Custer State Park -July3rd?

SDcampowneroperator wrote:

Jim Shoe wrote:
There are lots of CGs in the Black Hills besides Custer SP both public and private, but its July 4th weekend, with the 4th on a Friday which means every working stiff will have a 3 day weekend, and where Mt. Rushmore and Crazy Horse both have spectacular fireworks displays. I'd say you're about a year late. You could show up and hope for a late cancellation, but the odds are against you, and then what do you do?

Sorry, there will not be fireworks at Mt. Rushmore or Crazy Horse. The forest fire danger is too high with all the dead timber from the mountain pine beetle epidemic.

Sorry to hear that - both the lack of fireworks and the pine beetle problem. I've been visiting the Black Hills since I was 6 years old, tent camping with my parents. We stopped along the road and watched them filming a Charlton Heston cowboy flick.
On a recent July trip, I went to Mt. Rushmore in the morning, grabbed a cup of coffee, sat on the patio outside and watched helicopters lowering fireworks onto the heads for the Fourth of July show. Then returned for the show that night.

OP we found that there were a few sites open even on the busiest weekends. The only issue is that your choices will be limited so if you have a large rig you will be impacted. Your best bet for fireworks will be in Lead or Rapid City. As mentioned above fireworks are pretty much all on hold in the Blackhills due to severe beetle kill.

For your planning pleasure this is the best resource for campgrounds and rv parks in the Blackhills

Would that be the Custer State Park in Michigan, or the one in the Black Hills? If Michigan, there is not much else around Battle Creek. If SD, there are a number of RV parks in the region catering to the Mount Rushmore visitor traffic, considering by local standards that a 50-100 mile drive is just a short trip.

Jim Shoe wrote:
There are lots of CGs in the Black Hills besides Custer SP both public and private, but its July 4th weekend, with the 4th on a Friday which means every working stiff will have a 3 day weekend, and where Mt. Rushmore and Crazy Horse both have spectacular fireworks displays. I'd say you're about a year late. You could show up and hope for a late cancellation, but the odds are against you, and then what do you do?

Sorry, there will not be fireworks at Mt. Rushmore or Crazy Horse. The forest fire danger is too high with all the dead timber from the mountain pine beetle epidemic.

As said above Custer's Gultch is a very nice private campground just outside the park. Every thing is easy to get to from there and I'd go back there to stay again if I'm in the area again.

There are lots of CGs in the Black Hills besides Custer SP both public and private, but its July 4th weekend, with the 4th on a Friday which means every working stiff will have a 3 day weekend, and where Mt. Rushmore and Crazy Horse both have spectacular fireworks displays. I'd say you're about a year late. You could show up and hope for a late cancellation, but the odds are against you, and then what do you do?

We enjoyed very much staying at Custer's Gulch Campground which we found very "handy" to Custer State Park and the other attractions in the area. We would go back there if we are able to return for another visit.

This, of course, is a private campground and there are several others which are highly recommended in the area.

We have the same problem at our state parks and I imagine it is common everywhere during major holiday weekends. About half of the sites are not available for reservations at our state parks and in the past we have come a day or two early to get one of the first come first serve spots.

Whether this will work at this particular park is hard to say, but if you are deadest about camping there without reservations during this specific time period, getting there early as possible is really your only option. Here's hoping it works out for you.