Community Forums

jwaldick · 01-02-2005, 01:50 PM

Hi,
We are planning a trip trip to Mt. Rushmore in the summer and i have a number of questions. The first questions i have are where to go and wher eto stay. i have read a lot of the post regarding the Mt. Rushmore area CGs, but i am wondering if we should go the private or state park route. We live in NW Ohio and are wondering if there are some must see place in between. My wife and kids would like to see the gateway arch and the mall of america, which could both be covered, one inbound and one outbound....

My other questions surround my rig. most of our travel has been withing 500 or so of home, so performance in mountains has not been an issue, but i suspect that the planned trip will be another story...

we have a 1984 itasca class c, 26', chevy 350, towing a jeep wrangler...

so far the steepest incline has been Jelico Hill on I-75 on the way to the smoky's...and the rig did well, however, we were not towing anything...

so what do y'all think...

thanks in advance...

j

jwaldick · 01-02-2005, 01:50 PM

Hi,
We are planning a trip trip to Mt. Rushmore in the summer and i have a number of questions. The first questions i have are where to go and wher eto stay. i have read a lot of the post regarding the Mt. Rushmore area CGs, but i am wondering if we should go the private or state park route. We live in NW Ohio and are wondering if there are some must see place in between. My wife and kids would like to see the gateway arch and the mall of america, which could both be covered, one inbound and one outbound....

My other questions surround my rig. most of our travel has been withing 500 or so of home, so performance in mountains has not been an issue, but i suspect that the planned trip will be another story...

we have a 1984 itasca class c, 26', chevy 350, towing a jeep wrangler...

so far the steepest incline has been Jelico Hill on I-75 on the way to the smoky's...and the rig did well, however, we were not towing anything...

so what do y'all think...

thanks in advance...

j

Jim Gehlen · 01-02-2005, 05:49 PM

If you are not planning on going to Yellowstone or and real mountainous areas, your rig will do fine. As to where to stay, check out www.flintstonesbedrockcity.com in Custer, SD. This is a theme park with campground and 35 miles south of Mt. Rushmore, 5 miles from Crazy Horse and 6 miles from Custer State Park with all the critters in it.

There are many things to see and do in the area. Many folks plan on two-three days but it takes at least a week to see everything. Reptile Gardens, Bear Country, Cosmos, and too many to mention.

Look for me at Flintstones as we will be workamping at the campground again this yr.

jwaldick · 01-04-2005, 04:28 PM

Thank you for the response....

Since i can schedule my vacation june, july or august, i wonder if any month is better than the other...?

j

Jim Gehlen · 01-04-2005, 05:45 PM

If you don't like motorcycles, I would suggest that you avoid the 2nd week in August as that is the Annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally and you can expect 100K motorcycles in the Black Hills. They pretty much take over all of the roads in the area. Any other time would be great. The average temp in the hills at that time is around 70's to 80's and it is great for sightseeing. Very few bugs flying around except around some of the smaller lakes.

jwaldick · 01-04-2005, 06:51 PM

thanks for the info on the motorcycles...while going to sturgis at that time might be fun, its probably not a family affair...

do most places get booked up early, should i make reservations now, or wait...?

thank you

j

"007" · 01-06-2005, 03:25 PM

The Flintstone CG.is a great place for kids to stay. Check out the van tours from camp site,they will pick you up from your site take you to Crazy Horse,MT. Rushmore, the Needles, Custer State Park and to a Lodge in the park for dinner, request the guide to pick you up around 1pm so you can see the liting at night, of Rushmore,you don't want to miss it. The tour cost about $300 in 2000. You will see more places than if you take your car,plus get information and observations from your guide.I had 4 kids an 3 adults in our grp. so we had the van to ourselves. We were back about 10pm,a long day but well worth every dollar. We were there end of July no resv.---"007"

Jim Gehlen · 01-06-2005, 04:20 PM

Flintstones cabins are all booked for the Sturgis week but the rest of the campground you can get into without any reservations. However, the closer you get to Sturgis the more crowded it gets during the bike week.

There is also a place you may rent a car or van. Last year it was around $50.00 a day and like Enterprise, they pick you up.

The pool is solar heated so don't expect bath water.

umdutchwon · 01-10-2005, 02:21 PM

we stayed at the Custer KOA right in Custer and loved it. We've been there twice. It's not far from everything and they have a nice atmosphere. Nice breakfasts. Nice pool. You've got to go to Custer State Park, too. It's a must!

drfife · 01-10-2005, 02:58 PM

Check out Rafter J Bar Ranch. Excellent campground. We've stayed there and would return. We visited the KOA while we were there. The sites are smaller and more tightly packed at the KOA.

I've not heard from anyone that was disappointed in Rafter J.

Fillitup · 01-11-2005, 01:22 PM

I would stay at Rafter J Bar Ranch. There is a good selection of campsites there from a park setting with cable TV to a very woody setting or one with a large grass area across from it. They also have cabins for rent. They are also close to most all the area attractions and sites. We have stayed there before and I would again. I would also try to work a day in Deadwood and also Devil's Tower if possible.

The Sequel · 01-22-2005, 05:37 PM

We took the trip to Mount Rushmore last summer. We went the first week of June and there were no real crowds and we were able to see whatever we wanted with no problems. We usually try to take summer vacations early to beat the rush. We stayed in Custer State Park and would highly recommend it. I don't remember which one of Custer's campgrounds we stayed in but it was very near the west entrance as you come out of Custer City. The sites are beautiful and you are next to nature. The only problem is if you need hookups, there are none in the park. There are shower houses with water close by but no electric. We also stayed at Big Pine in Custer. We looked at several campgrounds in the Custer area and found it to be the best bang for the buck in our opinion. If I were doing it again, I would stay in Custer State Park for a few days and then find a campground closer to Rushmore for a few days. But even using Custer for a base was very simple. Beautiful country. Have fun!