Chalet Motel

05/25/2026

Honoring and remembering 🇺🇸

05/23/2026

05/20/2026

Sending thanks and safe travels wishes to the very thoughtful and very talented guest who left this sweet surprise in their room today.

05/14/2026

Spring weather has been beautiful in the Black Hills of South Dakota. Visitors are here soaking up the sunshine and blue skies.

Have you booked your summer vacation yet?

Chalet Motel
Custer, SD

05/06/2026

Dusting of snow at dusk

Chalet Motel
Custer, SD

05/01/2026

Happy May Day!

May Day is a reminder to celebrate the arrival of spring, and traditionally includes baskets of spring flowers and candy.

May Day is also International Worker Day and is a reminder to appreciate workers all over the world. For more than 20 years, businesses in the Black Hills and Badlands regions have welcomed hundreds of university students from overseas to join our teams for our busy summer season. Students from Uzbekistan, Macedonia, Thailand, Mongolia, Turkey, Ecuador, Jamaica, Columbia and many other places might scoop your ice cream at Mount Rushmore or stock the shelves at the Cedar Pass gift shop in Badlands National Park. They’ll take your order at Wall Drug and keep your guest room clean and tidy at hotels all over western South Dakota. Without them, our small businesses wouldn’t be as successful and prepared to make your guest experience all that we hope it will be. Thanks to all our team members, from right here in our small part of the world and from overseas!

Chalet Motel
Custer, SD

04/28/2026

Snow in Custer today

Chalet Motel
Custer, SD

04/28/2026

Late spring snow and rain is a gift

Chalet Motel
Custer, SD

04/23/2026

Known as the Mount Rushmore State, "GMA" showcases the sights and experiences beyond the landmark.

04/19/2026

Visitors to the Black Hills might want to add the Beaver Creek Bridge to their “must see” list because of its beautiful location, the beauty of the bridge itself, and to enjoy the stunning landscapes of Custer State Park and Wind Cave National Park.

This photo captures the construction of the Beaver Creek Bridge in Wind Cave National Park back in 1929—a time when vision, grit, and a whole lot of concrete were shaping the future of travel in our region.

Built by the South Dakota State Highway Commission, this remarkable open-spandrel concrete arch bridge was designed by engineer J. Harper Hamilton to connect Custer State Park with Wind Cave National Park—making it easier for visitors to experience the beauty of both.

At the time, it was the largest concrete arch bridge in South Dakota, soaring about 115 feet above the canyon and stretching gracefully across Beaver Creek. Even more impressive? It was designed to blend into the landscape, not compete with it—a philosophy that still defines our parks today.

This wasn’t just a bridge—it was part of a bigger vision led by Peter Norbeck to turn the Black Hills into a destination for scenic travel and adventure. Today, the bridge is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, recognized for both its engineering and its role in shaping travel through the Black Hills.