点评:This is the second time we have come here and it’s a real jem. I have seen this appear on some lists of best state parks in the country and I would agree and they could even convert this to a national park if they wanted to as there is a lot to offer. It is also clear that the state cares about the park as it’s in great shape and we saw several construction crews working while we were there, which is the opposite of how Illinois treats our state parks as I’m from there.
The park offers a few places to stay from lodge rooms, fully furnished cabins, or just camping. They also have multiple food options as well. However, the only downside is when we visited during Spring Break, none of the food options were available and only some lodging was open.
There are multiple scenic drives in the park, with one of them, Needles Highway again appearing in some lists of being the best in the county. Again, some of them may be closed in the winter so you’ll want to check in advance. You’ll definitely want to take the wildlife loop road as it’s open year-round, and you will see a nice variety of animals as while you’ll see plenty of Bison for example, but then you’ll see other animals you typically don’t see like burrows and they will be happy to come to your car and lick your window as that happened to us. You may want to go to the local grocery store in the town of Custer, and you can get some feed to provide them.
There are also activities you can do such as buffalo safaris and chuckwagon cookouts. There are many fishing places, hiking, and swimming is allowed in some locations.
It’s a great place and our only regret is we didn’t book more days here. Definitely do your research and you can download a full guide from their website so you can plan accordingly.
翻译:这是我们第二次来这里了,这里真是个宝地。我曾在一些全国最佳州立公园的榜单上看到过它,我完全同意。如果他们愿意,甚至可以把它升级为国家公园,因为这里有很多值得探索的地方。很明显,州政府非常重视这个公园,因为它维护得很好。我们去的时候还看到好几个施工队在施工,这和我所在的伊利诺伊州对待州立公园的方式截然不同。
公园提供多种住宿选择,包括旅馆客房、设施齐全的小木屋,以及露营地。餐饮选择也很多。不过,唯一的缺点是我们春假期间去的时候,所有餐厅都关门了,只有部分住宿开放。
公园里有多条风景优美的公路,其中一条——针尖公路(Needles Highway)——也曾出现在一些县最佳公路的榜单上。需要注意的是,部分公路冬季可能会封闭,所以最好提前查询。您一定要去野生动物环线公路走走,这条路全年开放,沿途可以看到各种各样的动物。例如,您会看到很多野牛,还会看到一些平时不常见的动物,比如小熊。它们会很乐意走到您的车旁舔车窗,就像我们遇到的情况一样。您可以去卡斯特镇的当地杂货店买些饲料喂它们。
您还可以参加一些活动,比如野牛之旅和马车野餐。这里有很多钓鱼点,还可以徒步旅行,有些地方允许游泳。
这里真是个好地方,我们唯一的遗憾就是没多待几天。一定要提前做好功课,您可以从他们的网站下载完整的旅游指南,以便做好相应的计划。