Black Hills

[amateurfishing]

Looking to hopefully do some camping (tent or cabin) for 3-4 days b4 a black hills family reunion last weekend of June and hope to do some extra camping/vacation the week prior to that.

anyone have any recommendations or advice for a camping area with a family friendly atmosphere. we r a family of 5 (3 kids under 7), never camped b4 (but slowly buying equip). tent or cabin options welcomed. would like clean campground with drinking water, running toilets, hopefully electric option. kids love to bike, swim, playground, fish, and have campfires. wife loves to sit & relax.

would like opinions on places close to black hills like badlands, cuter state park etc.

any ideas, opinions, thoughts greatly appreciated. no camper/rv, only tent or cabin situation

[traveler]

Lots of options in the black hills, but my fav in that area, hands down, was devils tower. A bit of a drive accross the border, but a very cool place to visit. Theres a KOA with amenities, and a smaller capmground closer to devils tower, which we preferred.

Don't miss the Booth fish hatchery on the way there, by Spearfish i think.

[Powerstroke]

I stayed at Horse Thief Campground near Hill CIty, SD when we did the black hills in 2009.

I thought it was a nice campground. It has everything from tent sites to motorhome sites. There are a couple showerhouses, electric, a swimming pool and close enough to all the sights in the Black Hills. We liked it alot with our two daughters (7 and 9 at the time).

[brmuskie]

The campground by the visitor center in Badlands National Park is a good place to spend a couple days, the Badlands are pretty cool to explore.

Custer State Park campgrounds are very nice. I stayed in a tent site along the Coolidge? Creek. The creek was about15 feet from my tent and only about 3 feet deep there. I would recomend camping and exploring Custer State Park - you could easily spend a week there and not see everything. It is like a mini Yellowstone without the crowds. You could also do day trips from there to places like Mammoth Site/ Hot Springs, Mt. Rushmore, Spearfish Canyon, Crazy Horse, etc.....

Best of all - there aren't many bugs there. I was there for a week over the 4th of July and don't remember seeing a mosquito or biting fly.

[Randyjr.]

My family and I love to go to Rapid City. We have stayed twice at Lake Park Campgrounds. They have spots for tenting, and their cabins are top notch and priced adequately. I think we stayed there for a week in June for $600, and over the 4th of July for $800. We stayed in a two bedroom. There is also a living room, stove, fridge, bathroom with shower and other things like that. It is centrally located for all the things we wanted to do (our kids are 8 and 6).

[KatoMike]

We spent a week at the Mount Rushmore KOA last summer. It is just outside of Hill City so you are right in the middle of the Black Hills. Incredible views right from the campground, 2 pools, atv trails leaving right from the campground. Our two kids (3 & 6 at the time) loved it! I would definitely stay there again. We took our fifth wheel out there but they have tent sites and cabins, too.

[SneakAttack]

We spent a week at the Mount Rushmore KOA last summer. It is just outside of Hill City so you are right in the middle of the Black Hills. Incredible views right from the campground, 2 pools, atv trails leaving right from the campground. Our two kids (3 & 6 at the time) loved it! I would definitely stay there again. We took our fifth wheel out there but they have tent sites and cabins, too.

+1

Ive stay at this KOA 3 times over the last 15 years, No need to go anywhere else, right in the middle of everything and lots of stuff for the kiddies to do

[Jarrod32]

I'll echo what brmuskie said...even if you don't stay there, Badlands National Park and Custer State Park are a couple places you need to have on your "to do" list.

[eyemaster]

we stayed at Palmer Gulch KOA last year with two young kids and they had a blast. lots of activities for the kids and a nice KOA campground, when we go back I will stay at the same campgrounds.

[KatoMike]

That's the name of the KOA we stayed at, Palmer Gulch. Thanks.

[mrklean]

im a big fan of custer state park, they have some nice campgrounds and some of them have cabins with beds in them also

[rundrave]

I am partial to Sylvan Lake only because you can do the hike to the top of Harney Peak (highest point of elevation in SD) right from the camp ground. Your kids may be just a tad too young yet but I want to say my family did it when I was that age but that was a long time now lol so I may have been older than I remember.

Plus the lake is right there to swim and fish in and the area is absolutely gorgeous.

[pheasantpro10]

I would consider Rafter J Bar Ranch campground very nice place. We stayed there for 4 days last year but sturgis is not the time to go if you want to do some site seeing. It is very close to custer and MT. Rushmore we would definitely go back!!

[lispeej]

nice choice. beautiful part of the country to see. a must!

[Down Deep]

If the family plans on seeing the sights stay in Hill City as it is in the dead center of everything and you will avoid wasting time making long drives. Hill City also has a higher elevation and will be cooler at night. Areas on the grassland level can be sweltering in June, July and August especially the Badlands.

[amateurfishing]

thx for all the advice & choices. since we have not actually gone camping yet, wife says our first time will not be to the black hills, but a small family weekend close by home (makes a lot of sense)& since our time frame has slightly changed, we are going to spearfish directly & stay there an extra night. figured no reason to empty the family truck for 1 overnight stay somewhere else. i personally wanted to go for a week but since that is not feasible for our first time, will just do what we can time wise 7 have to plan another future trip. thx again all