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News • South Dakota • United States • 2014-05-14

Annual Custer State Park Buffalo Roundup

The iconic American Bison, or buffalo, has seen a resurgence in recent decades after being on the verge of extinction during the 19th century. Historically, the Dakota, Lakota and Nakota tribes of South Dakota relied heavily upon the bison as a source of food, shelter and clothing. Knowing the importance of the bison, the tribe’s men and women sought to not let any of the animal go to waste after it was harvested. For example, the bison horns were used for cups, ladles and toys, while their hair was used for ornaments, ropes and padding, and their hides for tipis. Today, visitors to South Dakota can see herds of publically- and privately-owned buffalo throughout the state.

Friday, September 26, 2014, will mark the 49th Annual Custer State Park Buffalo Roundup. Each year, thousands of spectators watch as one of the largest publicly-owned buffalo herds in the world, nearly 1,300 bison, is rounded up. The herd is driven by rangers and wranglers into corral areas for sorting, testing, branding and to select certain animals for a fall sale. The main purpose of the roundup is to keep the bison population in balance with the available grassland. This not only ensures the future of the bison, but also the future of the pronghorn, mountain goats, bighorn sheep, deer, elk, wild turkeys, and burros that also inhabit Custer State Park, one of the nation’s largest state parks.

This year also marks the 21st annual Buffalo Roundup Arts Festival, located within Custer State Park. The festival hosts nearly 150 vendors selling their handmade fine arts and crafts, with many vendors being from South Dakota. During the weekend, spectators can also learn more about the heritage of South Dakota through Western and Native American entertainment. All events and vendors will be located on the festival grounds across from the Peter Norbeck Visitor Center in Custer State Park.

If your clients are food enthusiasts, make sure to have them check out the Cabela’s Challenge Dutch Oven Cook-Off as well as the Buffalo Wallow Chili Cook-Off. Both events host top chefs from the region going head-to-head for bragging rights, and visitors can learn some great new recipes and enjoy amazing traditional cuisine!

Once the dust has settled on the Buffalo Roundup, your clients can explore many of the state’s renowned attractions. Crazy Horse Memorial, the world’s largest mountain sculpture-in-progress, will hold a Volksmarch, September 28-29, 2014. The public is invited to hike to the arm of the memorial for a donation of only $3. Within a short drive from Crazy Horse Memorial, visitors can also experience favorites like Mount Rushmore National Memorial, beautiful scenic byways, Jewel Cave National Monument, Wind Cave National Park and others. To help plan your client’s trip to South Dakota, visit TourSDakota.com.

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