Halloween: Holiday hikes at Custer State Park

By Cindy Card, Journal correspondent | Wednesday, October 31, 2007

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CUSTER — For a different Halloween family experience, take a hike when the sun goes down. You won’t be alone.

Nearly 1,500 people are expected at the 10th Annual Halloween Night Hike at Custer State Park, scheduled for     Friday and Saturday, Oct. 26 and 27.

Chip Franke of Rapid City has participated in the hike numerous times and said he always has a great time.

“It’s educational. It’s social. It’s a wonderful experience,” he said. “You get a little bit cold, so you have to bundle up, but other than that, it’s a great experience. Bring hot chocolate.”

He said children and adults will bring back an experience to remember. “And that’s what we’re there for — to create opportunities and experiences for kids. We learn something new every time we go. It’s a great experience all the way around.”

The hike begins at the Peter Norbeck Visitor Center, close to the State Game Lodge and Cooley’s General Store on Highway 16A, and finishes at Game Lodge Campground. Bradley Block, chief of interpretation at Custer State Park, said hikes are offered every 15 minutes both nights beginning at 5:30 p.m. and ending at 8:30 p.m. Plan to spend about an hour for the entire hike. Reservations are required.

“We’ve seen crowds from 1,200 to upwards of 1,500 people over the course of two nights, which is quite a bit for the staff size we have,” Block said. “The sooner they call, the better. Spaces do fill up on a first-come, first-served basis."

The hike began 10 years ago as a one-night event with about 85 participants, he said. Each year it just keeps getting bigger and bigger. “It’s a huge event. There is no cost for it, other than the cost of getting into the park. The entrance license has to be on the car, which most local people already have.”

This year’s theme is “The Fallacies of Wildlife: What Visitors Think is Not Always True.” 

“This year’s hike is going to be the first time we poke fun at park visitors and some of the questions they ask us during the summertime,” Block said.  “I know there’s no such thing as a dumb question, but, boy, if you work behind the desk during the summer season, you would take a step back every now and then and think, ‘Where did that one come from?’”

One such question is if an elk is the product of breeding a mule deer with a whitetail deer. “This will be the first time the staff has been given the opportunity to kind of put a few jabs out there.”

The whole purpose behind the hike, he said, is to get people in the park during the evening hours. “We want them to feel the experience, the sights and sounds, everything of Custer State Park after hours. I want to stress it is not a scary hike,” he said.

The hike is two-mile guided walk along a paved bicycle path, so it is handicap accessible, and is also accessible to families with strollers.

He suggests participants wear comfortable walking or hiking shoes. As far as the weather is concerned, Block suggests wearing layers and comfortable clothing. He said temperatures are typically in the 40s or low 50s. Halloween costumes are optional.

“That is something we never promoted, but in the last two years it’s turned into a lot of kids wearing their Halloween costumes to the event. If they want to do that, my staff loves it,” he said.

Once the hikers leave the Norbeck Visitor Center, they will meet some “spooks” – outdoor education students from Black Hills State University — hiding along the path who offer some humor, keep the excitement going and provide some holiday fun.

“They have come down countless years now. They are not out there grabbing people or jumping out of trees or running around with grotesque-looking costumes. They are students in the educational field to learn about outdoor education. We stress to them we want it to be fun, we want it to be educational.”

There’s no need to bring flashlights. Guides at the front and back of the line will carry flashlights. Also, the visitor center and path are illuminated by 100 or so jack-o-lanterns carved by students at Hermosa Elementary School.

Once hikers enter the Game Lodge Campground – or as Block calls it, the safe zone – they will visit five different campsites where costumed characters will perform two- to three-minute educational skits.

Once they finish visiting the stations, visitors can either walk back to the visitor center or take a return trip aboard one of the hayracks, a new feature this year provided by the Custer Resort Company.

The earlier hikes are geared more for families because the sun’s still up, Block said. “If you have young kids and are not sure they will enjoy the hike, those are the hikes to go on. It’s still light and from a temperature standpoint, it’s feasible for them to be out and about.”

He said the later hikes, from 7 p.m. on, when it’s darker and colder, are usually more for adults.

“We usually see church groups or community clubs come in to the park. We see a lot of kids come with youth groups. The 8 p.m. time slots are more retired people, and moms and dads without the kids. They have a blast. They use it as a date night thing. They go to dinner somewhere and then come to the park and take the hike and head home for the evening.  I guess if we can help out with that, it’s kind of a mixture of Halloween and Valentine’s Day.”

The hike began 10 years ago as a one-night event with about 85 participants, he said. Each year, it just keeps getting bigger and bigger. “It’s a huge event. There is no cost for it, other than the cost of getting into the park. The entrance license has to be on the car, which most  local people already have,” Block said.

This year’s theme is “The Fallacies of Wildlife: What   Visitors Think is Not Always True.”

“This year’s hike is going to be the first time we poke fun at park visitors and some of the questions they ask us during the summertime,” Block said. “I know there’s no such thing as a dumb question, but, boy, if you work behind the desk during the summer season, you would take a step back every now and then and think, ‘Where did that one come from?’”

One such question is if an elk is the product of breeding a mule deer with a whitetail deer. “This will be the first time the staff has been given the opportunity to kind of put a few jabs out there.”

The whole purpose behind the hike, he said, is to get people in the park during the evening hours. “We want them to feel the experience, the sights and sounds, everything of Custer State Park after hours. I want to stress it is not a scary hike,” he said.

The hike is two-mile guided walk along a paved bicycle path, so it is handicap accessible and is also accessible to families with strollers.

He suggests participants wear comfortable walking or hiking shoes. As far as the weather is concerned, Block suggests wearing layers and comfortable clothing. He said temperatures are typically in the 40s or low 50s. Halloween costumes are optional.

“That is something we never promoted, but in the last two years, it’s turned into a lot of kids wearing their Halloween costumes to the event. If they want to do that, my staff loves it,” he said.

Once the hikers leave the Norbeck Visitor Center, they will meet some “spooks” —outdoor education students from Black Hills State University — hiding along the path who offer some humor, keep the excitement going and provide some holiday fun.

“They have come down countless years now. They are not out there grabbing people or jumping out of trees or running around with grotesque-looking costumes. They are students in the educational field to learn about outdoor education. We stress to them we want it to be fun, we want it to be educational.”

There’s no need to bring flashlights. Guides at the front and back of the line will carry flashlights. Also, the visitor center and path are   illuminated by about 100 jack-o-lanterns carved by students at Hermosa Elementary School.

Once hikers enter the Game Lodge Campground —or as Block calls it, the safe zone — they will visit five different campsites where costumed characters will perform two- to three-minute educational skits.

Once they finish visiting the stations, visitors can either walk back to the visitor center or take a return trip aboard one of the hayracks, a new feature this year provided by the Custer Resort Company.

The earlier hikes are geared more for families because the sun’s still up, Block said. “If you have young kids and are not sure they will enjoy the hike, those are the hikes to go on. It’s still light and from a temperature standpoint, it’s feasible for them to be out and about.”

He said the later hikes, from 7 p.m. on, when it’s darker and colder, are usually more for adults.

“We usually see church groups or community clubs come in to the park. We see a lot of kids come with youth groups. The 8 p.m. time slots are more retired people, and moms and dads without the kids. They have a blast. They use it as a date night thing. They go to dinner somewhere and then come to the park and take the hike and head home for the evening. I guess if we can help out with that, it’s kind of a mixture of  Halloween and Valentine’s Day.”