Custer state park

[Mollysdad]

I'm planning a few days at Custer state park, SD.
I see the park itself has lots of campgrounds.
Any advice as to which you liked and used?
Bluebell?

I also remember there's a popular commercial campground nearby, Rafter J Bar.
Opinions?

[Wconley]

We were just there a few weeks ago. We stayed at Game Lodge which was nice and right at the start of the Wildlife Loop and across the road from the Visitor’s Center which was very nice. At the time, BlueBell was closed due to snowstorm damage just a couple weeks before we arrived but they were working to get it cleaned up and open. Custer SP was pretty amazing and a great launching point for Rushmore, Crazyhorse etc. Pay close attention to road warning signs as there are several with tunnels too small for an Airstream to go through.

[Mollysdad]

Originally Posted by Wconley

Pay close attention to road warning signs as there are several with tunnels too small for an Airstream to go through.

Thanks. I did it a few years back on a motorcycle, so I've seen the pigtail bridges and tunnels. I also saw a fifth wheel trying to negotiate a tunnel, after he crossed a pigtail bridge. He may still be there. Or they cut it up for scrap.

[nryn]

Was just there a couple of weeks ago. Custer State Park is perhaps the best state park I’ve ever been to.

We didn’t camp there—we stayed at Rafter J for 7 nights. It was great—good location for getting to a number of places and a quick bike ride (on a nice trail) to the nearest town. Prairie Berry Winery had some really great fruit/berry wines, and we all thought Black Hills Burger and Bun co was outstanding. Another pleasant surprise was the fossil and rock museum in Hill City.

Great area—I really hope to return again someday.

[gaylejoe]

Originally Posted by nryn

Was just there a couple of weeks ago. Custer State Park is perhaps the best state park I’ve ever been to.

We didn’t camp there—we stayed at Rafter J for 7 nights. It was great—good location for getting to a number of places and a quick bike ride (on a nice trail) to the nearest town. Prairie Berry Winery had some really great fruit/berry wines, and we all thought Black Hills Burger and Bun co was outstanding. Another pleasant surprise was the fossil and rock museum in Hill City.

Great area—I really hope to return again someday.

We have been to Custar State Park several times. We stayed in Custar at a small rv park in town and I can't recall the name but there was a horse carriage on top of office. It's a small park and very friendly. Walking distance into town.

[Woosch]

We stayed at Rafter J a couple of years ago. The location was great and we liked the way it was set up with a family with kids area near the pool, open area for those who like their satellite, and the treed area on the bluff.

[mojo]

Stayed in Stockade North CG. It was near a small lake and a short hop to the town of Custer for supplies/restaurants.

[Mr. Merk]

We took a trip by car two years ago. On day one we drove from Omaha to Spearfish, SD. On the way we stopped at Badlands NP (there's a campground there, it would be amazing to wake up to that) and then Bear Country USA which was surprisingly good.

We stayed in Spearfish (there's a nice city campground there on the river,) on day 2 we got up and drove to Devil's Tower nearby in WY to hike all the way around it, drove back to Spearfish for lunch, drove down Spearfish canyon, over to Rushmore, then down the Pig Tail Road to the Custer Wildlife Loop over to Needles Highway, down to Custer for Dinner, drove into the Wildlife Loop again (wife loved the donkeys,) then drove all the way to Kearney, Nebraska but not before seeing a HUGE heard of bison near the state line. Incredible! We did all that in a day!

Drove back to Arkansas the next day!

Last year we boon-docked in central SD on our way to Banff, and we pulled our camper through Badlands again the following morning. Such a cool spot that you can't miss. If we took our Airstream to camp, we could easily spend a week in western South Dakota.

[FL Crackers]

Originally Posted by nryn

Was just there a couple of weeks ago. Custer State Park is perhaps the best state park I’ve ever been to.

We didn’t camp there—we stayed at Rafter J for 7 nights. It was great—good location for getting to a number of places and a quick bike ride (on a nice trail) to the nearest town. Prairie Berry Winery had some really great fruit/berry wines, and we all thought Black Hills Burger and Bun co was outstanding. Another pleasant surprise was the fossil and rock museum in Hill City.

Great area—I really hope to return again someday.

We agree that "Custer State Park is perhaps the best state park I’ve ever been to." And we've been to a few having camped in 44 states so far.

We stayed in both Stockade Lake North and South. As I recall, South had some leveling challenges; however, each site had a CCC built fireplace for campfires and cooking. It also had showers. Sites in North were more level and had a little more local wildlife meandering thru the CG, offered pit toilets throughout the CG and maybe one shower building.

I will stay in either or both again when we go back.

[Joyflea]

Been there many times , just do not go 1st week of August unless you like lots of motorcycles.

[mikeinca]

Originally Posted by Wconley

We were just there a few weeks ago. We stayed at Game Lodge which was nice and right at the start of the Wildlife Loop and across the road from the Visitor’s Center which was very nice. At the time, BlueBell was closed due to snowstorm damage just a couple weeks before we arrived but they were working to get it cleaned up and open. Custer SP was pretty amazing and a great launching point for Rushmore, Crazyhorse etc. Pay close attention to road warning signs as there are several with tunnels too small for an Airstream to go through.

Originally Posted by Mollysdad

Thanks. I did it a few years back on a motorcycle, so I've seen the pigtail bridges and tunnels. I also saw a fifth wheel trying to negotiate a tunnel, after he crossed a pigtail bridge. He may still be there. Or they cut it up for scrap.

We were staying in a KOA at the foot of Devils Tower WY around the time of the snowstorm activity you reference and the bad weather interfered with our plans to see more of western South Dakota. We'd like to go back to that area one day and Custer SP would definitely be on list of destinations. Could you be a little more specific about the location and circumstances around the issue with the tunnels and pigtail bridges? Would hate to get stuck with our 30' Classic and have to cut it up for scrap!

[Wconley]

Originally Posted by mikeinca

We were staying in a KOA at the foot of Devils Tower WY around the time of the snowstorm activity you reference and the bad weather interfered with our plans to see more of western South Dakota. We'd like to go back to that area one day and Custer SP would definitely be on list of destinations. Could you be a little more specific about the location and circumstances around the issue with the tunnels and pigtail bridges? Would hate to get stuck with our 30' Classic and have to cut it up for scrap!

Stop at the first SD rest area with a visitor center to pick up excellent maps of SD, Custer State Park, Badlands and anywhere else you are going. They were like stepping into a free travel center library. I googled Custer State Park map and this came up. https://gfp.sd.gov/userdocs/custer-map.pdf

[mikeinca]

Originally Posted by Wconley

Stop at the first SD rest area with a visitor center to pick up excellent maps of SD, Custer State Park, Badlands and anywhere else you are going. They were like stepping into a free travel center library. I googled Custer State Park map and this came up. https://gfp.sd.gov/userdocs/custer-map.pdf

Thanks Walt!

[Mr. Merk]

Originally Posted by mikeinca

. Could you be a little more specific about the location and circumstances around the issue with the tunnels and pigtail bridges? Would hate to get stuck with our 30' Classic and have to cut it up for scrap!

Do not take that scenic drive while hooked up. There were a ton of duallys on that road WITHOUT trailers that were having a hard time. There are other roads to take that will be fine.

[crispyboy]

I had my new truck and my second AS 29' trailer at CSP in 2010. Can't help with campgrounds as we stayed at some local ranches near there.

[Mollysdad]

Originally Posted by mikeinca

Could you be a little more specific about the location and circumstances around the issue with the tunnels and pigtail bridges? Would hate to get stuck with our 30' Classic and have to cut it up for scrap!

Inside the park, there's a road that takes you through three tunnels. They are narrow and not very tall. I saw a small Greyhound tour bus go through, but he had to fold his mirrors in. Instead of switchbacks, where there's not much room, they use a "pigtail bridge" which spirals up. In both cases, backing is not a easy option.
When we saw the fifth wheel, he had stopped at the tunnel, one of the passengers was standing on the roof ladder to gauge the inches. If he backed up, he had to back around the circular bridge.
I think the tour bus driver has lots of practice.

[Mollysdad]

The road you must see, but not towing, is called Iron Mountain Road, and it's 16A between Mt. Rushmore and Custer SP. I thought it was inside the park, but it doesn't appear to be.

[UnklJoe]

No one has mentioned how flat out nice and accommodating the residents of South Dakota are!!! I have been there many times for many different reasons (Sturgis Bike Rally; Boy Scout summer camps; personal vacations) and never cease to be amazed at how nice the SD residents are when doing business or sightseeing in SD. My wife and I were caught is a thunderous rain storm on our motorcycles and ducked into the first driveway we could find and ran under the eaves of a tall shop building. Turns out the place was a juvenile detention facility, not really open to the public, but the personnel were very nice and accommodating while we waited out the rains (which nearly washed our bikes away!).


The city campground in Spearfish is just AWFUL!!! (At least that's what I want everyone to believe--because it is SO BEAUTIFUL!) It is next to a huge park and a fish hatchery that is open to the public for tours. Let's just keep it our little secret and don't spread the word. PLEASE!!!



Yes; there are great attractions and Custer State Park is just ONE of them. It's a beautiful area, but it's really the people who make it just a joy to visit and return to. Oh, and the grub at Black Hills Burger and Bun are pretty great, too!

[Mollysdad]

Originally Posted by UnklJoe

The city campground in Spearfish is just AWFUL!!! (At least that's what I want everyone to believe--because it is SO BEAUTIFUL!) It is next to a huge park and a fish hatchery that is open to the public for tours. Let's just keep it our little secret and don't spread the word.

I hear you!
I have mixed feelings about posting on this because everyone will go there and I won't be able to get in.
Or as Casey Stengel opined, "Nobody goes there anymore, it's too crowded."

[drew05]

We stayed at Grace Coolidge. It was nice and quiet, even with a main road outside the campsite. It also allowed us to take off without the trailer.