Sioux Falls/Rapid City/Deadwood

[HappyRV]

Any personal suggestions on where to stay...maybe off the beaten path great eateries??? Suggestions are always very helpful!

[K-Star]

I stay at the Yogi Bear/Jellystone park in Brandon, SD. It is exit 402 off of I-90. It is relatively easy to get to the downtown Sioux Falls area which is about 5-7 miles. There is also a KOA at exit 399. It pretty much looks like a dirt parking lot turned into a CG. While there, you need to visit Falls Park, especially in the evening for the light show. Just outside of the park Phillips Avenue has quite a few [non franchise] local eateries to pick from. Also a lot of nice shopping. Corn Palace is in Mitchell, SD which is about a hour drive from Brandon. Next to the Corn Palace is a nice little pub to eat.

Rapid City area we stayed on Rafter-J CG in Hill City. It is close to Mt. Rushmore and Custer State Park. Very nice and clean. You can also drive up to Deadwood from here.

[Stumblefoot]

For sheer beauty, I wouldn't stay another other place than Custer State Park. Depending on which campground you choose, you're approximately 90 minutes to Deadwood or the Badlands, 60 minutes to Rapid City, and 30 minutes to Mount Rushmore.

For a fun, off the beaten path eatery, be sure to visit the Purple Pie in Custer, SD. Yummy!

[HappyRV]

love all the "been there did that advice"....so much better than all the websites...thanks again!

[Bill Adams]

There is A LOT of driving if you want to see all of the sights in this area from one campground. We just did this trip and (while expensive) we stayed in Deadwood downtown. There is also an inexpensive campground at the Sturgis/Deadwood exit (30, 31?) and only leaves about a 10 mile drive into Deadwood.
We stayed at Hart Ranch to tour that area but I think this is just too far for anything other than Mt. Rushmore. I would have preferred to stay there for a day or two and then camp in/around Custer to tour that area. The KOA near Mt. Rushmore is my preferred site but friends of ours had some free camping available at Hart. You might be able to tour everything (save Deadwood) from the KOA over the course of a few days.

[UFO Pilot]

We stayed here Wheels West RV Park & 7th Cavalry Cafe last year and loved it. The owners are great people and the onsite restaurant is outstanding. Look at the reviews on RV Park Reviews :: Custer, South Dakota ( SD ) - RV Parks and Campground Reviews and decide if it sounds like the kind of place you would enjoy.

The view of the meadow is incredible and the wildlife is fantastic. We used it as a base for 6 days.

[ctcamper]

I stayed in Deadwood NP campground. It has 50 amp Electric only. Loved it.
Then the state CG in Custer were also great. Electric 50 amp again. They had showers and bathrooms there if you need them. I stayed at both Grace Coolidge and legion lake. Game lodge looked good too but less shade than the two previous ones I mentioned. A more private and further away CG in Custer is Blue Bell. That has lots of shade and a Horse Stable on site with horse/trail rides avail. The state does a nice job with them. I talked with the hosts at Game lodge and of course Grace C. and Legion L. and they were the nicest people.

I can't help on Deadwood, we drove through it and said forget it. Much too commercial and crowded for our taste.

[JimM68]

Further east than you are asking, but badlands KOA is fabulous.
Highly in the middle on nowhere tho.

[ctcamper]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ctcamper I stayed in Deadwood NP campground. It has 50 amp Electric only. Loved it. Then the state CG in Custer were also great. Electric 50 amp again. They had showers and bathrooms there if you need them. I stayed at both Grace Coolidge and legion lake. Game lodge looked good too but less shade than the two previous ones I mentioned. A more private and further away CG in Custer is Blue Bell. That has lots of shade and a Horse Stable on site with horse/trail rides avail. The state does a nice job with them. I talked with the hosts at Game lodge and of course Grace C. and Legion L. and they were the nicest people. I can't help on Deadwood, we drove through it and said forget it. Much too commercial and crowded for our taste.

Revise my previous post , I meant the badlands NP campground with 50 amp not deadwood. It was late when I posted and I'm still recuperating from the long travel days coming back from the west and getting the house back in order here ... takes a few days

..... but if your in that area the badlands is very interesting to check out and it offers you a nice setting for a night.