Traveling Square Dancers: Custer State Park Wildlife Loop

Who We Are

We sold our home in June, 2007, and spent the next 7 1/2 years traveling full time in a Cross Roads Fifth Wheel. (We had been traveling during our summers for several years before going full time.) We loved the full-time lifestyle! Each summer we spent a month or two volunteering in State Parks, first in Indiana at McCormick's Creek State Park, near our family, then in later years as the grandchildren got older, at the Bluewater Lake State Park in New Mexico. We spent 6 months each winter at Cactus Gardens RV Resort in Yuma, AZ, where I worked mornings in the park office. The remaining months were spent on the road, seeing this great country of ours. Our favorite places are our National Parks. Anita loved photography and the freedom of digital photography, taking sometimes hundreds of photos in a day. We hiked as much as our legs will allow. We also really enjoyed square and round dancing as we travel across country, and meeting all the wonderful people who dance and/or travel.

But as in all things, there comes a time for change, and we decided it was time to create roots once more. In the fall of 2014, we purchased a home in Cactus Gardens, and in the spring of 2015, sold the 5th wheel. Anita also retired in the spring. We will continue to travel each summer, but for a shorter period of time. We hope to continue blogging about those trips, but it will obviously be on a more limited basis than in the past.

Please explore our past posts if you are interested in traveling this great country. You'll find an index in the left column. We hope you enjoy our blog, and appreciate all comments

Tuesday, July 13, 2010

Custer State Park Wildlife Loop

No trip to Mount Rushmore would be complete without a drive along the Wildlife Loop of neighboring Custer State Park.

In 1912, Governor Norbeck (who had also encouraged the creation of Mount Rushmore) had a dream of creating a park that would re-introduce many of the wildlife species that had once roamed the area, as well as provide lodging for visitors to the Monument.

He oversaw the introduction of bison, elk, pronghorns, bighorn sheep, and with the protection provided, they flourished. Knowing we were more likely to spot wildlife in either early morning or evening hours, we headed out early this morning for the 30+ mile drive.

We were fortunate enough to see bison (many, just as we entered the park), white-tailed deer, pronghorns, prairie dogs, marmots, and the loveable park burros, in addition to beautiful landscape.

The most spectacular animal in the park, the buffalo herd average 1500 in the summer, and are thinned through a round-up to around 950 for the winter. Those sold from the roundup end up all over the country. There is a buffalo farm just a few miles from McCormick’s Creek State Park in Indiana, where we camphost in the summer. Buffalo meat is lower in both calories and cholesterol than other red meat.

How big is a buffalo? A mature bull can weigh 2000 lbs (a ton!) or more.

Click on the bull below for photos from our drive.