Hello all-The time of year has come for us to plan our July camping trip. We've been visiting National Parks, and have decided we want to visit Bad Lands, Wind Cave, Theodore Roosevelt and Voyageur National Parks during the first 2 weeks of July (yes we know it's busy then, we've been doing this time frame for 12+ years :) ).I'm hoping to find a nice campground in between Bad Lands and Wind Cave so we can visit those parks from one base camp. Then I'll need a nice CG near each of the other 2 parks. We'll have 16 days for this trip.We need full hookups at each CG and prefer to have pools at each as well. Any help is appreciated! FYI we've been to most of the other National Parks close to these already, so we won't need to check those out. We're looking for awesome CGs and things to do in those areas. We usually limit day trips to about 1 - 1 1/2 hours from camp. Thanks in advance!

You are betting on the parks being OPEN and Clean/Habitable by summer ???????

you can stay in Custer, SD and visit Bad Lands and Wind Cave from there. There are a lot of rv parks in the Custer area. Rafter J is very nice. Beaver Lake campground is good. Custers Gulch, Custer Mountain, French Creek RV park..to name a few of them. But make your reservations as early as you can.For Teddy Roosevelt Park, you'll need to look in or near Medora I think.

For TRNP (south), we stayed in the Medora Campground just outside the park entrance, and we're really glad we did. The road into the campground in the park was under construction and you had to follow a pilot car for the first 10 miles (we drove through in the toad). Call before you go to see if this is still going on. If so, I would think twice about going to the park's campground.

Hart Ranch seems to be pretty central to Badlands and Wind Cave and has lots of amenities if that's your thing. We are an old couple with no children with us and much prefer Custer State Park, Gamelodge Campground.We were disappointed with Voyageurs since we don't have a boat or fishing equipment with us when we travel. We did take the park boat on the park lake tour and enjoyed it. When we visited there it was part of staying a couple of weeks in Gilbert, MN at Sherwood Forest Campground which is a city park and has very basic facilities but you can swim just downhill from the campground at Lake Ore-be-gone which has a nice beach area. It's about an hour and a half from Voyageurs so you may find somewhere closer and more convenient.

We did exactly what you are planning by camping at Angostura Recreation Area, a SD state campground on Angostura Reservoir SE of Hot Springs. We had a beautiful, well-maintained, paved site on top of a hill with great views of the lake and Black Hills out our rear picture window. New restroom building with showers and reasonably priced for a campsite with hookups. After staying there, we moved to the Sylvan Lake cg, part of Custer SP, to see Mt. Rushmore, Jewel Cave, the buffalo and donkeys, and the Needles Highway. However, if I had known then what I know now, I would not stay at Sylvan Lake again--very tight, small sites and no dump.PS--When we went to Voyageurs NP, we stayed at Birch Camp located just west of International Falls. For more info on it, see my review on RVParkReviews.com.

Trip planning help - Dakotas and Minnesota National Parks

19 Replies

alesis
Explorer
Jan 10, 2019
As usual, you’ve all come though again! Thanks for all the suggestions. Keep em’ coming :)
Nodaker
Explorer
Jan 07, 2019
The Rafter J in Hill City is a very nice, full-service campground. Campgrounds in Custer State Park are also very nice but mostly just electric hookups.

In ND near Theodore Roosevelt National Park your best bet is probably the Medora Campground. It's not what you would call first class but we've found the full hookups work well. The city swimming pool is a couple blocks away on the road into the campground. The campgrounds in the park (Cottonwood in the south unit; Juniper in the north unit) are primitive only, no hookups.

If you have specific questions about TRNP, Medora, or other parts of ND please feel free to PM me.
CharlesinGA
Explorer
Jan 07, 2019
A little out of the way, and not National, but rather City owned, Spearfish has a nice campground right in the edge of town. Wonderful location and great place to base out of.

https://www.cityofspearfish.com/departments/city_campground/index.php

Charles
mlburst
Explorer
Jan 06, 2019
When we visited Theodore Roosevelt National Park, we stayed at Red Trail Campground, tight sites but nice park.
fanrgs
Explorer
Jan 06, 2019
We did exactly what you are planning by camping at Angostura Recreation Area, a SD state campground on Angostura Reservoir SE of Hot Springs. We had a beautiful, well-maintained, paved site on top of a hill with great views of the lake and Black Hills out our rear picture window. New restroom building with showers and reasonably priced for a campsite with hookups.

After staying there, we moved to the Sylvan Lake cg, part of Custer SP, to see Mt. Rushmore, Jewel Cave, the buffalo and donkeys, and the Needles Highway. However, if I had known then what I know now, I would not stay at Sylvan Lake again--very tight, small sites and no dump.

PS--When we went to Voyageurs NP, we stayed at Birch Camp located just west of International Falls. For more info on it, see my review on RVParkReviews.com.
accsys
Explorer
Jan 06, 2019
Hart Ranch seems to be pretty central to Badlands and Wind Cave and has lots of amenities if that's your thing. We are an old couple with no children with us and much prefer Custer State Park, Gamelodge Campground.

We were disappointed with Voyageurs since we don't have a boat or fishing equipment with us when we travel. We did take the park boat on the park lake tour and enjoyed it. When we visited there it was part of staying a couple of weeks in Gilbert, MN at Sherwood Forest Campground which is a city park and has very basic facilities but you can swim just downhill from the campground at Lake Ore-be-gone which has a nice beach area. It's about an hour and a half from Voyageurs so you may find somewhere closer and more convenient.
jplante4
Explorer II
Jan 06, 2019
For TRNP (south), we stayed in the Medora Campground just outside the park entrance, and we're really glad we did. The road into the campground in the park was under construction and you had to follow a pilot car for the first 10 miles (we drove through in the toad). Call before you go to see if this is still going on. If so, I would think twice about going to the park's campground.
TexasShadow
Explorer II
Jan 06, 2019
you can stay in Custer, SD and visit Bad Lands and Wind Cave from there. There are a lot of rv parks in the Custer area. Rafter J is very nice. Beaver Lake campground is good. Custers Gulch, Custer Mountain, French Creek RV park..to name a few of them. But make your reservations as early as you can.
For Teddy Roosevelt Park, you'll need to look in or near Medora I think.
maddog348
Explorer
Jan 06, 2019
You are betting on the parks being OPEN and Clean/Habitable by summer ???????

Forum Discussion

Trip planning help - Dakotas and Minnesota National Parks

19 Replies

About Campground 101

Related Content

Camping at National parks

Help me plan my trip! North Dakota (TRNP) & Minnesota (VNP)

Camping in Minnesota

Who’s planning

Big Bend National Park