Trip planning help - Dakotas and Minnesota National Parks

[alesis]

Hello all-
The time of year has come for us to plan our July camping trip. We've been visiting National Parks, and have decided we want to visit Bad Lands, Wind Cave, Theodore Roosevelt and Voyageur National Parks during the first 2 weeks of July (yes we know it's busy then, we've been doing this time frame for 12+ years 🙂 ).

I'm hoping to find a nice campground in between Bad Lands and Wind Cave so we can visit those parks from one base camp. Then I'll need a nice CG near each of the other 2 parks. We'll have 16 days for this trip.

We need full hookups at each CG and prefer to have pools at each as well. Any help is appreciated!

FYI we've been to most of the other National Parks close to these already, so we won't need to check those out.

We're looking for awesome CGs and things to do in those areas. We usually limit day trips to about 1 - 1 1/2 hours from camp. Thanks in advance!

[padredw]

Busskipper wrote:
Custer's Gulch, which is Just outside Custer, is where we stayed and we loved it as every trip provided great Landscapes and made each day even better. So Yes Custer is IMHO the Center of it all.

Once again, I could not agree with Busskipper more. Custer's Gulch is right where I would go back.

[Busskipper]

Roy&Lynne wrote:
The town of Custer is right in the heart of it and we spent 4 days there last summer. Wind Caves is just south, Custer State Park is just east and Mt Rushmore and Crazy Horse is just North.

Custer's Gulch, which is Just outside Custer, is where we stayed and we loved it as every trip provided great Landscapes and made each day even better. So Yes Custer is IMHO the Center of it all.

---------

[dewey02]

fanrgs wrote:

dieseltruckdriver wrote:
FYI, while at Wind Cave, drive the back roads. There is much more to that park than the cave. You will see bison (100%, no cattle DNA), pronghorns, and very possibly elk. Also there won't be traffic jams to see them like in Yellowstone.

We agree on that back road. We drove through several herds of bison along the road and we were the only vehicle in sight.

A couple of places we had cows and calves right in the borrow ditch along the road not more than 6-8' from the truck. We DID NOT STOP in those places, but did stop a safe distance away a couple of times for photos (from the truck!). The most interesting sight was seeing bison rolling around in the dirt taking dust baths just like you see on TV.

You can also see bison in Custer SP, but usually farther away and always with a crowd of other vehicles and people (more like Yellowstone). This herd is not purebred and excess animals are auctioned off every fall.

X3 on this. Great experience, and not a single other vehicle in sight!

[Roy_Lynne]

The town of Custer is right in the heart of it and we spent 4 days there last summer. Wind Caves is just south, Custer State Park is just east and Mt Rushmore and Crazy Horse is just North.

[dewey02]

I lived in Northern MN for 25 years. Unless you have a decent boat you are pulling with you, I would pass on Voyageurs NP. It is almost solely water-based and there aren't any top notch RV campgrounds in the immediate vicinity.

Instead, travel to the north shore of Lake Superior, which is chock-a-block with 8 beautiful state parks, lots of great waterfalls, Superior National Forest, Grand Portage Natl. Monument (so you can still visit an NPS area!) Lots of state park, USFS and private campgrounds but best to get a reservation early. Burlington Bay CG (Two Harbors, Mn) and Grand Marais CG are town operated rv campgrounds right on lLake Superior.

[fanrgs]

dieseltruckdriver wrote:
FYI, while at Wind Cave, drive the back roads. There is much more to that park than the cave. You will see bison (100%, no cattle DNA), pronghorns, and very possibly elk. Also there won't be traffic jams to see them like in Yellowstone.

We agree on that back road. We drove through several herds of bison along the road and we were the only vehicle in sight.

A couple of places we had cows and calves right in the borrow ditch along the road not more than 6-8' from the truck. We DID NOT STOP in those places, but did stop a safe distance away a couple of times for photos (from the truck!). The most interesting sight was seeing bison rolling around in the dirt taking dust baths just like you see on TV.

You can also see bison in Custer SP, but usually farther away and always with a crowd of other vehicles and people (more like Yellowstone). This herd is not purebred and excess animals are auctioned off every fall.

[dieseltruckdriv]

Angostura might be a good spot to do both Wind Cave and Badlands NPs. There is a nice RV park in Wall which is 10 minutes from Badlands, and Custer SP would be a very good one to see Wind Cave from, plus it will get you much closer to Mount Rushmore NM. There is a campground in Wind Cave, but sites are small, and there are no hookups or dump. It is very quiet and peaceful.

FYI, while at Wind Cave, drive the back roads. There is much more to that park than the cave. You will see bison (100%, no cattle DNA), pronghorns, and very possibly elk. Also there won't be traffic jams to see them like in Yellowstone.

[Addy15]

I second the idea of the Lake Angostura area at the south end of the Black Hills. Didn't camp there, but we had a lovely time visiting there.

Voyageurs is pretty remote, and I am not too familiar with the actual Voyaguers area because we don't usually go quite that far north and haven't been there, but this place is right on Lake Kabetogama about a mile from the Voyageurs Visitor Center. It looks like a nice place, though a little on the spendy side...

Pines of Kabetogama

You could also take a look at this place:

Voyageurs Sunrise Resort


We stayed two nights at the Medora Campground when we visited TRNP. It's OK. A little tight and packed in. Our site had a beautiful view of the ridge. I don't think we were able to put out our awning. Sites are packed dirt so could be really muddy if it rained (we were lucky...) Suprisingly enough, there isn't much for campgrounds in that immediate area.

[RVman3252]

I agree... Rafter J, in Hill City, SD is a nice park! There sure is a lot to do in that area too.

[CharlesinGA]

I am going to add this link to my brief trip report about my 2017 Badlands, Black Hills and Solar Eclipse trip. You might find something in it worth considering or visiting.

Badlands, Black Hills, and Solar Eclipse trip, 2017.

Charles

[alesis]

As usual, you’ve all come though again! Thanks for all the suggestions. Keep em’ coming 🙂

[Nodaker]

The Rafter J in Hill City is a very nice, full-service campground. Campgrounds in Custer State Park are also very nice but mostly just electric hookups.

In ND near Theodore Roosevelt National Park your best bet is probably the Medora Campground. It's not what you would call first class but we've found the full hookups work well. The city swimming pool is a couple blocks away on the road into the campground. The campgrounds in the park (Cottonwood in the south unit; Juniper in the north unit) are primitive only, no hookups.

If you have specific questions about TRNP, Medora, or other parts of ND please feel free to PM me.

[CharlesinGA]

A little out of the way, and not National, but rather City owned, Spearfish has a nice campground right in the edge of town. Wonderful location and great place to base out of.

https://www.cityofspearfish.com/departments/city_campground/index.php

Charles

[mlburst]

When we visited Theodore Roosevelt National Park, we stayed at Red Trail Campground, tight sites but nice park.