RV parks near Mt Rushmore and Yellowstone

[allenb12]

Grizzly for Yellowstone.
Beaver Lake Campground for Mt. Rushmore.

[spock123]

Grizzly RV Park is awesome. Outside of Rapid City SD is Heartland RV Park a Passport America park, great park

[timfromma]

Devil's Tower KOA.

[adavis6616]

Our sister and brother-in-law both work at the Palmer Gulch KOA every summer (over 10 years!). We've been there several times and really love it. It is a KOA "Resort", (of which there are very few in the country) not just a campground. They have every type of attraction imaginable for a "campground." We stayed there last summer with our RV for several days. Great place, lots of different levels of accommodations and different levels of RV sites. It's not cheap, but it's very handy to both Mr. Rushmore and Crazy Horse. One suggestion is that if you don't already have reservations there while Sturgis is happening with all the motorcyclists, you may have a difficult time getting a reservation at any of the campgrounds, not just this one. This one has some 475 sites, so there are many, but there are a LOT of people who go to this area for Sturgis. Either before Sturgis week or after, it shouldn't be a problem. but I'd still suggest reservations in advance.

[TheWolfPaq82]

Originally Posted by adavis6616

Our sister and brother-in-law both work at the Palmer Gulch KOA every summer (over 10 years!). We've been there several times and really love it. It is a KOA "Resort", (of which there are very few in the country) not just a campground. They have every type of attraction imaginable for a "campground." We stayed there last summer with our RV for several days. Great place, lots of different levels of accommodations and different levels of RV sites. It's not cheap, but it's very handy to both Mr. Rushmore and Crazy Horse. One suggestion is that if you don't already have reservations there while Sturgis is happening with all the motorcyclists, you may have a difficult time getting a reservation at any of the campgrounds, not just this one. This one has some 475 sites, so there are many, but there are a LOT of people who go to this area for Sturgis. Either before Sturgis week or after, it shouldn't be a problem. but I'd still suggest reservations in advance.

Years ago we managed to get a spot during Bike Week. We were able to hold that spot for 7 years in a row. The 8th year, two days before we were to leave, our son was T-boned by a drunk driver and hospitalized for 3 days. We gave up our reservation and was never able to get it back after that.

[Jakieboy]

Iggy gives great advice. We have stayed at Colter Bay several times, and in our experience is far better than any of the campgrounds in Yellowstone. It fills up quickly so make sure you get your reservations early. Day trips from Colter Bay into Yellowstone are easy. The town of Jackson, WY, is fabulous. Last time we were there, we visited Teton Village and saw a bunch of Para-sailors vaulting off the top of Jackson Hole ski area, and then landing in an open field right where we were parked. The parachutists were jumping in tandem with young kids who clearly had a variety of "special needs": some were Down Syndrome, some were missing limbs, some were blind or deaf. The looks on the faces of the kids were priceless!! The young men and women who were conducting this para-gliding event couldn't wait to get back up to the top of the mountain to take their next "passenger" for a glide!!

We also like Mountain View RV Park near Sundance, WY, close to Devil's Tower, Mount Rushmore, and all the sights to see in Western South Dakota.

[25RockwoodinMO]

Another vote for Rafter J Bar Ranch. We also spent a week there last year and really enjoyed it.

[wrapperman]

Please keep the suggestions coming. As I look into the RV parks most are full so I sm still looking. I wish I would have decided to go sooner than just this past week. I thank everyone for the suggestions as they all look great.
We can't wait to go.

[Iggy]

OK everyone you must promise not to anyone about this so don't spread this information around. Its a secret.

If you ever find yourself in West Yellowstone MT and all the campgrounds are full you must check this place out.

It is a NP campground with water and electric for most any size rigs. motorhomes to popups.

It is called Bakers Hole Campground
It is just 2.7 miles north of the town of West Yellowstone on US191/US287
It is a small sign on your right and easily can miss it.

It is a first come first serve campground.
You enter and take one of the envelopes from this signage area and drive the whole campground looking for any campsite without a camper or a piece of paper on the clip of the site.
The paper is someone's receipt they have that site.

They need to check the dates on those papers as many forget to remove them.

You fill out your paper envelope and write the site # you want and how many days.
You then throw in the money into the envelope and take back to the sign and drop it in the INBOX.

The other filled out part of the envelope you clip on the site marker post to tell everyone you have taken this site.

That's it. Price is like $10 -$12 a day and you have plenty of roof for any size with and slide out. Quiet and still vey close to town.

Here is a picture of the sign inside the entry of the campground and a few pics.

OK now don't tell anyone.


Any question ask where is the Camp Host is parked and she will help you.
If you are retired military or disabled vet you get a great discount if you have iD or card.

[Iggy]

Here are some pictures from that secret campground.

[Tundra 2014]

We are doing a similar trip in August-October. TX to Custer State Park, Glacier, Yellowstone, Grand Tetons, Albuq. Balloon Festival. Very few spaces left in Custer State Park this week. We are 30' and only had several choices. Glacier, boon docking @ St. Mary's campground, getting pretty limited inside park on east side, look @ B and C sites. Fishing Creek Camp is the only camp inside Yellowstone that could handle your size rig, they are closed all of 2019'. We made reservations in Jan. for Bay Bridge, most are limited to 40' total, truck and trailer. Eight sites that you can park "Side by Side', we have 1. Shearwater is the only other area that I found where you can reserve in Grand Teton, boon docking. Coulter Bay was full @ our dates when we looked in Jan. Also staying near Little Bighorn National Park @ 7 th. Ranch RV park. Read where Crow Indians tell their side of the story on a tour @ the national park. Great reviews of park and tour. Ballon festival, called the day they opened reservations to get in their fairgrounds for the festival. Call them the day after the close for previous yr. to get a spot on the campground. Sold out in 2 days. Failed the previous year.
Making a dent on our bucket list. Crazy us, taking Vizsla dog w/ us, for 50 days. Like living w/
a cross between the Energizer bunny and "Tigger". Happy Trails

[CDRJML]

Grizzly Bear Campground in West Yellowstone is one of the best we have ever stayed

at. Very nice. It is pricey but really great and convenient to the park and the

amenities of West Yellowstone.

[PetalumaCamper]

Bakers Hole is a Forest Service CG a few miles north of West Yellowstone on hwy 191. It has electric hookups. You fill up with water when you arrive. There's no dumpstation. We found a dump station on hwy. 20 at a pull off when we left town. They have an iron ranger to leave $5. The CG has valult toilets. It's right on the river, beautiful & peaceful. If you have the senior discussion it's 1/2 price. We paid $9/night.

[Oakcreeksky]

We have stayed several times at Rafter J Bar Ranch near Hill City. Very nice sites, beautiful views. Lots of things to do with a pool on site, playgrounds for kids, and a beautiful state bike trail as you enter the park that runs for miles.(you do need a state pass to ride the trail, not sure about kids). We loved the central location to many of the activities and sights. We are staying there this summer for a week early in the season.

[InternationalRescue]

Great tips and nice looking sites! Thanks for sharing

[AE0MT]

Originally Posted by Raskw99

Agree with with grizzly rv resort in west Yellowstone. 2-3 min drive to the entrance of the park.
Near Rushmore, rafter j was a campground we really liked.

We are towing our trailer to Rafter J this June. Glad to hear good things about it!

[AE0MT]

Originally Posted by 25RockwoodinMO

Another vote for Rafter J Bar Ranch. We also spent a week there last year and really enjoyed it.

You are making me very excited about my trip out there this June!

[Lektrikon]

I would recommend Wolf Camp in Keystone, SD. It was about a 20 minute drive through the hills to the foot of Mt. Rushmore and the tourist attractions. The camp was quiet and dog friendly. They did have a nice central picnic/bar/cafe area with karaoke on the weekends. The sunrises were amazing. Be forewarned, we have Verizon and STILL had no service at camp.

[ciscojg]

Beautiful place close to Mt. Rushmore:

Elkhorn Ridge RV Resort and Cabins
20189 US Highway 85
Spearfish, SD 57783
1-605-722-1800

[Lighting546]

Something that no one said anything about. Snow comes to Yellowstone in early September and the snow and winter weather are usually still there until early May, so you might want to bring winter clothing with you just in case, you can never be too prepared. During the winter Yellowstone is the coldest place in the lower 48 states, as for park wildlife, 1 in 10 bison do not survive winter. The most important part about the trip is having fun and seeing the beauty and diversity of these United States.

I was too young to remember going to Yellowstone and Yosemite, so these two places are on my bucket list in addition to Mt Rushmore, Stone Mountain and the Grand Canyon. I'm hoping that I can start crossing these places off of the list in a couple of years when I have paid off my truck I can afford a new 5th wheel to replace my very old (16 years old) FR Wildcat, as I doubt it would structurally stand up to a coast to coast, border to border trip.

It's a decent hurricane evacuation home away from home as the campgrounds I have on my evac plan are less than 300 miles each way from home.