French Creek Trailhead is on the east side of the Wildlife Loop. Watch out for rattlesnakes in spring and summer. Four Mile Draw Road takes off from the lower west side of the Wildlife Loop.

Look for Black-backed, Red-headed and Lewis’s woodpeckers in the burned area. Areas of bug-killed pines anywhere in the Black Hills are good locations to look for Black-backed Woodpecker. Birds to look for: Canyon Wren, Northern Goshawk, Western Tanager, Black-headed Grosbeak, Dusky Flycatcher, Cordilleran Flycatcher, riparian species, White-throated Swift, Mountain Bluebird, Baltimore Oriole, Spotted Towhee, warblers in migration. Sharp-tailed Grouse, Upland Sandpiper, sparrows, hawks along Wildlife Loop. Rarity: Pinyon Jay.

Encompassing 71,000 acres in the Black Hills, Custer State Park is home to abundant wildlife and adventure; camping, hiking, biking, swimming, fishing, or relaxing, there’s something here for everyone.