Custer State Park Buffalo Roundup Statistics (2026)

Like the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, the Buffalo Roundup is often described with round numbers that do not match agency counts. Every figure below links to South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks, Bradeen Real Estate & Auctions, the National Park Service, or the South Dakota State Historical Society.

Attendance & Spectator Records

South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks tracks spectator vehicles and gate entries at the two official entry checkpoints (North and South viewing areas). Attendance grew from an internal ranch job in the 1960s to 24,178 registered spectators in 2024.

• 24,178 registered spectators in 2024 set the all-time attendance record for the 59th Annual Custer State Park Buffalo Roundup on September 27, 2024. (South Dakota Parks and Wildlife Foundation)
• 22,690 spectators in 2023 was the previous high, before 2024 passed it. (South Dakota Parks and Wildlife Foundation)
• Over 21,000 visitors in 2015 attended the milestone 50th Anniversary Buffalo Roundup, which was the first edition to cross the 20,000-spectator threshold. (SD Game, Fish & Parks (GFP) Buffalo Roundup)
• 5,000+ vehicles parked across the North and South viewing areas on roundup morning, requiring coordinated traffic control by SD Highway Patrol and park rangers. (SD GFP Custer State Park Management Plan)
• 6:15 a.m. gate opening with parking lots regularly reaching capacity and closing by 9:00 a.m. prior to the 9:30 a.m. herd drive. (SD Game, Fish & Parks (GFP) Buffalo Roundup)
• 150 to 175 artisan and food vendors participate in the concurrent 3-day Buffalo Roundup Arts Festival held across from the Peter Norbeck Outdoor Education Center. (Travel South Dakota / SD Dept of Tourism)
• Lame Johnny Road dedicated motorcoach routing sends tour buses to designated South parking. (SD Game, Fish & Parks (GFP) Buffalo Roundup)
• $0 park entrance fee on Roundup Friday as state park entrance license requirements are waived for the entire day, saving spectators the standard $20 per-vehicle fee. (SD Game, Fish & Parks (GFP) Buffalo Roundup)

Herd Population & Range Ecology

The primary purpose of the Roundup is biological rangeland management. Left unchecked, a bison population in an enclosed 71,000-acre park would multiply beyond the vegetative carrying capacity of the land, degrading native grasses and starving other native ungulates like elk, pronghorn, and bighorn sheep.

• 1,400 to 1,500 total bison make up the Custer State Park herd during the summer and early fall, one of the largest publicly owned, free-roaming herds in the world. (SD GFP Custer State Park Management Plan)
• 950 to 1,000 target winter carrying capacity is the winter herd size park biologists set for the range. (SD GFP Custer State Park Management Plan)
• 71,000 acres of protected habitat in Custer State Park provide grazing range shared between bison, elk, pronghorn, bighorn sheep, and mule deer. (SD GFP Custer State Park Management Plan)
• 350 to 450 calves born annually each spring between April and June, replenishing the herd and driving the annual surplus requiring fall management. (SD GFP Custer State Park Management Plan)
• 100% of the herd swept into corrals during the annual roundup to undergo veterinary health screening, brucellosis testing, vaccination, and sorting. (SD Game, Fish & Parks (GFP) Buffalo Roundup)
• 10 to 15 pounds of dry forage per day is consumed by an adult bison (rising to 24–30 lbs of green summer grass). (National Park Service (Bison Bellows Series & Biological Specs))

The Fall Classic Bison Auction Economics

The November auction, run by Bradeen Real Estate & Auctions, sells surplus animals so the winter herd stays at 950–1,000 head, and it moves disease-tested bison to private producers and other conservation herds.

• $885,425 gross sales in 2024 at the 59th Annual Fall Classic Bison Auction. (Bradeen Real Estate & Auctions (Official GFP Auctioneer))
• 482 bison sold in 2024 at an average price of $1,836.98 per head across all animal age and sex classes. (Bradeen Real Estate & Auctions (Official GFP Auctioneer))
• $633,700 gross sales in 2023 with 498 head sold at an average price of $1,272.49 per animal. (Bradeen Real Estate & Auctions (Official GFP Auctioneer))
• 87% increase in average price per head from 2022 to 2024 rising from $982.21 per head in 2022 to $1,836.98 in 2024 due to high national demand for proven breeding stock and bison genetics. (Bradeen Real Estate & Auctions (Official GFP Auctioneer))
• 100% of auction proceeds reinvested directly into Custer State Park maintenance, trail systems, habitat restoration, and conservation staff. (SD GFP Custer State Park Management Plan)
• Bidders from 20+ states participate both in person at the park corrals and via live online broadcast through Bradeen Real Estate & Auctions. (Bradeen Real Estate & Auctions (Official GFP Auctioneer))
• Held annually on the first Saturday of November giving buyers time to arrange livestock transport following testing and quarantine protocols. (SD GFP Annual Fall Classic Bison Auction)

Roundup Operations & Wrangler Logistics

Corralling 1,500 wild bison across rough Black Hills terrain requires precision teamwork. The roundup crew combines experienced park wranglers, South Dakota Department of Game, Fish and Parks conservation officers, and 40 skilled volunteer horseback riders selected through an annual public lottery.

• 60 official horseback riders make up the roundup team, consisting of approximately 20 full-time park staff and wranglers alongside 40 volunteer riders selected by public lottery. (SD Game, Fish & Parks (GFP) Buffalo Roundup)
• Hundreds of rider applications submitted annually for the volunteer lottery slots, which require advanced horsemanship and a mandatory pre-roundup safety orientation. (SD Game, Fish & Parks (GFP) Buffalo Roundup)
• 5-mile herd drive distance covered by riders pushing the herd across rolling grasslands into the corral system over roughly two hours on Friday morning. (SD Game, Fish & Parks (GFP) Buffalo Roundup)
• 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. Friday corral chute operations open to the public for close-up viewing of testing, branding, and vaccinating, with park crews working the remainder of the herd in October. (SD Game, Fish & Parks (GFP) Buffalo Roundup)
• French Creek Horse Camp is the staging campground for roundup riders and their horses, $44/night. (SD Game, Fish & Parks (GFP) Buffalo Roundup)
• Electronic RFID ear tagging & microchipping is administered to every newly gathered calf at the corral chutes for lifetime health tracking. (SD GFP Custer State Park Management Plan)
• 5-way respiratory & blackleg vaccinations are administered to calves and yearlings while moving through the hydraulic chute handling facility. (SD GFP Custer State Park Management Plan)
• Zero spectator injuries inside designated viewing zones inside designated viewing zones, with perimeter fencing and law enforcement on site. (SD Game, Fish & Parks (GFP) Buffalo Roundup)

Bison Biology & Safety Specifications

American bison (Bison bison) are the largest land mammals in North America. They can run 35 to 40 mph and jump a 6-foot fence, which is why the park uses barriers and a 100-yard viewing distance.

• 35 to 40 mph top running speed can be achieved by full-grown bison, three times faster than an average human running speed. (National Park Service (Bison Bellows Series & Biological Specs))
• Up to 2,000 pounds (1 ton) is the mature weight of an adult male bison (bull), while adult females (cows) weigh 900 to 1,200 pounds. (National Park Service (Bison Bellows Series & Biological Specs))
• 6-foot vertical jumping capability allows adult bison to clear standard livestock fences from a standstill. (National Park Service (Bison Bellows Series & Biological Specs))
• 100 yards (300 feet) minimum distance is the state park wildlife safety rule for viewing bison during regular days outside corral events. (SD GFP Custer State Park Management Plan)
• 285-day gestation period roughly 9.5 months, resulting in single calf births in late spring with reddish-orange coats (often called "red dogs"). (National Park Service (Bison Bellows Series & Biological Specs))
• 15 to 20+ year lifespan in protected rangeland environments like Custer State Park. (National Park Service (Bison Bellows Series & Biological Specs))

Economic Impact

Sturgis fills August in the northern Black Hills. The roundup is the late-September peak in the southern Hills, before winter closures.

• 2.1 million annual visitors enter Custer State Park each year, with late September generating one of the highest concentrated weekend influxes of the fall season. (Travel South Dakota / SD Dept of Tourism)
• $6 million to $8 million estimated economic impact generated across Custer County and the Southern Black Hills in lodging, dining, fuel, and retail during Roundup week. (Travel South Dakota / SD Dept of Tourism)
• 95% to 100% hotel occupancy recorded across Custer, Hill City, and Keystone during Roundup weekend, with rooms booked 6 to 9 months in advance. (Travel South Dakota / SD Dept of Tourism)
• Second busiest event in the Black Hills behind only the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in August. (Travel South Dakota / SD Dept of Tourism)

Conservation Milestones: 1914 to 2026

The park herd started with 36 bison in 1914. It numbers about 1,500 in late summer today.

• Founded in 1914 with 36 bison purchased by the State of South Dakota (6 bulls, 18 cows, 12 calves) from the estate of James "Scotty" Philip. (South Dakota State Historical Society)
• Rescued from near extinction in 1881 when Pete Dupree captured 5 wild bison calves on the Grand River, which later formed the foundation of the Scotty Philip herd. (South Dakota State Historical Society)
• 1919 Custer State Park establishment under South Dakota Governor Peter Norbeck. (South Dakota State Historical Society)
• 1965: First organized modern Buffalo Roundup started by park managers to corral the herd and keep it from overgrazing park grassland. (SD Game, Fish & Parks (GFP) Buffalo Roundup)
• 1966: First public Buffalo Auction held establishing the annual live auction model to distribute surplus bison genetics to private ranches and public conservation herds nationwide. (SD GFP Annual Fall Classic Bison Auction)
• 61st Annual Edition in 2026 scheduled for Friday, September 25, 2026. (SD Game, Fish & Parks (GFP) Buffalo Roundup)