advice for trip to Custer State park SD

[nwminnesota]

Hi guys,
The wife and I planning a trip to Custer State park SD with my 6 and 9 year old kids. We will be leaving from the twin cities MN. So far here is what we're thinking. Mid July or mid august after the bike rally. Leave around 8 am and drive all the way to Wall. Spend 1 overnight in wall sd. Thinking of staying right in town of Wall at a campground. Then next day head to Deadwood spend 1 night at a campground in or near deadwood. After our stay/visit at Deadwood move south to Custer state park and spend the rest of the trip there. Which will be 4 days or so. Thinking of possible hitting 2 different campgrounds. Sylvan lake and blue bell. Our trip can be from 7 to 9 days.

Please excuse spelling and grammar errors in the back of a car typing on a phone getting to sick feeling to proof read.
Thanks
Nick

[us71na]

With kids that age, if they like trains try the Hill City 1880 train. We camped one night in the badlands state park. We heard coyotes howling a the moon and walked around the badlands. Don't for get Mount Rushmore.

[Grawe]

Hi Nick, we are full timers at Ellsworth AFB in Rapid City. Custer is absolutely amazing and a great trip for the kiddos. Realize the Black Hills tourists season is in full swing by May. Additionally a big point is the Sturgis motorcycle rally in August; most campgrounds are booked a year out for this monsterous event. So long story short with 2 pieces of advise; avoid Sturgis week and make reservations early. Last piece I will throw out there too, we love Bear Country USA (a drive through animal reserve). Enjoy your trip and feel free to ask any questions as they come up.

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[Grawe]

Yes Wall is nice but I would reccomend your overnight be either at the Bad Lands (cool scenery and the kids can exolore) or the 1880 ghost town at exit 170 on I90. So much to see and do everywhere; have a schedule because you will probably have to come back again to see/do it all.

http://www.1880town.com/


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[dewey02]

There is a lot to see and do at Custer SP.
I would not change campgrounds if you are only going to be there for 4 days. Why waste time breaking down and re-setting up. Pick a campground and then just do day trips from there to the various parts of the park. There are horse stables if you want to take your kids for a guided horse ride. At the same place, there is a great hayride and dinner. There's a guy who sings and leads the fun on the hayride, then you go to a secluded place where they have the steaks and tables waiting for you. We had a buffalo wander up just beyond where we were eating. The whole event was FUN! And the guide/singer was just great.

We did almost the same trip from Duluth to Custer a few years back. It is a long drive to get to Wall Drug. Like someone else suggested, I would camp at Badlands instead. Then you can take the back (southern) route to Custer. We did that, saw Bison, Pronghorn Antelope, Bighorn Sheep, and of course Prairie Dogs. It also kept us off the Interstate, which can be boring.

[wanderlust]

Originally Posted by nwminnesota

Thinking of possible hitting 2 different campgrounds.

I would think twice about staying at 2 different CGs; the park just isn't that big to warrant the change. We were there a couple years ago and stayed Stockade Area (I think it was South). It's the closest to town to get supplies.
I would recommend a drive North on 16A and return South on 87. Very cool road thru tunnels. There is 1 tunnel on 16A going north where you see Mount Rushmore thru the tunnel directly lined up. It had to have been planned that way.
The Wildlife Loop in the evening is a great time to see wildlife - Buffalos, deer etc.

PS: check out the Purple Pie Palace for fresh made pies & ice-cream

[secal48]

We did the trip to Custer this year and Loved it. I would agree that most things there are relatively close so pick one campground and stay. Save the pack up-set up time for sightseeing we stayed at the Big Pines campground in Custer and the owners there are the friendliest we've met. If you stay at the back of the park it is next to federal land that's wide open and we saw deer and other critters only about 20 feet away from us in the evenings. The wildlife loop in Custer park is a lot of fun and we saw a lot of bison,etc.,really up close. The wild burros will come right up to the car to mooch treats. If your kids are into dinosaurs there is a working dig in Hot Springs, just a little south of Custer, where they found a lot of mammoths and are still digging them up. Great museum there and fun to watch the work going on. Have a great trip.

[Camping Couple]

Just a word of advice.....don't stay at Custers Gulch RV Park. Very poor customer service. I'll leave it at that. Enjoy your trip. You will enjoy it.

[TommyAjax]

We just returned from an 8 week trip that included Custer State Park in mid-September. I would choose a single campground and not do the move after a couple of days.

We camped at the Game Lodge campground - it is walking distance to a visitor centre which has junior ranger program. There is a small fishing pond and creek running adjacent to the camping area near the cabins. Sites are level and well spaced, with open field but mature trees for shade. Bathrooms are newer and well kept. There is a also laundry available and a playground for the kids (we have two boys - 6 and 8 and they approved it).

The campground area is fenced to keep the bison out (there was one grazing on the other side of the fence near the bathhouse one day we were there). The deer get past it though - we had one pass by our trailer.

The Game Lodge is only about a mile from the campground and has a well stocked store and quick takeout counter (burgers, dogs, pizzas) and gift shop with firewood available.

It is a good spot with easy access to the wildlife loop, and about an hour and a bit up to Mount Rushmore with several scenic spots to stop, and you get to do the pigtail bridges, and as previously mentioned, the tunnels frame Mt Rushmore (if it isn't foggy). Probably about 30-45 minutes to get up to the Stockade area of the park. Rapid City is less than an hour away.

We camped on the way there at the Badlands NP - two nights at Cedar Pass and two nights at Sage Creek. Sage Creek is boon-docking (get your water and dump your tanks at Cedar Pass for $1 beforehand) and is free but only has pit toilets and no electricity, and limited cell coverage. But, the two mornings at Sage Creek had 2-3 bison grazing within 50 feet of our trailer. Could hear the coyotes at night. The drive from Cedar Pass to Sage Creek using the park roads included several herds of bison with 50-75 head each. Pronghorns and Big Horns as well. Would be hot in July/August without the AC.

Also to note, consider staying at the Cabella's in Mitchell, SD - it is a popular place - then you can hit the Corn Palace in the morning

[bigmeaux12]

I have taken my children on that trip twice and will be planning our again soon to take my wife and step children. I have done the entire scenic loop from wall and the next time from rapid city. I know lots of driving but I was sightseeing in every direction.
I recommend staying in the Badlands on your first night then choose one CG and finish your trip. It's am awesome trip and you will never see it all in one visit. Happy trails and have fun

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[Flapper]

From NW Minn. to the Badlands will be long, but doable. It took us about 8-9 hrs from Mpls.
As far as Wall/Badlands - I much prefer to stay at the Badlands NM campground, but the amenities you may want/need may not be available, so check out the rec.gov site for details. It is a little stark, but you are IN the Badlands. The Ranger talks are great. Just a few miles past it is a wonderful KOA, which I would also HIGHLY recommend.
You can do the drive through of the Badlands the next morning, stopping at the overlooks, and then hit Wall Drug in time for lunch. You can kill a lot of time in the store shopping, so keep an eye on your watch. And your wallet, as the kids will see far too many "cool, gotta have" touristy things.

[harryjr]

We took the Jeep ride tour and it was worth every cent. They take you into areas that are not available to you in your own vehicle.

[ZooSax]

The Black Hills is an annual Memorial week (May) trip for us and the grandkids. We camp at Rafter J Bar Ranch in Hill City, SD and do day trips to many of the attractions. Mount Rushmore is only about 8 miles away, Crazy Horse Memorial is about 10 miles away and we make a day trip to the Badlands and Wall Drug. Custer and Needles Highway are just great and the wildlife loop is spectacular. Have fun.

[TaftCoach]

Check your routes if you get squeamish with tight hairpin turns on the sides of mountains.

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[dalebra]

We have made this trip several times from the Twin Cities. With kiddos I would recommend not trying to make it all the way to Wall in one day. Unless of course your kiddos like to sit in a vehicle ALL day. When we did this trip with the kiddos many years ago we stopped and stayed overnight before Wall and then the next day Wall makes a good lunch stop. We have stayed at the Rafter J Bar Ranch in Hill City, SD several times. Hill City is a good central location and a day trip to Deadwood is all you need to see Deadwood. Especially because most of Deadwood is geared for adults and gambling.

[On The Lam]

We traveled out there a few years ago and were disappointed in Deadwood, it's more of a casino town now than an "old West" family-vacation stop as it was many years ago. For example, the location of Hickok's killing is now in the basement of a bar that we had to walk through to get there. I'd skip Deadwood altogether if I had to do it again. Custer State Park/Badlands are a great destination with lots to do. We enjoyed Wall, but it is very touristy.

[wags999]

Be sure to make reservations anytime between early June and Mid August, when schools are typically out. Most of the campgrounds will be full during that time period. I agree to not move campgrounds, your going to spend most of your time away from the campground anyway.

Enjoy your trip.

[nwminnesota]

Thanks so far for tips. I think once I am in Custer state park. I will just stay set-up. Think I will also try to stay in the badlands and not wall for the one nighter. Also at first I was thinking of spending a night or 2 at palisade state park near Garretson Sd just over the boarder from mn. To brake up the trip a bit.
Keep your tips coming and also if you have a favorite campground in Custer state park or on the way from MN to there let me know.
Thanks

[DJL1967]

Stayed at Rafter J last summer on our way back from the west coast. Excellent CG with lots of choice sites to chose from. Planning on heading back to SD next summer and will stay there again but for 4 nights so we can explore more.

[kketchmark]

I am in Shoreview MN and left on a Friday night. Stayed in Sioux Falls the first night (4 Hr Drive). Some cool thing to see in Sioux Falls. (Falls Park in Sioux Falls, South Dakota). Next night stayed at the KOA in the badlands. Nice Place. Next Day to Mount Rushmore KOA. Made that the base camp and did day trips for 4 days. I was there over July 4th. Fireworks over Mount Rushmore was Awesome. But a very long day.