March 1, 2022

This paid piece is sponsored by The Ramkota Companies.

It’s a good thing Custer State Park offers 71,000 acres – because there have never been so many people wanting to visit.

“We’re pacing ahead of last year, which was our strongest year,” said Ryan Flick, director of operations for The Ramkota Companies, which manages Custer State Park Resort. “We ran very high occupancy, and this year is shaping up to be even stronger.”

Set within the wildlife preserve, Custer State Park Resort includes multiple distinct lodges filled with unique dining, attractions and event opportunities.

Since 2008, it has been managed by Sioux Falls-based Ramkota.

“Custer State Park Resort is a special part of our portfolio,” said CEO Josh Schmaltz, who served as general manager here earlier in his career.

“It’s unique in the state and the nation, and we’re very proud of the level of lodging we support here and the team that creates memorable experiences every day for our guests.”

While winter brings scaled-back overnight options in the park, the Creekside Lodge is open year-round, including 30 junior suites, a couple of two-bedroom cabins and two large cabins that sleep 24 to 28 people and are designed for reunions.

“If someone is looking to come to the park and get away from it all, winter is the time to do it,” said Gina Konechne, director of sales and marketing.

“For many people, it takes them to a place they never knew existed. It’s diverse and family-friendly with so much to do and see outdoors.”

This time of year, you’re likely to see more elk, which can be elusive other seasons, as well as buffalo and antelope.

You can snowmobile when conditions permit or take in the scenery from a buffalo safari tour by Jeep.

“And the Visitor Information Center is open, with free snowshoeing, and most of the trails are very clear,” Flick said. “So it’s still really nice hiking, we have multiple popular ice fishing lakes, and this time of year we’re a little warmer, so we get good sunlight and it’s beautiful.”

By mid-April, visitor activity begins picking up, and the resort will offer an Easter brunch.

Opening day for the full resort is April 29. This year, Sylvan Lake Lodge will begin rebuilding rooms damaged by an accidental fire in late 2021.

“It spared almost all the historical portion of the lodge,” Flick said. “It was basically contained to the newer wing, which was added in 1991, so the lodge itself really has no damage. It’s the newer wing rooms and some light damage throughout because of the fire suppression system.”

The lodge is taking reservations for 2023.

The historic State Game Lodge is open for private functions in the winter, but come summer “it’s booming,” Konechne said.

At the park’s largest resort, guests can choose from historic lodge rooms, cabins and modern hotel rooms, with several luxury options available.

Multiple meeting spaces accommodate everything from an outdoor pavilion that can hold more than 350 guests to modern banquet rooms and a standalone event barn.

“The corporate market is looking for something out-of-the-box, where you can still have the amenities you need for a meeting, but they’re very excited to be out in the wildlife preserve,” Konechne said.

Lakefront stays also have been increasingly popular. The Legion Lake Resort offers 26 comfortable family-sized cabins steps from outdoor swimming and boat rentals.

“During the pandemic years when pools were closed, water recreation was very popular,” Flick said. “We’ve also done remodels at all those cabins, so there are nice options, and it’s a good family location.”

And if you’re looking for a log cabin feel, the Blue Bell Lodge has new interiors and offers experiences from chuck wagon cookouts to hayrides.

Ramkota also oversees dining in the park, which encompasses everything from a traditional chophouse with steak, seafood and wild game to Southern comfort food and outstanding breakfasts.

Each resort serves three meals daily during the peak season, with large stores for grab-and-go items throughout plus a food truck featuring buffalo cuisine.

“There’s a great variety,” Konechne said. “Whether you’re looking to build your own picnic or dine in elegance with a view, you’re going to find it within the resorts.”

The park also is filled with scenic drives, including an 18-mile wildlife loop.

If you’re considering a stay this year – or even next year –  make sure you book soon. Many popular times book at least a year in advance, and there’s limited availability already in 2022.

“There’s definitely been an influx of new guests in the last two years, which is nice to see,” Konechne said. “Traditionally, someone might stay with us once every two to three years, and now you’re starting to see a new group every year plus those who are returning.”

At the height of the season, Custer State Park Resort employees up to 340 people, from Jeep drivers to store workers and everything in between. About 200 team members stay at the park too.

“Students love working here because it exposes them to so many aspects of the industry, and in their time off, the world is at the fingertips whether they want to hike or rock climb or do trail rides or a workshop,” Konechne said.

Konechne and Flick are longtime members of the Ramkota team, joining in 2010 and 2013, respectively.

“We love where we work,” Flick said. “It’s a beautiful location, and Josh still offices at the park, so we feel very connected to the broader company and really enjoy the people we work with at a corporate level.”

That makes them part of Ramkota’s employee stock ownership plan, which they call a significant benefit to qualifying team members.

“It’s a tremendous benefit, very underpromised and overdelivered, and when a new hire comes in they’re shocked to hear about it,” Konechne said. “You just don’t find ESOPs in the hotel industry like this.”

Additionally, there’s significant trust and support from the top down within Ramkota, she added.

“We just never stop looking ahead, and seeing where the park has come from when we started gives us a lot of gratification,” she said.

“The whole park has never looked better,” Konechne said. “Between the lodging and the restaurants, there are so many things Ramkota has partnered with the state on to improve. And going forward, if there’s ever a time to come out to the park, it’s now.”

For your complete guide to Custer State Park Resort, click here.