Journey with Confidence RV GPS App RV Trip Planner RV LIFE Campground Reviews RV Maintenance Take a Speed Test Free 7 Day Trial ×


Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Old 06-07-2020, 09:09 PM   #21
Member
 
Craig and Carol's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2018
Location: Lake Saint Louis, MO
Posts: 74
SD

Did that area last September. Colder than we expected. Do use Custer as a base and take in Devil's Tower...worth the short drive. Do not miss Bobkat's Old Fashion Purple Pie Place in Custer and the street tacos from the outdoor restaurant on the main drag. We stayed at Beaver Lake Campground, and it worked for us.
Attached Thumbnails
Click image for larger version

Name:	20190909_142937_004.jpg
Views:	84
Size:	361.2 KB
ID:	230984  
__________________
Craig-retired Teacher o/t Blind
Carol-retired Legal Administrative assistant
Spot and Sam-the lovable miscreants
RPOD 180 and Ford XLT 150 5.0
Craig and Carol is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-07-2020, 09:31 PM   #22
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2018
Location: Newnan, GA
Posts: 14
Love the Black Hills. We have been there many times and none of it ever gets old. The "must do's" for us are Needles highway, Highway 16A, Spearfish Canyon and top off the day with a burger and beer at the Rochford Saloon.
__________________
Dan Z
Newnan, GA
2016 Grey Wolf 22RR
Dan Z is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-07-2020, 10:28 PM   #23
Senior Member
 
LittleBill's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2019
Location: Joliet, IL
Posts: 1,339
Quote:
Originally Posted by Eldereaglewatcher View Post
Another suggestion, depending on your route: If you're on I-80 east of the Badlands, be sure to stop at the rest stop in Chamberlain, SD, to see the Dignity of Earth and Sky Monument. It's an amazing tribute to Native women and is right in the rest area. There's a small visitor center/museum there as well. All free. Dignity was on my bucket list and well worth the trip. If I could post a photo, I would.
I think Eldereaglewatcher means I-90 as I-80 is south of the badlands. But if you happen to be on I-80 in Nebraska there is the SACC Museum between Omaha and Lincoln, NE exit 426. Also The Great Platte River Road Archway Monument in Kearny, NE exit 275. Both worth a stop.
__________________

2018 Cedar Creek 36CK2 (40.5ft)
TST Cap System (Tire Monitoring)
2021 Chevy 3500HD Crew Cab 4X4 DRW Duramax (replaced 2015 Chevy 2500HD Crew Cab 4X4 Duramax)
Curt A25 5th Wheel Hitch (replaced Demco 18K Auto-slide)
LittleBill is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-08-2020, 02:20 PM   #24
Senior Member
 
MartiB's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: Wheeling, IL
Posts: 261
If you are photographing the Badlands, best times are early morning and late afternoon. What appears to be barren hills during the day really show off the layers in the rock early and late.
Attached Thumbnails
Click image for larger version

Name:	img059-for FROG.jpg
Views:	79
Size:	55.9 KB
ID:	231031  
__________________
Marti
2015 Salem CruiseLite 241QBXL

2021 Nights Camped: 29 (so far)
2020 Nights Camped: 18
2019 Nights Camped: 18
MartiB is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-08-2020, 04:42 PM   #25
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2016
Location: Pleasant Prairie WI
Posts: 1,469
I was in S Dakota last year around the Mt Rushomre, Black Hills, and Bad Lands and encountered a lot of severe weather. 4 of July

When I go back, and I will next year, I will plan a few extra days just to stick around the campsite or spend time visiting those indoor attractions that might not be on my A list.

Just a few thoughts. Weather comments welcomed.

Chris
__________________
2006 Sunseeker 2860DS Ford V10 5 speed with Tow/Haul
Winegard T4 In Motion Satellite Dish
Furion Rear Camera, RecPro 70" Recliners
Mohawk Luxury Vinyl Plank Flooring
2013 AWD Acadia Denali, Blue Ox Equipped
ChrisParise is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-08-2020, 05:41 PM   #26
waybeck2018
 
waybeck2018's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2018
Location: Central Alabama
Posts: 762
Quote:
Originally Posted by Crusadernoob View Post
Devils Tower

X2 Devils Tower is worth the drive to get there
__________________
2012 F-250, 6.7 Super Duty Powerstroke; 2019 291 BR Primetime Tracer,
Days camped in 2018-61

Looking Forward to Completing This Map Soon !
waybeck2018 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-08-2020, 05:54 PM   #27
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2019
Location: South Louisiana
Posts: 187
Quote:
Originally Posted by ssjkdavi View Post
My wife and I did not camp in the Rapid City area but we had a great time when we stayed in that area in September. Definitely visit Badlands National Park and Wall Drug. Wind Cave National Park was okay but Jewel Cave National Monument was much better. When we went to Devils Tower National Monument we also stopped by Deadwood (for a drink in a saloon) and Spearfish Canyon (which was beautiful). The surprise of the trip was Custer State Park; we thoroughly enjoyed driving Wildlife Loop Road, Needles Highway and Iron Mountain Road. And, of course, you have to visit Mount Rushmore and Crazy Horse Memorial. It was one of our favorite vacations. Have a great trip!
All sounds awesome, can't wait. I may end up having to stay longer.
__________________
2006 FR Charleston 400qs
2015 Jeep wrangler unlimited sahara

It is said the Good Lord does not take away from man's allotted time on Earth the time he spends Camping, Fishing or Hunting. If this be true, I may yet attain immortality!
wtbuck12 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-09-2020, 04:37 PM   #28
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2019
Location: South Louisiana
Posts: 187
I really want to thank everyone for all the great suggestions. We, based on all the suggestions, have decided to extend our trip a few days more.
Thanks
Ronnie
__________________
2006 FR Charleston 400qs
2015 Jeep wrangler unlimited sahara

It is said the Good Lord does not take away from man's allotted time on Earth the time he spends Camping, Fishing or Hunting. If this be true, I may yet attain immortality!
wtbuck12 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-09-2020, 04:44 PM   #29
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2016
Location: Cedar Creek Lake, TX
Posts: 3,477
Quote:
Originally Posted by wtbuck12 View Post
I really want to thank everyone for all the great suggestions. We, based on all the suggestions, have decided to extend our trip a few days more.
Thanks
Ronnie
Good plan!
__________________
Cedar Creek Lake, Texas
2019 Keystone Loredo 290SRL
2019 Ram 2500 4x4 Cummins crew cab
Andersen hitch
CedarCreekWoody is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-18-2020, 06:49 PM   #30
Junior Member
 
Join Date: May 2018
Location: northern indiana
Posts: 10
Someone posted about weather there.We were there about 7 years back the first week in October and received 8 inch of wet heavy snow made it interesting traveling some of the roads. Be aware of the weather if you travel far from campground.
dperky is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-18-2020, 07:04 PM   #31
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2016
Location: Pleasant Prairie WI
Posts: 1,469
I posted about weather there. 2019 week of 4th of July.
Had storms most every day in the area, some days we got wet other days narrowly escaping. Had straight line winds tear through the KOA in Rapid City where we stayed. My son said, dad I think I hear a tornado. I said naw, went to open the Rv door and the wind was so strong couldn't get out. Then the hail started. Big hail. I was scared as hell. Luckily no damage at our site or to my MH. I've seen a lot. Am 66 my son is 42.

One late afternoon in particular we were trying to get to one of the higher peaks and the fog was so thick we had to descend and could barely see past the hood of the car.

I will definitely go back but will plan for extra days in case the weather is bad.

For those that dont know you've got canyons, mountains, valleys and the weather pattern was volatile for us.

Chris
__________________
2006 Sunseeker 2860DS Ford V10 5 speed with Tow/Haul
Winegard T4 In Motion Satellite Dish
Furion Rear Camera, RecPro 70" Recliners
Mohawk Luxury Vinyl Plank Flooring
2013 AWD Acadia Denali, Blue Ox Equipped
ChrisParise is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-18-2020, 07:32 PM   #32
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2016
Posts: 21
We were in that area for a week in early October a couple of years ago. Lots of tourist shops and restaurants were closed and the weather was getting chilly. The bonus was very little traffic and no lines at the various attractions already mentioned.

Someone mentioned Dances with Wolves movie set. I think they mean this place that moved a couple of the movie set buildings to this location in Rapid City. We attended the Chuckwagon meal and music show. The dinner was good and the show was tops. https://mountrushmoretours.com/fort-...t-town-square/


Suggest booking early and getting a front row seat.


Here are reviews:
https://www.google.com/maps/place/Fo...548677!9m1!1b1

Have fun!
Letsgo is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-18-2020, 07:41 PM   #33
Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2019
Posts: 69
Quote:
Originally Posted by medalguy View Post
Definitely recommend Spearfish for the fascinating park there and just to visit the town. Great places to eat also. Then go over to Spearfish Canyon where the final scenes from Dances with Wolves was filmed. It’s really beautiful. Drive on down to Deadwood as well. We went last September and the weather was great and cool in the evenings.
Spearfish city park has a great campground right next to a historic fish hatchery. We've stayed there a few times and always enjoyed it.
Flat_twin is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-18-2020, 07:48 PM   #34
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: Garden City, Idaho
Posts: 6
SD

Hi. We have been to SD several times. Custer SP has a really great hike with some pretty scenery. We always stayed at Rafter J Bar Ranch (A very nice park) outside Deadwood. There is also the George Michelson Trail (a100 mile rails to trails), which is very interesting. You can rent bicycles and ride the trail. Some parts are prettier than others. In Deadwood there is an awesome truffle shop called Chubby Chipmunk. I would say the best chocolate ever. I still order it online. Of course, one opinion, but worth trying out. Have a good time!
sau51 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-18-2020, 08:11 PM   #35
Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2019
Location: Wherever we’re parked
Posts: 92
We’re going the middle of August and really looking forward to it. It will be our longest trip so far and plan to stay a week just south of Rapid City. We’ve been locked down pretty hard since the end of March and are ready for a good long trip. Thanks for all the suggestions. We’ll try to work in as much as possible. Now trying to figure out which direction from there. It’s a little over 1300 miles from here to there but pretty easy terrain to navigate. Would like to go back down through Idaho and Utah on our way back home.
__________________
Always at home regardless of where we are
OLEJOE is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-18-2020, 08:19 PM   #36
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2011
Posts: 597
Quote:
Originally Posted by CHICKDOE View Post
we are also going to the mt rushmore area in september. we're planning on activities such as:
custer state park
mt rushmore
crazy horse
bad lands
wall drug
missile silo
lead
sturgis
deadwood
and many more!

one thing we did was to sign up with the visitor bureau. they will send you a package with several pamphlets in it with tourist suggestions. they are actually pretty much worthwhile. the down side is that they will continue to send you emails about every month.

Live in South Dakota and been to the Black Hills area/Badlands many, many times. Lots to see and do ... also some nifty caves if into that. You have a good list. Really enjoyed the Missle Silo on I-90 located east of Wall Drug ... check Wall Drug too ... a real tourist trap but interesting to look around.
Dakota 1120 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-18-2020, 08:21 PM   #37
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2020
Posts: 21
Was there last week. Awesome place to vacation. Only stayed at KOA for a couple of nights because no cell signal. Moved closer to Rapid City. Wind was crazy. Have fun.
AAparicio is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-18-2020, 08:23 PM   #38
Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2014
Location: Excelsior Springs
Posts: 88
Be sure and see the Crazy Horse nighttime light show. https://crazyhorsememorial.org/ It is much better than the Mount Rushmore night show. Also, be sure to watch the movie at Crazy Horse describing the beginnings of the construction. We usually spend at least two to three hours there. See Deadwood Main street, especially if you like to gamble. There is a ton of history there and the trolly tour is worth taking. Needles Highway, Iron Mountain Road, and Custer State Park are great drives. You will want to see Mount Rushmore but 10 minutes will be all you will need unless you get an ice cream, which is almost obligatory. Then you will need 20 minutes. Devil's Tower is worth the drive. As someone earlier said it is a great walk around the base. I have stayed at the Custer KOA twice. It is an OK park. It's hilly and spots are close together. There are many nicer campgrounds nearby. We spent a couple of days looking at and driving through many of them near Custer looking for future places to stay. We decided when we go back we would stay at Custer's Gulch. You can check it out online. Home The city campground in Spearfish is beautiful but at Spearfish we always stay at Chris' Camp. A great family runs it and it is a nice campground. I have taken the train ride between Hill City and Keystone and loved it but I'm big on things like that. https://www.1880train.com/ I've put links to a couple of things here. I'm not sure they will post but if they don't just google them. There is a lot of beautiful scenery where you are going. Drive through the Badlands when coming or going and although it's nothing but a tourist trap we always stop at Wall Drug in Wall, SD.
bobneal69 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-18-2020, 08:49 PM   #39
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2015
Posts: 9
As most said, there is a lot to see and do out here. Be sure to keep an eye on the weather though. It
can get "real interesting" really fast.
__________________
2016 Ford F-350 Platinum 6.7L
2019 Bighorn 3760 EL
Retired USAF AMMO
SDFiver is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-18-2020, 08:57 PM   #40
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2015
Posts: 12
I live in Rapid City, and can attest that all of the suggestions posted are well worth looking into. I would like to add a drive up or down the Iron Mountain Rd, which is a continuation of Hwy 16A south of Keystone, SD and Mt Rushmore. At least drive the first 3-4 miles of it from the Mt Rushmore junction until you've been through the 3 tunnels. They may be your typical tunnel but the view either going through or looking back after you've gone through will BLOW YOUR MIND, AWESOME, SPECTACULAR. In addition, the Black Hills have some pretty awesome campgrounds. I can't speak for the Custer KOA, but have stayed at Buffalo Ridge in Custer. Very nice and affordable, with drive through sites and back in up in the trees. Feel free to contact me if you have other questions.
retiredff is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


» Featured Campgrounds

Reviews provided by

Disclaimer:

This website is not affiliated with or endorsed by Forest River, Inc. or any of its affiliates. This is an independent, unofficial site.



All times are GMT -5. The time now is 08:34 AM.