South Dakota: Buffalo (Bison) Roundup.

Custer State Park is one of the places in the United States where bison roam free.  It is where granite spires tower over pristine lakes and where clear mountain streams flow through unspoiled forests.

Each autumn at Custer State Park staff, cowboys and cowgirls saddle up to move the park's 1,500 bison to the o corrals. The roundup is open to the public. The roundup serves several purposes. The first is to move the entire herd into a system of corrals along the Wildlife Loop Road. Once in the corrals, the park's resource personnel sort the animals. Most are released back into the park, while others remain in the corrals until  the November auction.

Animals to be sold at the auction are tested for tuberculosis and brucellosis. All calves are branded and the female calves are vaccinated for brucellosis. The annual Buffalo (bison) Roundup is an important part of the park's resource management program. To control the size of the park's bison population, a portion of the herd is sold at the annual Buffalo Auction, the third Saturday in November. The revenue received from this auction remains in the park and comprises a portion of the park's annual operating budget. http://www.state.sd.us/gfp/sdparks/custer/round.htm

Custer State Park, HC 83, Box 70, Custer, SD 57730, 1 (605) 255-4515.  

Sleeping Places 

Blue Bell Lodge & Resort. They provide the setting to imagine what the "old west" was like without having to rough it. Modern log cabins are located around a central lodge. Activities include hayrides; chuck wagon cookouts and trail rides are also available. The resort closes each year in the middle of October but the new cabins are still available during the winter months. Prices range from $85 to $130. 1(605) 255-4531.

State Game Lodge & Resort.  This unique lodge has hosted Presidents Coolidge and Eisenhower. It is a traditional stone and wood lodge featuring stately rooms, motel units and pine-shaped cabins. Buffalo Safari jeep rides are also available. They close in October each year and reopen on Mother's Day each May. 1(605) 255-4541.

Sylvan Lake Resort. This resort overlooks Sylvan Lake and has cozy lodge rooms as well as rustic cabins. Guests can enjoy swimming, hiking, paddleboats, rock climbing and fishing. They close each October and reopen on mother's Day in May. 1(605) 574-2561.

Custer State Park Resort Company HC 83 Box 74, Custer, South Dakota 57730 or 1-800-658-3530 or  www.custerresorts.com  

A trip to South Dakota must include a taste of chili, a distinctly western dish and certainly part of an authentic holiday in the area. Each autumn during the arts festival the annual Custer County Chamber of Commerce Chili Cook-off is conducted. Chili chefs keep all of their ingredients a secret, but each batch of chili must use buffalo (bison) meat. Chefs from around the area brew up their favorite recipe and spectators are invited to sample as many entries as their mouths can handle. Most chefs charge only 10 cents per sample. For more information or a registration packet contact the Custer Chamber at 1-800-992-9818.