Hike Grace Coolidge Walk-In Area

Custer, South Dakota

Save

View all 6 photos

All 6 photos

Save Review Directions Add Photo

Details

Distance

6 miles

Elevation Gain

150 ft

Route Type

Out-and-Back

Description

Added by Isaac Parsons

Hike along Grace Coolidge Creek which was named after the former first lady married to former President Calvin Coolidge who vacationed in Custer State Park during his presidency.

Grace Coolidge Walk-In area is a fantastic place to go for a hike and do some fly fishing! There are 6 dams built along the 3 mile trail. You can start on either from Center Lake off of Playhouse Rd. or you can start at the southern trailhead near Highway 16A, that is not too far west from the State Game Lodge.

The trail is very easy to follow, it is broad and well worn. As you follow the trail from the southern trailhead you will be walking up stream, but nothing is strenuous just steady uphill or relatively flat. The dams along the way are stocked with rainbow trout so chances of catching some are high. There are lots of great pools and riffles to try you luck in the creek as well.

To get to the creek or to the lake you will enter into Custer State Park which does require an entrance fee, there are a couple options a week long entrance license or year long. While in the park you can do all kinds of other neat activities like drive the Needles Highway, or hike the highest point east of the Rockies!

Download the Outbound mobile app

Find adventures and camping on the go, share photos, use GPX tracks, and download maps for offline use.

Get the app

Features

Photography

Camping

Chillin

Fishing

Hiking

Bathrooms

Dog Friendly

Easy Parking

Family Friendly

Forest

River

Scenic

Wildflowers

Wildlife

Hike Grace Coolidge Walk-In Area Reviews

Have you done this adventure? Be the first to leave a review!

Leave No Trace

Always practice Leave No Trace ethics on your adventures and follow local regulations. Please explore responsibly!

Nearby

Drive the Custer State Park Wildlife Loop

The Custer State Park Wildlife Loop runs for 18 miles across beautiful grasslands and pine-speckled slopes that are home to much of the park's wildlife. Bison, pronghorn, whitetail, mule deer, elk, coyotes, burros, prairie dogs, eagles, hawks, and a variety of other birds may be spotted along the way. Depending on the time of year, the road may be surrounded by beautiful, colorful wildflowers a...

Explore the Spokane Ghost Town

Spokane will always be one of my favorite locations in the hills. The town was founded in 1890 and features 3 intact structures from that time. The most intact structure is the manager's house which you can find up on a hill behind the other buildings. A few years ago the old school house finally gave in and collapsed but the remains are still around. You also can find remains of other building...

Stargaze at Spokane Ghost Town

Great all year long but, especially stunning when the galactic center of the Milky Way is visible from Spring to Fall, Spokane Ghost Town is a local favorite and a hidden gem. Set up your camera, and light paint some old buildings! The ghost town was originally a mine founded in the late 1800's which produced silver, lead, copper, and various other minerals.Getting There: Just before the inters...

Hike Iron Creek Trail #15

The trail is accessible from 2 different spots, both give you the opportunity for a scenic drive to get there. The approach from the Northeast side is on Iron Mountain road a beautiful scenic Black Hills highway, and you will be very near Lakota Lake. The Southwest trail head is a more rugged drive on a gravel two track called Camp Remington road that goes through the Peter Norbeck Wildlife Pr...

Hike the Stockade Lake Trail

The trail starts near the East side of Stockade Lake just outside Custer, South Dakota. The trail is a 1.2 mile loop, and climbs up to 5,650 feet above sea level. The trail is easy to follow and is well worn. Also the trees have blue diamonds nailed to them for even easier route finding. Once you get to the high point of the trail there is a very scenic viewing area where the trees have been cl...

Fly Fish French Creek

The creek has two main sections, there is Upper French Creek and Lower French creek, the upper/lower refer to the section of creek above or below Stockade Lake. The better fishing is below Stockade Lake. There you can find numerous sections of the creek that are on public land and easily accessible. Trout can be found all over the creek, especially in the bends where it pools up and gets deeper...