Bear Butte Fees, Facilities, Hours and Programs
Park Hours and Fees
Bear Butte State Park is open year-round, day use only. Admission is $3 per person, $5 per day per vehicle or $23 for an annual pass. Participants in religious activities are exempt.
Directions
Bear Butte State Park is located 6 miles northeast of Sturgis off SD Hwy. 79.
Facilities
The Bear Butte Education Center is open 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. from early May through September. Learn the geological story of this almost-volcano, its role as a pioneer landmark and its continuing role as a holy mountain and founding place of religion for several tribes of Plains Indians when you visit the Bear Butte Education Center. Displays, books and brochures are available.
Services
Camping is available on Bear Butte Lake. No reservations are available for the 16 non-electric sites. They are all on a first-come, first-served basis. Four non-electrical sites are also available at the horse camp on the southeast side of Bear Butte Lake. No showers or water are available at the campgrounds. A picnic shelter is available. Cost is $8 per site, per night.
Food, gas, lodging and camping are also available in the gateway community of Sturgis.
Interpretive Programs
Interpretive programs are offered during the summer in the Education Center. Group arrangements are encouraged.
Hiking
The park offers hiking for a variety of users. An easy hike will take you around Bear Butte Lake. The Summit Trail offers more of a challenge. This 1.75-mile, limestone surface trail takes visitors to the summit. It gains approximately 1,000 feet in elevation and offers an expansive view of four states from the mountain's peak.
Wildlife
Bear Butte State Park is home to a small herd of bison. Other watchable wildlife include deer, antelope, birds, rabbits, coyotes and prairie dogs.
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