Custer's Last Stand

[jamesu]

is there adequate parking at either Little Bighorn Battlefield NM and//or Reno-Benteen Battlefield Monument for my truck + TT? Will be passing that way eastbound on 9/11/16.

[A_hitch_and_hop]

There are two CG west at Harden, Mt. Don't miss stopping at the Big Horn County Museum while in the area. It is a restored 1800 western city that the County maintains. Check it out on http://www.bighorncountymuseum.org/

[Kaz]

I agree that parking at the visitor center is tight, and I agree that 7th RV Ranch is a good place to stay for the visit.

I'm not going to sink into the Custer-versus-Indians banality, but for an informative historical view I highly recommend doing the guided tour at the battlefield. Our tour guide was a Crow Indian (who actually plays Crazy Horse in the annual reenactment) and he provided excellent commentary on the battle, what caused it, and the consequences of it, all in a way that was historically well-informed and that I felt honored both the Indians and the soldiers (including Custer). Well worth doing. FWIW, I also recommend reading Stephen Ambrose's Custer and Crazy Horse before the visit if you have time.

Skip

[tragusa3]

I'll put another vote in for 7th Ranch. Great place to stay. There aren't a lot of options nearby. We got to the park early and therefore had no problem parking our rig. There is parallel parking for about 6-10 rigs.

We took our trailer through the park too. Not bad. We were able to park for 5 min at the opposite end. Long enough.

The intro video was great, and the Ranger talk was EXCELLENT!

[RAS43]

GoPackGo wrote:
I also recommend 7th Ranch as a place to stay - very close to the Battlefield.

I was there last summer and it was crowded - I would not pull any rig in there and I sure wouldn't pull anything on the long winding loop road that curls through the park.

I like history and I found this park to be extremely interesting. Many people only stop at the visitor center but if you want to understand how the battle evolved, then get the driving CD and drive all the way to the far end of the park (where Custer started) and work your way back to 'Last Stand Hill'. Spend an hour on Google and read up on what led up to this confrontation and some of the decisions Custer made. When you drive along that ridge you can understand the predicament he got his troops into, starting with his decision to split his command.

Great comment. We visited last year and enjoyed it. We did miss part of the ranger's explanation of the battle but what we did hear was great.

[GoPackGo]

I also recommend 7th Ranch as a place to stay - very close to the Battlefield.

I was there last summer and it was crowded - I would not pull any rig in there and I sure wouldn't pull anything on the long winding loop road that curls through the park.

I like history and I found this park to be extremely interesting. Many people only stop at the visitor center but if you want to understand how the battle evolved, then get the driving CD and drive all the way to the far end of the park (where Custer started) and work your way back to 'Last Stand Hill'. Spend an hour on Google and read up on what led up to this confrontation and some of the decisions Custer made. When you drive along that ridge you can understand the predicament he got his troops into, starting with his decision to split his command.

[TCmart]

Passed through that area about two weeks ago. My Class A with toad is about 52'. Got there early around 10:09 am. No problem with parking. The RV slots held about 12-15 rigs of all sizes.
Also, it's getting colder in the area. Not as many tourists the time you're traveling.

[X-OEM]

The problem is not driving there, it is parking. I do not remember a dedicated RV area - we drove so was not paying attention. The tour busses have their own parking area. It is a parking issue not an access issue. We did see big motorhomes with toads taking the loop road tour - NOT a good idea.

There is a ton of parking less than a mile away at the freeway exit - WAY less stress and car/truck parking much closer to the visitors center.

[Drbolasky]

Our last visit to Little Bighorn Battlefield was in 2009. As I recall there was dedicated parking for RV's but don't recollect how big - or not big - it was.

We also stayed at 7th Ranch. Liked it very much, especially the complimentary ice cream bar upon registration. Walked to the top of the hill at the CG and took in a spectacular Montana sunset.

[ken56]

After gold was found in the area Custer was sent to forcibly bring the chiefs to Washington to renegotiate (read dictate) a treaty already in place. The chiefs were called to Washington beforehand and refused to go so Custer was sent on this mission. Custer got what he went looking for......a fight. Its said Custer took his own life so as not to be captured by the Indians. Some things never change do they.......the greed of government.

I very much enjoyed seeing the cemetery and the visitor center but did not do the drive. I had no problem taking my 30 footer up there but then I didn't know any better and it was not busy when we went. Big tour busses go there so I am not sure what the problem would be.

[X-OEM]

Don't try to take your trailer to the visitors center. Almost impossible. Agree with the comment about the 7th Ranch RV park. Stayed for two night this spring. Nice place and three miles from the battlefield. If only stopping on the way somewhere, there is plenty of parking just down the hill at the freeway exit. A casino parking lot and room along the roads to drop your trailer. Highly recommend the film and the Ranger talk. Great background and history refresher.

Also bought the CD and did the car tour (Buy and the gift shop). Very well done, allows you to start and stop the CD at points of interest along the 6 mile road loop. You can stop and get out to walk the area. (some places but not all - watch the signs) I thought I knew the history pretty well, but actually being there and seeing first hand what the doomed unit saw was amazingly well done. One of the best national parks/monuments I have ever been to.

As far as depressing, I guess all battlefields give you that feeling to some extent, but no reason to deprive yourself of the learning and immersive experience that this monument provides. Very well worth the time to visit

[Ed_Gee]

jamesu wrote:
is there adequate parking at either Little Bighorn Battlefield NM and//or Reno-Benteen Battlefield Monument for my truck + TT? Will be passing that way eastbound on 9/11/16.

If you can possibly stay the night in conjunction with a visit to the Little BigHorn Battlefield, you might consider staying at the 7th Ranch RV Park .... an excellent park in all aspects just a few miles south of the Battlefield. Then you could drive your Tow truck to the site.

[BB_TX]

Look at google maps satellite view. There are three parking areas. If there were not many people there, you could park your truck/trailer in the two larger parking areas. But if it were crowded at the time, you could have a problem.

You can easily walk from that parking area to the exhibit buildings and the memorial site. But there is a long narrow road out to many of the battle areas that are too far to walk.

[agesilaus]

Yeah I'll have to agree, besides the above there was no parking along the loop drive. If you wanted to look at any of the sites away from the HQ you had to hoof it in from the parking lot there. We didn't have a problem parking while pulling our 5ver tho.

I found the park much more interesting than I expected. I've been by it several times in the past and never stopped there, but my son wanted to see it so we stopped. It helps if you are familiar with what happened there.

[Murphsmom]

We stayed at 7th Ranch RV Park in Garryowen MT last year when we visited the area. My husband was fascinated by the history of the area. We walked several of the locations while he tried to fix events in his mind. He reads a lot of the history of the area and the era. We did not see the film referenced above, but did not get the same impression of the area as the poster above.

For myself, I found it to be a most depressing place, due to the feeling of senseless loss of life.