Advice needed! Best RV Park/ Campground near Mount Rushmore

[#1]

Hi,
Please suggest what you believe is the best RV Park or Campground in relations to Mount Rushmore? Looking for resort style with many amenities. We like large or spacious wooded type sites. Doesn't have to be on a pad. We would like to avoid open field type sites. We have a short 34'ft +hitch TT so we can hopefully fit in alot site choices. We don't care about pull thru's, backing in is fine. We are 2 families, so 2 sites needed.

If you have experience in any RV Park or Campground that you feel was fantastic, we want to hear from you!

Mount Rushmore is our main destination but we are going to try and visit as may things close to it as well as Devil's Tower. We are open to a bit of travel to Rushmore just because the camping facility is that good, (please, nothing rundown or "party wild". We will avoid bike week).

We been googling RV Parks and campgrounds in the area, and using the GoodSams site, but rather hear from you real folks that have real experience in the area!

We are driving out on the Northern route from Massachusetts (I90) direction. We never camped away from the East coast. This will be exciting for us.

So we would appreciate your thoughts and experience you are willing to share about where to stay.

Thanks in advance!

Normy

[ksbowman]

CharlesinGa, is correct when he says to be sure and fold in mirrors. I had forgot to pull mine in from towing mode on my Dodge 2500 and I rubbed on one side driving thru the Needles tunnel while only clearing by a couple inches on the other.

[ken56]

If you are a Coast to Coast member then Rushmore Shadows is very nice.

[Busskipper]

Normy wrote:
Hi,
Please suggest what you believe is the best RV Park or Campground in relations to Mount Rushmore? Looking for resort style with many amenities. We like large or spacious wooded type sites. Doesn't have to be on a pad. We would like to avoid open field type sites. We have a short 34'ft +hitch TT so we can hopefully fit in alot site choices. We don't care about pull thru's, backing in is fine. We are 2 families, so 2 sites needed.

If you have experience in any RV Park or Campground that you feel was fantastic, we want to hear from you!

Mount Rushmore is our main destination but we are going to try and visit as may things close to it as well as Devil's Tower. We are open to a bit of travel to Rushmore just because the camping facility is that good, (please, nothing rundown or "party wild". We will avoid bike week).

We been googling RV Parks and campgrounds in the area, and using the GoodSams site, but rather hear from you real folks that have real experience in the area!

We are driving out on the Northern route from Massachusetts (I90) direction. We never camped away from the East coast. This will be exciting for us.

So we would appreciate your thoughts and experience you are willing to share about where to stay.

Thanks in advance!

Normy

Custers Gultch

Fits your criteria - We've been during Bike week and other than things being a little slow, was not a big issue.

Lot's to see and Do,

[#5]

MawMaw and PawPaw wrote:
Another fan of Rafter J. Make sure to go to the flag lowering ceremony at Mount Rushmore at dusk. Very moving and beautiful .

That sounds wonderful, we didn't read about that. That's a great idea, thanks for suggesting it!


Rafters J again, we watched the video on their site, it looks really nice. It's definitely in my top 5 after all these suggestions.

Also from other choices mentioned, it's seems like there are many nice places that you almost can't go wrong.

Thanks
Normy

[MawMaw_and_PawP]

Another fan of Rafter J. Make sure to go to the flag lowering ceremony at Mount Rushmore at dusk. Very moving and beautiful .

[#7]

donkeydew wrote:
beaver lake campground near custer

Saw their video, looked pretty good! 🙂

[#8]

CharlesinGA wrote:

JAC1982 wrote:
This year Sturgis is August 6-12. Next year it's August 5-11. I'd say avoiding the week before and the week after is a good idea as well.

Last year in the spring I asked this very thing. Was planning an eclipse trip to Alliance Nebraska and wanted to see the Black Hills. The responses I got, and one was from someone who had lived in Sturgis almost all their life, was that the bikers show up one to two weeks early to tour the area, and are gone as soon as its over.

I talked to Spearfish City Campground on the phone and got the same info. I arrived in Spearfish on Tuesday afternoon (after the ending Sunday of bike week) after watching Eastbound RV's on I-90 both monday and tuesday, all pulling enclosed trailers (with bikes inside???). When I arrived in the campground on Tuesday afternoon there was one biker left, and the rest of the week I saw very few out touring.

I spent four nights at Spearfish, and used a rented car to tour the area, and one night at the KOA at Hot Springs and then off to Alliance where I spent the night in a nice grassy area I paid $50 for the opportunity to park with about four other motorhomes and a camper van.

This is my brief trip report, My Black Hills, Badlands and Solar Eclipse trip in August 2017

Hopefully the OP has a TOAD or truck to drive the Needles and Iron Mountain highways with (very small one lane tunnels that you have to fold mirrors on some trucks to clear the sides)

Spearfish City Campground is a good choice, has a very nice city park adjoining it and another small park and playground about a block away, plus the fish hatchery adjoining it, and laundrymat and food places such as pizza and such very close by. All good when you are unwinding after a day of touring and walking.

Charles

Thanks for your info. I also enjoyed your trip report, you definitely put some thought into your travel days and especially appreciate the links you provided.

Yes, have a truck and watching YouTube videos of people driving the needles, we learned to keep the TT away from the area.

Thanks
Normy

[#9]

JAC1982 wrote:
This year Sturgis is August 6-12. Next year it's August 5-11. I'd say avoiding the week before and the week after is a good idea as well.

Makes sense, I agree

[CharlesinGA]

JAC1982 wrote:
This year Sturgis is August 6-12. Next year it's August 5-11. I'd say avoiding the week before and the week after is a good idea as well.

Last year in the spring I asked this very thing. Was planning an eclipse trip to Alliance Nebraska and wanted to see the Black Hills. The responses I got, and one was from someone who had lived in Sturgis almost all their life, was that the bikers show up one to two weeks early to tour the area, and are gone as soon as its over.

I talked to Spearfish City Campground on the phone and got the same info. I arrived in Spearfish on Tuesday afternoon (after the ending Sunday of bike week) after watching Eastbound RV's on I-90 both monday and tuesday, all pulling enclosed trailers (with bikes inside???). When I arrived in the campground on Tuesday afternoon there was one biker left, and the rest of the week I saw very few out touring.

I spent four nights at Spearfish, and used a rented car to tour the area, and one night at the KOA at Hot Springs and then off to Alliance where I spent the night in a nice grassy area I paid $50 for the opportunity to park with about four other motorhomes and a camper van.

This is my brief trip report, My Black Hills, Badlands and Solar Eclipse trip in August 2017

Hopefully the OP has a TOAD or truck to drive the Needles and Iron Mountain highways with (very small one lane tunnels that you have to fold mirrors on some trucks to clear the sides)

Spearfish City Campground is a good choice, has a very nice city park adjoining it and another small park and playground about a block away, plus the fish hatchery adjoining it, and laundrymat and food places such as pizza and such very close by. All good when you are unwinding after a day of touring and walking.

Charles

[donkeydew]

beaver lake campground near custer

[JAC1982]

This year Sturgis is August 6-12. Next year it's August 5-11. I'd say avoiding the week before and the week after is a good idea as well.

[rr2254545]

Normy wrote:

rr2254545 wrote:
Rafter J is this best in the area, sites are very spacious - Just the opposite is the KOA
We have stayed at both

KOA wasn't as good as Rafters J in your humble opinion?

So far the reply's are favoring Rafters J

Thanks
Normy

Yes the KOA has 350 sites and is a factory, Rafter J is 180 but more spread out so it seems much smaller

[#14]

westernrvparkowner wrote:
The RV parks near major attractions in the west are nothing like the parks in the northeast. You won't find party campgrounds. The locals have no need to get away from the city and blow off steam. Instead the parks will be full of tourists who spend all day at the attractions and return to clean up, eat, sleep and recover to do it all again. The parks themselves are not the attraction. Nobody stays in the park day in, day out using the park as their entertainment. Some of the parks may have a pool, a playground or another time waster like mini-golf, but that is about it.
Near places like Mount Rushmore, land is extremely expensive and scarce. Those real estate prices combined with the lack of land makes it imperative for those RV parks to maximize their revenues in order to make a profit, so you aren't going to find 1/2 acre sites. I think you will find you will ultimately care much less about the RV parks on this trip than you do at home. They are going to serve a different purpose.

We are excited to get away from the Northeast and East coast for camping. As you probably aware we have a very short camping season here in the Northeast. I certainly agree we up over here are "wound up tight" from the fever pace way of life we seem to put on ourselves through (lol). We noticed a big difference in people and "feel" when we head to Florida, no one seems rushed or stressed like us "Northerners" as we are still called.

We believe we will do most likely exactly what you said by being gone all day and coming back to base camp and relaxing. We have a couple of younger kids in our party who will explore the campground activities if we need a day of rest.

Thanks for your thoughts, I believe you are right and we can't wait to get out there and experience that part of our country.

Thanks
Normy

[westernrvparkow]

The RV parks near major attractions in the west are nothing like the parks in the northeast. You won't find party campgrounds. The locals have no need to get away from the city and blow off steam. Instead the parks will be full of tourists who spend all day at the attractions and return to clean up, eat, sleep and recover to do it all again. The parks themselves are not the attraction. Nobody stays in the park day in, day out using the park as their entertainment. Some of the parks may have a pool, a playground or another time waster like mini-golf, but that is about it.
Near places like Mount Rushmore, land is extremely expensive and scarce. Those real estate prices combined with the lack of land makes it imperative for those RV parks to maximize their revenues in order to make a profit, so you aren't going to find 1/2 acre sites. I think you will find you will ultimately care much less about the RV parks on this trip than you do at home. They are going to serve a different purpose.