Spearfish, SD

[garmp]

The travel club we belong to is having the annual reunion/rally in Spearfish, SD in mid Sept. Being from St. Louis, MO we'd like to take in a number of states before arriving at the reunion. We've never been to that part of the country and want "color our map in", so to speak.
Thoughts at this time are to trek to Colorado's north eastern corner, North Sterling SP, to Custer State Park Blue Bell Campground, some where near/in Devils Tower/Black Hills area, to Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument and then to Spearfish. After that head back home, spending 2-3 nights per location.
We generally prefer, State, COE, Federal or even county parks. Private parks if we must. Issue being that a lot of parks we'd like to stay don't have electricty, which for us is a must.
Any thoughts, suggestions, hints or just opinions?
Really pretty much open and have plenty of time to plan, just that this lock down should at least be sort of productive.
Also looking for sites, history & eateries.

thanks

[FLGup]

We spent a month in Spearfish last summer. We used it as home base and drove to see a lot from there. Devils Tower is an easy day drive, visit, and drive back. In fact we drove from Spearfish to Belle Fourche SD (about 30 miles north) to the geographic center of the US and from there we took Hwy 34/24 to Devils Tower (only 55 miles away) a beautiful drive.

Also, I recommend Spearfish Canyon (Hwy alt-14 ) to Cheyenne Crossing. Be sure and eat lunch (or breakfast) at Cheyenne Crossing. It is awesome! That’s all that is at Cheyenne Crossing, as it is just a intersection.

Then stay with Hwy alt-14 into the town of Lead, stopping at the Sanford Lab visitor center where they describe the mining and now scientific research inside the 8000 foot mine. Very interesting. Traveling from Lead you will go through Deadwood before heading back to Spearfish.

Deadwood is very interesting too. Old town streets and buildings, Street shootouts, casinos, etc. Worth a day all by itself. We also drove from Spearfish to Custer, Badlands, Mt Rushmore, etc.

[garmp]

Thanks all for the great info. Now just got to wait for September.
Stay well & safe travels.

[Finally_Time]

Quote Finally Time For a campground right next to Little Big Horn National Monument, I stayed at 7th Ranch RV Park Pleasant owners, very clean, quiet park with full hookups and good sized spaces.

Quote I was going to ask about this place. You said it was nice. We only plan to spend one night there. Which do you fell is better: see the Monument park then check in or spend the night and see the Monument the next day? We only have a couple hour drive that day.
thanks all

I would check in, then see some of the other things in the area. I would wait to go to the monument early the next morning to beat the crowds and heat. I was surprised how much there was to see at the battlefield. I think I could have spent all day there.

[Horsedoc]

I'm sorry, the name of the place is Grandview Campground. Service station across Mitchell street from it. Closer to the Battlefield than the 7th, but does have some permanents. Not sure how to post a picture from Google maps. We've been to the Battlefield a couple of times. Sad place when you figure what went on there and see where folks died. Museum is very interesting.
I guess the time of day you arrive is the key to which to see first. I know the parking lot for the Battlefield and cemetery (there is a national cemetery also) gets pretty crowded and you cannot turn a 40 ft rig and a towed Jeep around in it with the crowd - believe me, I KNOW! 😉 😉


https://www.google.com/maps/@45.7390766,-107.6134282,3a,75y,298.63h,88.08t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sYgAlV...

[garmp]

Horsedoc, Is this the park you were referring to? If not which one?

Finally Time wrote:
For a campground right next to Little Big Horn National Monument, I stayed at 7th Ranch RV Park
Pleasant owners, very clean, quiet park with full hookups and good sized spaces.

I was going to ask about this place. You said it was nice. We only plan to spend one night there. Which do you fell is better: see the Monument park then check in or spend the night and see the Monument the next day? We only have a couple hour drive that day.
thanks all

[Finally_Time]

For a campground right next to Little Big Horn National Monument, I stayed at 7th Ranch RV Park
Pleasant owners, very clean, quiet park with full hookups and good sized spaces.

[BarabooBob]

I like going to Custer State Park with stops on the Needles Highway, the Coolidge Mountain Fire Tower scenic overlook, and the burros. We carry vegetables to give to kids to feed the burros. The kids enjoy that. If you are physically able to take a cave tour, I would suggest either Jewel Cave or Wind Cave or both. The caves are very different even though they are only 30 miles apart.

[Horsedoc]

garmp wrote:
Expanding our search for campgrounds to Montana. Thinking about seeing the Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument and would like to camp near by. But need electric. About the only thing I can find is Tongue River State Park, Montana. Not the cloest, but has power.
Any thoughts on this park or any other near the monument?

There is a CG in Harden, that is FHU. Very near the Battlefield. Not the nicest we have stayed in, but adequate for a couple of days. You likely will just sleep there and tour the area during the day

[dieseltruckdriv]

garmp wrote:
Expanding our search for campgrounds to Montana. Thinking about seeing the Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument and would like to camp near by. But need electric. About the only thing I can find is Tongue River State Park, Montana. Not the cloest, but has power.
Any thoughts on this park or any other near the monument?

Also in Wyoming, we want to see the Devil's Tower, but the only campground I can find near there is a KOA and really don't want to refinance the coach to spend a night. WOW! Any other campgrounds around there, with electric, worth staying?
Boy the pioneer life in the wild west is rough! Can't find many, if any parks with conveniences without selling the farm.

That is why many of us have our rvs ready to go with no hookups..
If I were you, I would look at skipping Custer until you were done with Custer Battlefield. They are quite a ways apart. Honestly, Wind Cave NP as a drive through will show you more wildlife than Custer SPs Wildlife Loop. They are actually connected.

[agesilaus]

I don't know ahy you'd want to spend that much time at that park, it's small and there just isn't that much to see.

[garmp]

Expanding our search for campgrounds to Montana. Thinking about seeing the Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument and would like to camp near by. But need electric. About the only thing I can find is Tongue River State Park, Montana. Not the cloest, but has power.
Any thoughts on this park or any other near the monument?

Also in Wyoming, we want to see the Devil's Tower, but the only campground I can find near there is a KOA and really don't want to refinance the coach to spend a night. WOW! Any other campgrounds around there, with electric, worth staying?
Boy the pioneer life in the wild west is rough! Can't find many, if any parks with conveniences without selling the farm.

[dedmiston]

garmp wrote:
Secondly both the DW & myself have respiratory issues and don't want to get in to too high elevations.

Wyoming can sneak up on you. It doesn't seem like it when you're in the flats, but even places like Laramie are at 7,000' in town before you even head up into the hills.

[garmp]

Bionic, we chose this park, although it's not set in stone yet, because we want to camp in Colorado and really don't want to venture to far in. We only drive 3, or 4 hours tops, a day and coming from Nebraska, this seems to be about the only park I can find that isn't too far off our path that has electric. Secondly both the DW & myself have respiratory issues and don't want to get in to too high elevations.
Totally open to suggestions. We would like to spend a day or two, or more, in Colorado, Wyoming and Montana each, before heading to our rally in Spearfish for a week.
thanks

[Bionic_Man]

We use North Sterling State Park most weekends in June, and some in July/August, depending on the water situation. Mid September the park will not be busy at all.

Colorado State Parks are reservation only now, but in September (assuming not Labor Day weekend) you can just show up and call for the sites when you get there.

All that said, I would ask why you'd add this as a stop? Without a boat, there really isn't much to do. There are a couple of trails (not many) and an archery range. Depending on our water year, there could be very little water in the res.

If you want to see Colorado, go further West into the mountains. Mid September in the mountains is my favorite time of year.