Custer Game Lodge Campground.

[ryanw821]

Wife and I (and the Dog) just got back from 6 days in Custer Game Lodge Campground in the Black Hills of South Dakota.

It was fantastic rustic state park camping, so no Cable/Water/Sewer hookups, but had super clean bath house, and laundry facility. Our site had 30amp electric, some have 50amp and some have none, your pick on booking a site. All are paved level (back in) and have fire ring and table in the grassy area.

Very rustic, deer wandered in and out of the campground, and you are surrounded by tree covered hills on 3 sides, campground is only a few hundred feet from the start of the famous "Wilderness Loop" road, and your required "park pass permit" gains you access to it.

We got snowed on our first night there (Sept 10th) and it snowed till 6pm the next night, but even with the snow (which melted off in a day or two), we had a FANTASTIC time.



Donkey chewing on our block heater cord.


Buffalo on Wilderness Loop.

[certified106]

Looks awesome! That's crazy to think about snow that early

[ryanw821]

Bull Rider wrote:
Thanks for sharing. We're heading to Custer State Park in a week or so. Been wanting to go there for years. Rushmore, Badlands too.

You should really enjoy yourself in Custer, it's fantastic there.

We did the Badlands on our journey back home to MN, we ended up staying the night at "sleepy hollow campground" in Wall SD (also checked out Wall Drug while there). Sleepy Hollow was a decent campground, no scenic views and closely packed sites, but it's full hookup with water, sewer, electric, WiFi, and cable, and VERY close (walking distance) to Wall Drug. It's also only a few miles from the start to the Badlands loop road, so a good base to explore the Badlands from.

[Bull_Rider]

Thanks for sharing. We're heading to Custer State Park in a week or so. Been wanting to go there for years. Rushmore, Badlands too.

[SDcampowneroper]

the sept. 11/14 snowfall event around Custer was the earliest measurable snow ever in SD, with the greatest amount ever in September. 8". Gone the next day.
Keep your photos and memories, you were here for what the weatherman calls a 1 in 500 year event.

[brirene]

Looks like a great time! I love the Black Hills area.

[ryanw821]

NCWriter wrote:
Great campground. We stayed there August 2013 for five nights and enjoyed the talks and films. Buffalo wandered through by the fence almost every day.

Also enjoyed having a drink in the old Game Lodge, where the bar's fireplace was made with big crystals from Jewel Cave nearby. My grandfather knew Grace Coolidge, so I got a kick out of seeing her portrait there.

Beautiful pic of the snow!

This trip was an anniversary trip for us, so we had our anniversary dinner at the Game Lodge, fantastic food, and cool building, though we were seated in the new modern addition on it, it would have been nice to sit in the old section, we didn't even know there was a fireplace 😞

[NCWriter]

Great campground. We stayed there August 2013 for five nights and enjoyed the talks and films. Buffalo wandered through by the fence almost every day.

Also enjoyed having a drink in the old Game Lodge, where the bar's fireplace was made with big crystals from Jewel Cave nearby. My grandfather knew Grace Coolidge, so I got a kick out of seeing her portrait there.

Beautiful pic of the snow!

[ryanw821]

3oaks wrote:
Glad to hear you had a wonderful time at Custer SP.
We were there for the snowfall too. We are camping just up the road from the Game Lodge Campground at the Grace Coolidge Campground. We come out here every year at this time to join friends from all over SD. Great Park! Great camping friends.

It was our first time to SD, but I can see why you come back every year, we might have to make it our yearly tradition too, it's fantastic.

[3oaks]

Glad to hear you had a wonderful time at Custer SP.
We were there for the snowfall too. We are camping just up the road from the Game Lodge Campground at the Grace Coolidge Campground. We come out here every year at this time to join friends from all over SD. Great Park! Great camping friends.

[ryanw821]

I should follow up, nothing to do with the campground, but we had a roof leak in our wardrobe closet in the back corner from the snow melting off while we were there, camper is at the dealer for warranty service right now, wish me luck that all goes well and they can solve the leak.