Custer Peak Road — Black Hills High Country Drive to Fire Lookout via Deadwood Backcountry

Custer Peak sits in the northern section of the Black Hills, above Deadwood and away from the tourist churn of the southern hills. Forest Road 117 climbs out of the ponderosa pine lowlands through increasingly open terrain — granite outcroppings start showing up, the trees thin, and the views open hard as you approach the summit. The historic fire lookout tower at the top was built in the 1930s and has been staffed on and off for nearly a century; on a clear day you can see the Wyoming border and the full arc of the northern range. The road is a solid gravel two-track for the lower section, transitioning to rougher and more eroded conditions on the upper switchbacks where drainage cuts and embedded rock demand attention.

A high-clearance vehicle handles this comfortably; 4WD is useful on the upper section especially after rain when the clay-and-gravel mix gets slick. The Black Hills National Forest manages this area — no permit required, dispersed camping available along the lower forest road sections. Best season is May through October; winter closes the upper road and spring mud can be deep. Fuel and supplies in Deadwood or Spearfish. Cell service disappears above the lower drainage. This is a fast half-day run with big payoff — fire lookout, 360-degree views, and almost no crowds compared to the southern Black Hills circus.