Custer State Park staff have been busy preparing trails for the upcoming season, and provided an update on the status of a couple major projects.
The Sunday Gulch Trail is set to open on May 16, 2025, which is just in time for the upcoming Open House Weekend and busy summer season.
The weather conditions have been favorable, which has put construction on trail improvements around Sylvan Lake ahead of schedule. Staff and construction crews plan to take full advantage of this ideal weather window, which means Sylvan Lake Shoreline Trail will remain closed through June 1, 2025.
“We’re excited to be ahead of schedule and making great progress on a project that will benefit visitors and the park for years to come,” said Lydia Austin, Visitor Services Supervisor at Custer State Park. “While extended closures are never ideal, we trust that guests will enjoy the beautiful, refreshed trails.”
These efforts are part of the ongoing 2019 Sylvan Lake Master Plan, which is driven by the community to enhance visitor access, protect natural resources, and improve amenities around Sylvan Lake. Examples of work include rerouting sections of trails, providing new boardwalks and observation areas, and placing educational signage.
Custer State Park is an iconic park with numerous opportunities to explore, and while the trails are major draws visitors are reminded to not overlook the fishing opportunities the park has to offer.
“When you think of Custer State Park you probably don’t think of fishing, but that’s a mistake,” said Nick Harrington, Owner of Lip Ripper Fishing. “There are some tremendous fishing opportunities within the park, and a couple unique fisheries as well.”
One of these unique fisheries would be the Grace Coolidge Walk-In Fishery. This area combines a hiking trail along with several dams that can provide some fantastic rainbow trout fishing. The combination of hiking and fishing makes for both a unique and enjoyable fishery.
There are also several other fishing opportunities within the park including Center Lake and Legion Lake. We breakdown all of the fishing opportunities, regulations, and reminders in Finding the Fish in Custer State Park.
Whether you’re out to enjoy a relaxing weekend camping, hike the trails, experience the wildlife loop, or explore Needles Highway be sure to include fishing on your Custer State Park vacation this year!
