Mount Coolidge - South Dakota

Mount Coolidge is the highest point in the central part of Custer State Park. The historic fire tower was completed by the Civilian Conservation Corps in 1939. Other lookouts existed prior to the stone one today. The Mount Coolidge Fire Tower is still actively used today as a fire lookout and dispatch center for Custer State Park operations. The panoramic views of the Black Hills include a distant Mount Rushmore, Crazy Horse, the Needles, and on a clear day the Badlands some 60 miles to the east.

Located 3 miles south of US Hwy 16A along SD Hwy 87. If the gate is open , a 1.2 mile gravel road leads to the summit. The gate is generally open 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. from Memorial Day into late September. The road to the top is gravel and quite wide despite all reports calling it narrow. The goal is to keep oversized vehicles and campers off the road.

Mount Coolidge South Dakota