PARK UPDATE – 03/14/2026 at 10 am
Some additional areas of the park have reopened, but closures remain in place due to the active wildfire.
Open Areas:
• Wildlife Loop Road is now open.
• Highway 87 South is open from Blue Bell Lodge south to Wind Cave.
• Interior gravel roads are open.
The following roads remain closed:
• Highway 87 South from the junction of Highway 16A to Blue Bell Lodge
• Lower French Creek Road
• Stockade Lake Drive and the Stockade Lake Day Use Area
The following trails and areas remain closed:
• Centennial Trail
• Heady Draw Trail
• Stockade Lake Trail area
Visitors in reopened areas should expect increased fire vehicle traffic and smoky conditions. Please drive carefully and remain aware of firefighters and equipment working in the area.
Barricades remain in place for public and firefighter safety. Please do not attempt to enter closed areas.
Highway 16A remains open and travel through the park on the highway is allowed.
The Custer State Park Office and Visitor Center remain open and operating normal hours.
For the most up-to-date information about the wildfire, please follow the official Qury Fire Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/share/1BaWWDYXwd/�
Update at 3 PM Centrail on Custer State Park Facebook Page 3/13/26:
PARK UPDATE – 03/13/2026
Some areas of the park have reopened, but closures remain in place due to the active wildfire.
• Wildlife Loop Road is now open to Bluebell Gate, where it remains closed beyond that point.
• Interior gravel roads are open.
• N. Lame Johnny Road remains closed from Swint Road to Highway 87 South.
All other roads and trails south of Highway 16A remain closed due to the wildfire. Barricades are in place for public and firefighter safety. Please do not attempt to enter closed areas.
At this time, Highway 16A remains open, and travel through the park on the highway is allowed.
The Custer State Park Office and Visitor Center are open and operating normal hours.
We appreciate everyone’s cooperation as crews continue working on the fire.
Update from Custer State Park Facebook Page 3/13/26: PARK UPDATE 03-13-2026
All roads and trails south of Highway 16A remain closed due to an active wildfire in the area. Barricades are in place and the closure is for public and firefighter safety. Please do not attempt to enter closed areas.
At this time, Highway 16A remains open and travel through the park on the highway is allowed.
The Custer State Park Office and Visitor Center are open and operating normal hours.
We appreciate everyone’s cooperation as crews continue working on the fire.
Additional updates will be shared as information becomes available.
Evacuations are underway while roads and trails in the southern portion of Custer State Park close due to the active Qury Fire, according to a Facebook post by park officials. The closures affect all park roads and trails south of Highway 16A, where barricades have been placed across affected roadways. Visitors are being asked to avoid the area while crews respond to the wildfire.
Highway 16A remains open through the park at this time, though conditions could change as the situation develops.
The Qury Fire is burning near Custer, South Dakota, off Hazelrodt Road. The Custer County Sheriff’s Office has initiated evacuations and road closures, with updates being posted on the sheriff’s office Facebook page as the situation evolves.
In an update posted around 8:55 p.m., the sheriff’s office said evacuations remain in place and are not expected to be lifted tonight for several areas, including:
- SD Highway 87
- Wildlife Loop Road
- Wind Cave
Active firefighting efforts are ongoing, and officials are asking residents and visitors to follow evacuation orders and avoid the area while crews continue working the fire.
A second wildfire, the Deer Fire, has also been reported in the area and is located approximately one mile southeast of the Qury Fire near Custer, SD.
This is a developing story, and additional updates will be provided as more information becomes available.
