grace coolidge creek

It was too cold to swim when we were there but they did have a nice hiking trail that you can use. Lots of people out fishing also

The creek has a nice hiking trail that follows an old road to Center Lake. The trail also follows the creek. The creek is a small creek with several pools. The trout see a lot of flies over the course of the summer and are quite finicky. The trail is about 6 miles round trip but it is an easy hike due to the small increase in elevation. The scenery is pretty. Nice trail for children and dogs.

This was a great hike but it would have been nice to know that there were 17 times that we had to cross the creek EACH WAY!

The fishing was pretty good. Stuck to the first pool and caught a limit in a couple hours. Mostly small but enough to feed us dinner.

There is a hiking trail along this creek. Actually you will be crossing the creek 15 times before you reach the end at Center Lake. Some of the crossings are tricky especially #11. You will be walking on river rocks and sometimes fallen trees to cross. Actually it's a lot of fun. It is a wonderful hike with several fishing holes along the way. Also be mindful of poison ivy. It's quite abundant in spots. This is a 2.5 mile hike one way and then you must come back out the way you went in. Give yourself at least two hours.

We loved staying at the campground- right on the Grace Coolidge Creek.The buffalo were in the campground every day- and are an amazing animal to observe.This is a small little campground with wonderful creek, and wildlife.

Located within walking distance of the State Game Lodge, this is a pleasant creek to walk along. Quite a bit of history, as the "Coolidge" name implies. Nice place to soak up a slightly different "taste" of Black Hills scenery. Bottom line: combine with other Black Hills scenery.

I am a poor fisherman with very little patience and even I had a great time fishing the little lakes on these creeks. You have to walk in there to fish, maybe a half mile to the first lake from the Center Lake side, but it is worth it. Beware the bison. Don't let them even see you, hike around them.

This three mile stretch with 6 or 7 check dams to create trout pools is one of our favorite places in the park. The rock formations create stunning reflections in the ponds, and in September the aspens are turning, which makes the walk even lovelier. And yes, be prepared for wet feet unless you are confident you can teeter across rocks or makeshift bridges of sticks, so an old pair of sneakers or water shoes are recommended. We were able to catch and eat a trout dinner each of the three nights we were there. The Dakota Angler website is a good resource for where and when fish are being caught in the park.

If you're looking for a great place to start your fishing adventure in Custer, try the walk-in fishing area at Grace Coolidge. Very pretty, with easy access. And there always seems to be bison around for some added fun!

And you will get wet. That is if the creek has any water in it. Gorgeous, easy hike.

I hiked and fished the Grace Coolidge Walk-in Fishing area and had a wonderful time June 25, 2003. The hike is easy for anyone with reasonably good walking ability. I fished and hooked into several fish. I landed a rainbow for my efforts in one of the man made pools along the stream. Some of the pools are natural and some are man-made. I was most impressed with a large rainbow one of my fellow anglers caught as he walked by me holding it in a Ziploc bag. The rainbow I caught was released for another day. I had good sandwiches back at camp. I waded in a few spots to gain the angle on some promising holes. Each time the stream crosses the trail you can splash right through or find some rocks to tip toe your way over. I had several hours of great fun here. For the traditional trout fisherman this is probably not the great challenge that many western streams or more naturally challenging streams offer. However, it is an ideal place to teach young people how to fly cast and catch beautiful trout.