Black Hills area in South Dakota

cgaskins

Well-known member
Howdy. We are contemplating a trip to the Black Hills area of South Dakota in July next year. We would prefer to stay in Custer or Rapid City (or somewhere in between). Any suggestions on a nice place to stay that will accommodate my big rig and has full hookups?

Also any suggestions on activities and fun things to do? I am working on convincing my wife that this is a trip worth making from Austin, Texas.

Help!

-Chris
 

TravelTiger

Founding Texas-West Chapter Leaders-Retired
Chris, so worth the trip!!!! We stayed at Rafter J Bar Ranch in Hill City. The Badlands National Monument was amazing! We rode the 1880 train. Wow! We saw Mount Rushmore & Crazy Horse Monument. Jaw dropping! Sneak over to Wyoming and see Devils Tower! Awe inspiring!


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cgaskins

Well-known member
Chris, so worth the trip!!!! We stayed at Rafter J Bar Ranch in Hill City. The Badlands National Monument was amazing! We rode the 1880 train. Wow! We saw Mount Rushmore & Crazy Horse Monument. Jaw dropping! Sneak over to Wyoming and see Devils Tower! Awe inspiring!

Great info! What route did you take from Texas up to SD and back?
 

TravelTiger

Founding Texas-West Chapter Leaders-Retired
Chris, we went from DFW to Amarillo, to visit family. Then to Colorado Springs, CO, then to Hill City, SD.

We also went to the national rally in Gillette, WY, then over to Cody, WY and we visited Yellowstone and Grand Tetons. We came back through Cheyenne, WY, then to Raton, NM, then back to Amarillo again for a funeral, then home.


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nscaler2

Well-known member
Howdy. We are contemplating a trip to the Black Hills area of South Dakota in July next year. We would prefer to stay in Custer or Rapid City (or somewhere in between). Any suggestions on a nice place to stay that will accommodate my big rig and has full hookups?

Also any suggestions on activities and fun things to do? I am working on convincing my wife that this is a trip worth making from Austin, Texas.

Help!

-Chris

Chris,
We stayed at this place last spring and visited all the places that Traveltiger mentioned. It was a nice quite place with pull thru sites and good cell service with Verizon.
Whispering Pines Campground

22700 Silver City Road
Silver City, SD 57702
(605) 341-3667
http://www.blackhillscampresort.com/
 

cookie

Administrator
Staff member
Chris, we have been to the Black Hills three times now, and looking forward to going again.
For us it is a must see and well worth the trip.
Do your homework, there is a lot of stuff to see there and depending on your available time, plenty more within a couple hundred miles.
Oh, we have stayed at Rafter J Bar as well as Crooked Creek.
Both nice places.

Peace
Dave
 

codycarver

Founding Wyoming Chapter Leader-retired
Although we haven't stayed there yet I've always heard good things about Rafter J Bar. We always end up at the Mount Rushmore KOA at Palmer Gulch just up the road from the Rafter J Bar.
 

jayc

Legendary Member
When we went to the National rally in Gillette, we stayed for a week at the Custer's Gulch RV Park at the advice of friends that had been there before. We're glad for the recommendation and will return when we return to the area to check on the progress on the Crazy horse Memorial in about 20 years. Located in Custer SD and about a half mile outside the Custer State Park.
 

chiefneon

Well-known member
Howdy!

We spent two weeks at "Hart Ranch RV Resort" just outside of Rapid City, SD. Very nice place with large sites. Our 44' toy hauler fit and we still had room to park the MDT in front of it and room for the Smart Car beside it. So you'll fit.

"Happy Trails"
Chiefneon
 

JohnD

Moved on to the next thing...
We spent eight nights in Custer, SD last year at Big Pines RV Park about one mile west of Custer, South Dakota . . .

http://www.bigpinecampground.com/smaltolarg/photos.html

Awesome RV park, and a great location that is close to groceries, gas and other ammenities.

We will be going back there again next time we head for the black hills!

Here are some shots from that trip:

SDCampsiteSmall-IMG_0548.jpg SDMtRushmore-IMG_0760.jpg SDDevilsTowerTruck-IMG_0564.jpg SDCampsite-IMG_0546.jpg
 

TandT

Founding Utah Chapter Leaders-Retired
Erika pretty much hit on everything I would have said. Mount Rushmore and Devils Tower are more impressive in person than I would have imagined.

Also, another vote for Rafter J Bar, in Hill City, SD. Trace
 
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happykraut

Well-known member
We've stayed at the Broken Arrow Horse Camp twice now and love the place. It's about 4mi from the main drag in Custer. Very quiet, clean and the owners are very friendly. Don't miss the Needles Highway, it is a really pretty drive. Hill City, Crazy Horse, Mt.Rushmore and the Custer State Park wildlife loop are all near by.
 

azbigfoot

Well-known member
We stayed for a month in Custer, SD this summer (Aug/Sep). So much hiking and touring we did in the area including Custer State Park, Needles highway, Rushmore, Berglum Museum, Devils Tower, Badlands, Walldrug, fishing Sylvan Lake, Deadwood, and hiking to the top of Harney Peak. We still missed out on things like Crazy Horse, Spearfish, Buffalo roundup, Emerald and Wind caves, Hot Springs, and the Hill City train. Just not enough time to do it all.

We stayed at Beaver Lake Campground. It is a really nice campground 4 miles west of Custer. We chose the campground based on internet reviews and we were not disappointed. The property is tree covered with large ponderosa pines. The sites and roads are gravel and well maintained. As a bonus, they have lots of semi-tame rabbits that come around mooching for animal crackers which they sell for a quarter in the front office. Some folks had problems with their cell phones but with our booster we were able to make calls and get internet (4G through Verizon). For the most part the weather was awesome (in late Aug to late Sep). High temps in the mid 70's with lows in the 50's although we had one three day cold snap in early Sept where we got snow and the low was 26. Melted off the nextday. That is unusual weather but added to the experience.

The area is a must see and we will be going back again.
 

TXTiger

Well-known member
I just completed a summer of volunteer work in Custer State Park. All the campgrounds there are great. Many can fit a big rig but not all. Most sites have 30/50 amp hookup and water available at a faucet located next to the showers, so you can fill your fresh water tank. There is a easy access dump station located in the park. The fee per night is only $25 w/elect. I may be there again next summer, not sure yet.
 

TXBobcat

Fulltime
I have been there a number of times and I stay at Custer's Gulch. It is a nice campground away from the highway and can accommodate rigs of most any size. You can get to many of the places to see things from this area. I highly recommend it.

BC
 

SilverRhino

Well-known member
We spent eight nights in Custer, SD last year at Big Pines RV Park about one mile west of Custer, South Dakota . . .

http://www.bigpinecampground.com/smaltolarg/photos.html

Awesome RV park, and a great location that is close to groceries, gas and other ammenities.

We will be going back there again next time we head for the black hills!

Here are some shots from that trip:

View attachment 32622 View attachment 32623 View attachment 32624 View attachment 32625

Good to hear that this park is still up and running! Thirty five years ago, when our children were growing up, and we had a small pop up trailer, we spent a week at Big Pines every year. Great memories of an awesome area and some wonderful trips!
 

SweetP

Member
Chris, we are from Ohio, and went there this year in July. We stayed in Custer at Fort Welikit! This is an awesome campground that is run by a veteran of the US Army and his wife. They have done lots of improvements since they bought the place and was doing more while we were there. There are pull-through sites with full hook-up. You are within 5 - 10 minutes of downtown Custer, about 5 miles from Crazy Horse Memorial, which I highly recommend visiting! Mount Rushmore is awe-inspiring, Needles Highway was spectacular, especially on motorcycles! Devil's Tower was amazing and certainly a site to see. We were there for two weeks and did not get to everything that we wanted to do. So we are going back next year! Great campground, lots and lots of things to do and see. I highly recommend the trip, if for nothing else, just to see the scenery, like the Ponderosa Pines, rock formations, rolling terrain........I could go on!! The website for the campground is www.blackhillsrv.com. You won't be disappointed.....tell them Sniper and Sweet P sent ya!! Happy Camping!!
 

etcmss

Well-known member
stayed at Happy Holiday in Rapid City and don't recommend it. Although a quiet park the access is poor for large trailers. Too tight getting in and out.
Gary
 

MdMike

Well-known member
We did a cross country trip all summer and the Black Hills area was one of our stops. We stayed at the Happy Holiday RV park, just outside of Rapid City. Clean campground, nice facilities and close to Mt Rushmore, Crazy Horse, Custer St Park and other local attractions like Bear Country and Reptile Gardens... Nice folks, very helpful. Highly recommended. We also stayed at the KOA in Rapid City on our way home for an overnight. Not as nice as Happy Holiday, but ok.....
 
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