Trip to South Dakota in June

[myersm]

My wife and I are planning out some trips for 2011, and the Mount Rushmore area is #1 on our plan to see this year. It's been 40 years since i was in that area. Can some of you point me to a good campground in the Custer or Black Hills Parks?

Thanks!

[scrubjaysnest]

We stayed at Wind Cave NP this Sept. There was one site on loop D that was somewhat private. Custer SP is close also and many people really like it. We didn't stay there but you will have to make reservations there. Badlands NP was just an open field. No showers at Wind cave or Badlands NP but there was hot water the Bad Lands. There is a national forest campground between Wind Cave and Jewel Cave NPs that looked real nice. It was right outside of Custer SD.

[wbmiller3]

We stayed at a KOA near Badlands. It was fine. This was ~10 years ago though.

[Bill]

We stayed at a commercial campground in Deadwood when we were really new to our first TM - maybe 8-9 years ago? Whistler Gulch, maybe. The cowboy ambience of the town was fun, as was the old mining district, with its museums, hotels, boardwalk, etc.

Bill

Custer State Park - Stockade Lake North Campground. Stayed there in the Summer of 2008 and 2009. One of the best around the area IMHO. They use to have a picture of each site at their reservation web site. Have not looked lately. But between that and their maps I could pick out a good site even from Georgia. Bathhouse was clean. The town of Custer is close by. Check them out on the web. When I was there not all the sites had electric. No water hookups at the site. You will have to fill your internal tank and use it. There is a spigot at the Bathhouse.

We liked Rafter J Bar RV Park as a central location to visit all the sites in the area - Mt. Rushmore, Custer State Park, and the small gold rush towns are all within a short drive.

Keith

[myersm]

Thanks to you all for your input... I appreciate it!

I'll second Rafter J Bar. Our SS Class camping group will be there Memorial Day weekend. It is very convenient to everything.

[T and C]

Originally Posted by myersm

My wife and I are planning out some trips for 2011, and the Mount Rushmore area is #1 on our plan to see this year. It's been 40 years since i was in that area. Can some of you point me to a good campground in the Custer or Black Hills Parks?

Thanks!

While you are in the area don't miss Crazy Horse. They have been carving a mountain into a statue of Crazy Horse for many years now, and his head seems pretty complete. His nose is as big as Geo. Washington's head at Mt. Rushmore!

Tom

[myersm]

The last time I saw the Crazy Horse project was in the early 1970s when I was stationed at Ellsworth AFB, just outside of Rapid City. At that time there was just a hole punch through the rock under his arm... and that was about it. So we're looking forward to seeing it again!