Sylvan Lake — Attraction in Custer

A few months ago my wife and I, along with our 2 dogs traveled from Wisconsin through South Dakota and decided to stay at the Sylvan lake campground. I will say that this is a beautiful place to visit and definitely recommend checking out all of the places to hike. We had stayed at other campgrounds in SD along the way and really enjoyed them. Not so much here though for a few reasons. When we arrived at the so called "check in station" the 2 young girls could not even tell us any information about the campground or even what site we where at (we already knew prior to coming what site we where at) which was a little difficult because we had family coming to stay with us and they didn't know where to go and there was very poor cell service. Our site was near the bathroom and other campers thought it was a good idea to try walking right through to get there. The unfriendly camp host drove around in his little blue pickup truck and when my wife went to ask him about something he just drove off. On another occasion at 6am I was walking by one of the "camp rangers" and said "good morning and his response was to just keep walking and not say anything. Everyone who worked there seemed to be very grumpy and I would not personally ever camp...

Rock Solid Experience. Sylvan Lake is basically Mother Nature showing off. The rocks look like giant sleeping elephants, the water is so still it could double as a mirror for anyone brave enough to look at themselves after hiking uphill, and the little trails between the boulders make you feel like you’ve stumbled into a scene from Lord of the Rings.

Pro tips: • If you’re into cardio, hike the trail around the lake—it’s only about a mile, but somehow feels like you’ve crossed three time zones. • If you’re into photography, good luck deciding whether to focus on the rocks, the pines, or your own sweat-soaked reflection. • And if you’re into squeezing between rocks barely wider than your hips, this place has you covered—literally.

Would I recommend it? Absolutely. Just don’t be surprised if the rocks judge you for bringing trail mix instead...

One of the most beautiful lake/spot in Custer state park. Not sure what was the entrance fee, maybe $10 per vehicle? I paid an annual pass and I think it was like $30? The hiking trail around the lake was fairly easy and short; I think it takes about 30-40min to complete the big circle. The hike is probably not for someone with hip problems or needs to walk with a cane. Some areas you do have to climb a bit of uneven rocks; or you can always turn back around and skip that area. Two small size parking lots and fills up quickly during the summer months with lots of tourists. Porta potty toilets by the further away parking lot or there’s flushable toilets inside the nice convenience store by the main entrance but only opens during certain time...