The historic State Game Lodge Dining Room serves South Dakota specilaties like buffalo, pheasant and trout.

After dinner, relax on the front porch or take a leisurely stroll along Grace Coolidge Creek. Named for Calvin's first lady, the stream flows through the lodge's sprawling front yard.

The park's popular Buffalo Safari Jeep Tours originate from the State Game Lodge. Take an open-air ride into the back country in search of bison! Guides tell you all about the park and its amazing wildlife.