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Nearby Hill City, South Dakota (Air Miles)
-Cities With RV Parks-
10.57 miles E
11.32 miles S
18.85 miles N
19.90 miles NE
20.12 miles SE
20.76 miles NE
22.57 miles NE
-Other Nearby Points-
Black Hills Institute Of
0.15 miles NW
Alpine Inn
0.21 miles N
1880 Train - Black Hil
0.33 miles SE
Crooked Creek Resort
605-574-2418
605-574-2418
1.71 miles SW
Mount Rushmore National
6.66 miles SE
Rushmore Tramway
7.34 miles SE
Borglum Historical Center
8.54 miles SE
Crazy Horse Memorial
8.72 miles S
Big Thunder Gold Mine
9.79 miles SE
Skyway
11.03 miles S
Custer County 1881-Cour
11.43 miles S
Texaco ($2)
Custer
Custer
11.45 miles S
Spokane Creek Rv
(605)666-4609
(605)666-4609
11.50 miles SE
Fireside Inn Restaurant
12.09 miles NE
South Dakota
Hill City
Most Recently Reviewed
Mount Rushmore / Hill City KOA
Latest Review Submited On
2012-10-24 16:34:22
9 Park(s) Reviewed Near
Hill City, South Dakota
Camp Information
Sites
50
Date of Stay
July 2012
Latest Rate
$40
Hookups
Electric
50amp
Water
Sewer
Wireless Internet
Cable TV
Accommodations
Pull-Thru Sites
Big Rig Access
Waterfront Access
Shade Trees
Pool Access
Pets Allowed
Tents Allowed
Family Friendly
Latest Review Information
Ratings (Last 10 Newest/Oldest)
6 10
Clean Restrooms (Last 5 Newest/Oldest)
Clean Showers (Last 5 Newest/Oldest)
Review Rating
[ 6 / 10 ]
[ 6 / 10 ]
July 2012
$40
This park is in the process of changing ownership. The new owners are a young couple with several children who live on site. I don't think they have much experience with RV's or parks, but if they work at it, there's a lot they could do with this campground. There are only three 50 amp sites here. Of the approximately 50 sites, 15 or so are tent sites and another dozen are electric/water only. FHU sites are gravel and not too level; we could not get our 43-ft rig completely level and had a 3-foot leap down from our steps. That said, this is a nice park and might be better if the new owners work at it. It's in a lovely setting, convenient to many Black Hills attractions, has free Wi-Fi, clean restrooms and showers and a small but reasonably priced laundry. Verizon wireless worked well here. I think the $40 daily rate (plus taxes) is high and they don't offer a discounted weekly rate. Apparently other campers feel the same way because there were only four RV's here during July 4th week and two of those were long term. We might stay here again if rates were lower. We camped here in a Motorhome.
The user that posted this review has 32 other reviews online. Click here to see them.
Review Rating
[ 10 / 10 ]
[ 10 / 10 ]
May 2012
$50
I love this park. We usually have a 36' travel trailer but we decided to stay in cabins on our trip through the Black Hills. It was a simple sleeping cabin - we were going to tent for a few nights but it was raining. The cabin seemed new, all made of pine logs. Simple full size bed and a nice set of bunk beds. It didn't come with bed linens or towels - but we had our own. The shower house was so nice. SO CLEAN. CLEANER THAN ANY CAMP SHOWER EVER! The playground was nice for the kids and they have a basketball court too. So friendly at check in - they even helped us with directions and gave us a great place to eat! Will be back on our way home from Seattle! We camped here in a Campground Cabin.
Camp Information
Sites
15
Date of Stay
June 2010
Latest Rate
$40
Hookups
Electric
50amp
Water
Sewer
Wireless Internet
Cable TV
Accommodations
Pull-Thru Sites
Big Rig Access
Waterfront Access
Shade Trees
Pool Access
Pets Allowed
Tents Allowed
Family Friendly
Latest Review Information
Ratings (Last 10 Newest/Oldest)
7 10 9 10 8
Clean Restrooms (Last 5 Newest/Oldest)
Clean Showers (Last 5 Newest/Oldest)
Review Rating
[ 7 / 10 ]
[ 7 / 10 ]
June 2010
$40
Note: The Park is actually called Creekside Mountain RV Resort. Evidently, they have changed their name. I'd love to give this park 10 out of 10. On the surface, it deserves it. We went to this park based on reviews from this site so I want to be very clear in my review so others can get the info they need. We drove past several parks that probably offered what we wanted but we thought we were heading for a gem . . . and we were, sort of. So, Creekside Mountain RV is a lovely little resort just 2 miles south of Hill City. It is green and grassy with small, recently planted trees between each site. You have access to the grassy, green meadow with a creek meandering through it and access to the 150 mile long Mickelson Bike Trail. The Camp Hosts were more than welcoming and pleasant. They had great information and were incredibly helpful without being overbearing. Everything about this park is pristine and lovely. They have full hook-ups and fairly level gravel sites. So, why didn't I give it 10 out of 10? First reason, they advertise $30 a night but they charged us $10 extra for our two children. $40 a night is an ouch for us -- especially since we were there for 2 nights. Secondly, they do not have any facilities of any kind. No restrooms. No showers. No laundry. When I'm paying for a place with full hookups, I like to be able to take a shower and do my laundry. Especially for $40 a night. Lastly, they do not offer Wi-Fi. So, I wouldn't stay there again but I would recommend it to anyone who wants a quiet, safe, and lovely park with hookups near Mount Rushmore. If you don't have kids, don't need facilities, and don't care about WI-FI, this is a fabulous park for you. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 10 / 10 ]
[ 10 / 10 ]
May 2010
$30
Small park, close to all Black Hills Attractions. Owners pleasant and very accommodating. Peaceful setting with beautiful views of the Hills.We were greeted by the Camp Host, who were helpful and knowledgeable of the area. We will definitely stay here again. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 9 / 10 ]
[ 9 / 10 ]
July 2009
$39
Small park just south of town. Very friendly camp hosts. Sites are short but wide. If you have a big rig (40' or over), plan on having your back axle on the grass behind the gravel. Bring big jack pads. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 10 / 10 ]
[ 10 / 10 ]
June 2007
$30
We workamped at this park, and had a wonderful time. the motto "15 spaces in the middle of all the great places" really fits. I would recommend this park for anyone there for rally. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
Review Rating
[ 8 / 10 ]
[ 8 / 10 ]
July 2005
$29
This campground is rather small, but a very nice quiet place to stay. The grounds around the gravelled sites were mowed and clean. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
Camp Information
Sites
147
Date of Stay
October 2012
Latest Rate
$31
Hookups
Electric
50amp
Water
Sewer
Wireless Internet
Cable TV
Accommodations
Pull-Thru Sites
Big Rig Access
Waterfront Access
Shade Trees
Pool Access
Pets Allowed
Tents Allowed
Family Friendly
Latest Review Information
Ratings (Last 10 Newest/Oldest)
8 10 2 10 8 6 9 9 5 9
Clean Restrooms (Last 5 Newest/Oldest)
Clean Showers (Last 5 Newest/Oldest)
Review Rating
[ 8 / 10 ]
[ 8 / 10 ]
October 2012
$31
Overall, this campground is OK. We stayed here in October which was close to the end of the camping season. The sites are somewhat close but there are nice pine trees between the sites. There are open grass fields and a "crooked creek" surrounding the camp ground. It is very close to Mount Rushmore and Crazy Horse monuments. We were able to visit both locations in one day. Campfires were not allowed. The person in the office was friendly, but the grounds keeper did not seem very nice. He took away our picnic table and shut off our water hose without talking to us. The park still has several more days before it closes for the season. We would stay here again but not in October. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
Review Rating
[ 10 / 10 ]
[ 10 / 10 ]
September 2012
$36
Wow, we had a great time in this CG! We found the staff friendly and accommodating, our site was clean and the trees well trimmed. The close proximity to Hill City (3 miles) made it an easy ride on the Mickleson Trail to town where we enjoyed getting to know the locals. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
Review Rating
[ 2 / 10 ]
[ 2 / 10 ]
June 2012
$48
"Pardon me, could you pass the Grey Poupon" is something you can definitely say in this park. You are packed in like sardines. Our slides almost touched our neighbor's RV and they could open their door, reach out and knock on ours. We were so crammed that we couldn't enjoy sitting outside or grilling and we could hear our neighbors walking in their RV. They messed up our billing terribly. They more than double charged us and after 3 phone conversations they still had not fixed it. The electrical on our site was broken. It took two trips to get the right person to fix it, and then they didn't have the right tools. So my husband used his tools. The only nice thing we have to say about this place is the help was friendly. WE WILL NEVER STAY HERE AGAIN. OVER PRICED AND CROWDED! We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
Review Rating
[ 10 / 10 ]
[ 10 / 10 ]
June 2012
$50
What a great RV park: very clean and well taken care of. Extremely friendly and helpful staff. The owners are very nice and always around the park. We stayed extra days because of the park. And, it's close to Mount Rushmore, which is a bonus. We would go to this park again. Thanks for the great time!! We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 8 / 10 ]
[ 8 / 10 ]
June 2012
$40
Beautiful location convenient to Mt. Rushmore. This is a large operation and always busy in the summer. Graveled sites were level with nice grassy area; however they are very close together. Our small travel trailer was next to a big rig and our awning was within a ft. of their slide out plus there was no place for our picnic table that was not almost on top of their sewer drain. Also a lot of road noise and Internet was so slow as to be almost useless. Next time we would opt for a more secluded RV park. Operators were friendly and helpful. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
Review Rating
[ 6 / 10 ]
[ 6 / 10 ]
May 2012
$44
We stayed at this park for 3 weeks, 5/23 - 6/13. Cable TV did not work upon arrival and they tried to tell me it was our rig. Got it working intermittently over the 3 weeks. When they worked on it, they never informed you especially when it did not work, you were surprised when you tried to watch TV at night! They finally ran new cable during our last days so I assume the problem was theirs and not my rig, I have plugged in at other parks with no problems. Pool was down for repair the entire stay. Workers were very friendly and helpful. Spaces are long and narrow with trees. After extending slides, our lower compartment doors could not be opened fully do to trees. I was very disappointed that the owners didn't offer some kind of compensation. Hey, throw in a free pancake breakfast ($3.00) to acknowledge their problems and show customer appreciation. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 9 / 10 ]
[ 9 / 10 ]
September 2011
$25
We stayed here for four nights. The couple at the front office were super friendly and we felt very welcome. It has a great location central to all the Black hills have to offer. We did a lot including Custer, Mt. Rushmore, Keystone and of course Hill City. There were a lot of campgrounds in the area but this one had a great fall special. The Wi-Fi was very good. The only negative we had was that the RV sites were a bit close together. These big rigs and slides take up lots of room. But the central location really made up for that. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
Review Rating
[ 9 / 10 ]
[ 9 / 10 ]
September 2011
$36
This is not Creekside or Creekside Mountain RV Park. They are nearby and the signs are located very close together. Crooked Creek has a creek running right through it. Access is good. Roads are gravel as are pads. Pads are level, and long and wide. All have picnic tables and fire rings. Road noise is muted. Water pressure is OK (35 psi). Good electric and basic cable. Wi-Fi was very good. Staff was business like, but helpful. This place is very clean. Cans are recycled. Lots of plush grass under pine trees. Lots of places to walk the dogs since this is adjacent to the Mickelson Trail (you can walk over a wooden bridge over the creek and be on it). This place even smells good. We would certainly stay here again. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 5 / 10 ]
[ 5 / 10 ]
September 2011
$38
Nice park They only took 25% off for Passport America rate. Should have been $22. Paid 38. Had trouble with TV reception, only 12 channels. Close to Rushmore and Crazy Horse. I don't think Id stay there again. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 9 / 10 ]
[ 9 / 10 ]
July 2011
$35
We have stayed at this campground for several days each year for the last several years. This is a very nice, pleasant campground. It is close to all the South Dakota sites and Hill City has many shops and great food. I would certainly recommend this campground to anyone wishing to visit the Black Hills and all they have to offer. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
Review Rating
[ 1 / 10 ]
[ 1 / 10 ]
June 2011
$35
My experience with this park began nicely enough. I asked many questions before checking in. I emphasized that my main concern was having adequate Wi-Fi service as I was traveling alone and spent the evenings working on photos taken during the day. I was assured by FOUR different employees, “Our internet is just fine.” I checked in paying in advance (as required) for 6 nights. That day, after setting up my trailer I was off to see the sights. That evening, I returned and found there was not only extremely SLOW Wi-Fi service, BUT certain sites (such as KODAK GALLERY) were blocked! The next morning I stopped at the office to inquire. A never before-met female snapped at me, “My internet provider has to block some things.” I asked why and she informed me that due to their rural setting, their Wi-Fi provider had minimal bandwidth and was forced to block almost everything but normal e-mail services. I asked why this had never been mentioned though I had certainly inquired. She blew a gasket and came unglued. I have never encountered the OWNER of any establishment who behaved in this manner. I asked for a refund. I pointed out that I felt I should not be charged for even one night as she did not ‘provide’ what her employees had stated CCR would provide. Namely excellent internet. In the end, CCR refused my refund request but did refund for the rest of the days AFTER charging me a $25.00 cancellation fee. If you want/need excellent Wi-Fi: stay somewhere else. I will say that the grounds were well maintained and it was a pleasant physical setting. I would have been happy there IF the Wi-Fi had been acceptable. This despite that fact that the restrooms and showers, though clean and new, are far too small for anyone other than a classically sized average person. Exiting a shower causes one to bang doors with a fellow camper exiting or entering a toilet stall. How the owner/manager reacted and responded to a valid customer inquiry/complaint was atrocious and likely speaks to other related forms of interaction with campers at this park. I would advise you to avoid this place. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
Review Rating
[ 4 / 10 ]
[ 4 / 10 ]
June 2011
$38
Liked the convenient location, about 15 minutes from Mt Rushmore; pretty location by creek with biking/walking trail. Not so good: the check in was long and we weren't served in the order we arrived. I had called for a reservation and requested a pull through site, which wasn't correct when we got here. they somehow created duplicate charges and incorrect charges with that. Still waiting to see if it's all corrected on the credit card. So watch for that. Also, the internet connection wasn't good and they had Picaso blocked. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 6 / 10 ]
[ 6 / 10 ]
September 2010
$21
We camped in site #52. There is no room to do anything at these sites. Your neighbors are right on the other side of the camper, literally! The plug ins for our site were right in the middle of the small grassy patch for site #51, and site #53 had their box right in the middle of our campsite! There is a picnic table that sits right out your door and right out your door. There was no firepit to have a fire. We had to walk down over the road and use a empty tent campsite that had a firepit. We only stayed one night and moved to another place due to the lack of room. The stream was very pretty and the kids enjoyed picking up pine cones! Cable TV did not work. WiFi did though. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 8 / 10 ]
[ 8 / 10 ]
September 2010
$31
The site wasn't level so it took some work to get the rig to set up. Other than that, the park was Ok. The TV and Internet worked and the staff was nice. One reviewer mentioned no sewer. There may have been some sites without sewer but we had all hookups. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 6 / 10 ]
[ 6 / 10 ]
July 2010
$44
This place is for sale and it shows. Everything is tired. Cable TV was basically non-existent and nobody seemed to care enough to fix it. They don’t go to the post office to pick up the mail everyday, which nearly cost us a delay in our travels. Breakfast was not a particularly good deal, though everything was tasty. Laundry was the most expensive we’ve seen. Our site was spacious for our 40 footer, but neighboring sites were fairly tight. Good location for exploring area attractions. But, next time we'll find a different spot. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 7 / 10 ]
[ 7 / 10 ]
July 2010
$27
This park has a wonderful location for sightseeing Crazy Horse monument, Mt. Rushmore, and Custer State Park, Wildlife Loop. It is certainly possible to do all three attractions in one day. Staff was friendly and helpful. However, it is way too crowded. We were near the pool and playground, and had children going through our site from 7am til 10pm. Many of the sites are grass which was a difficulty since they had torrents of rain the day we arrived. The sites are so close together that we had to park our tag-a-long almost in a fire pit. This would not be my first choice for return. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 8 / 10 ]
[ 8 / 10 ]
June 2010
$36
This is a well kept campground. Staff was nice enough, but very busy. We were here during the busy season and only stayed overnight. We would stay here again. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 9 / 10 ]
[ 9 / 10 ]
May 2010
$35
Great campground for homebase while visiting the Black Hills. Back in sites only but they are level and plenty of room. Give AAA discount, good WiFi and cable TV, good 50 amp service, nice laundry. Only complaint I have we had 8 inches of snow the second day, but owners had nothing to do with that. Will stay here again if I'm in the area. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 10 / 10 ]
[ 10 / 10 ]
April 2010
$25
Had an excellent time at Crooked Creek Resort. So close to Crazy Horse monument and Mt. Rushmore. Staff was so great, got a deal on the camp site due to early season. We will definitely be back. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
Review Rating
[ 5 / 10 ]
[ 5 / 10 ]
May 2009
$25
We had to run two hoses to get to a spot with water, only 1 water spot for every 3 campers. Only 1 electric plug in for every 3 camper sites. No sewer available in several spots, including our site, even though we called to confirm two weeks ago that we would have a full hookup. Thank goodness we carry extra water hoses and plenty of electrical cords. Staff was okay, but not really concerned that we didn't get what we reserved. Lots of grass, and some trees, right off the main road for easy access. We camped here in a Truck Camper.
Review Rating
[ 9 / 10 ]
[ 9 / 10 ]
May 2009
$20
This is a good campground for short or long stays. Even though we were here on the shoulder of the season and the pool isn't open, everything else works great and the grounds are neat. The showers/restrooms are spotless but cold because there is no heat that we could see. Only improvement we can see is if they pave the interior roads and have the site pads paved. That said the caliche roads and pads are completely acceptable to us. There is lots of grass, good shade trees, a babbling brook running through the grounds and lots of space to exercise your dogs. There is a small playground as well as a jogging recreational trail right behind the park. Its a pretty setting. Even though this park is located in a narrow valley right next to the highway, the road noise is non-existent at night. We would return. Price above is off season discounted and we paid $19.50 per night pre-tax. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
Review Rating
[ 4 / 10 ]
[ 4 / 10 ]
September 2008
$30
This park is well located south of Hill City and convenient to the local attractions. The site we were assigned was so close to the next site that I stepped on their sewer when I exited my coach. There were empty sites on the same row, so I have no idea why they used adjacent sites. Most of the sites are very narrow. Cable TV was OK, but Wi-Fi was unusable. I would pick another park if I was in the area again. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 8 / 10 ]
[ 8 / 10 ]
September 2008
$29
The park staff was very nice. After we got parked the owner came down to see if we needed anything and to offer his assistance. The park was clean and well maintained with clean restrooms, showers, and laundry room. The sites had shade trees but they were well trimmed and there was grass at each site. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 8 / 10 ]
[ 8 / 10 ]
June 2008
$30
I have to say we think they have the 'prime location' and beautiful setting of all the campgrounds around. The park is beautiful with the creek running thru it and lots of trees and very scenic. The negative part is I think the sites aren't wide enough for awnings and slide-outs, but the owners are willing to help you if other sites are available. Another plus for their location is midway between seeing everything and all the sights in the area, not too far to Mt.Rushmore, Crazy Horse, Hot Springs, Keystone, Custer and other sights. Hill City is kind of small but a good place to walk and do some uncrowded shopping and a few good eating places. Be sure to visit the Winery, that is Great! One other small negative note, I think they could attend the shower house (restrooms) a little more, they were cold when we showered in there and no heat available, and missing lights and bulbs, making it rather dark. The spouts in the showers weren't adjustable and we couldn't move them and in general the showers were a disappointment for the overall campground. The owners were very nice, friendly and helpful if you had any questions of where to go or what to see in the area. We would stay here again. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
Review Rating
[ 3 / 10 ]
[ 3 / 10 ]
October 2007
$20
This Passport America park was closing in 10 days for the winter, so the manager told me the water (and showers) would be turned off after our first night here. They had already closed off most of the park, and crammed 4 of us elbow-to-elbow in the one (unshaded) section still open. Beautiful park, but there we were off in the corner. Also, they apparently had the shower water temperature preset to someone's idea of hot enough for them, but it wasn't for me. The wifi was in/out/slow. Cable fuzzy. I think a more discounted rate would have been in order. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
Review Rating
[ 9 / 10 ]
[ 9 / 10 ]
August 2007
$26
Wow, what a great campground! It’s buried deep in the Black Hills of South Dakota, making the drive great with lots to look at. The campground staff was polite and very helpful. The bathrooms were spotless as well as the campground it’s self. It’s proximity to Mt. Rushmore as well as the numerous other attractions in the Black Hills, makes it a great place to call home. Hill City, although very small, has some great restaurants and shopping. if you’re looking for civilization, Rapid City is 45 minutes away, so get those supplies before you arrive, although most items can probably be found in Hill City. I strongly recommend the Smart Alec GPS Tour. It plugs into your cigarette lighter, sticks to the windshield and plays through your FM Radio. It allows you to take a self guided tour through the Mt. Rushmore area (doesn’t include Deadwood yet) and provides great information as well as directions with some outstanding background music. It’s well worth the price. Besides, it allows you to tour at your own pace. If you don’t want to see the Crazy Horse Memorial, just keep driving. Unlike when on a guided tour and you go where they say you go. We loved it and will most definitely rent it again next trip. It’s available from the Mt. Rushmore KOA, only a short drive from Crooked Creek and on the way to Mt. Rushmore. We camped here in a Tent Trailer.
Review Rating
[ 7 / 10 ]
[ 7 / 10 ]
August 2007
$39
Had to give it a 7 due to many factors. I never saw restrooms but they had to be there. Best thing about the park is the wifi and the web site, it is beautiful. It is a shame there is little comparison. I have been close before, but six feet is too close for units. W/E/cable on far side of coach and sewer on the opposite side. Staff are typical Yankees and she loves signs. Cable is only 11 channels. I doubt if I would come back, only in a pinch. Best thing is Alpine Restaurant in town, dinner meal a real value. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 9 / 10 ]
[ 9 / 10 ]
July 2007
$36
Very Nice Park, Shade available however I came in without a reservation. Entirely run by workcampers, the owner is on premise, but stays out of the way. Very nice folks and a beautiful location. Lot's to do in the area especially if you have children. Some pull thru's and some 50 amp. Wifi works average. Pancake breakfast on weekdays, weekends full breakfasts are served. BBQ Friday & Saturday night. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 8 / 10 ]
[ 8 / 10 ]
June 2007
$32
Very nice place and very friendly owners and staff. It's way nicer and a true bargain compared to the nearby "RV resort" at $47/night. Convenient to Mt Rushmore, Crazy Horse, Custer State Park and especially the Alpine Inn in Hill City! Bike trail (George S. Mickelson Trail I believe) passes thru the campground. We liked it and will stay there again. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 1 / 10 ]
[ 1 / 10 ]
June 2007
$53
I made reservations at Crooked Creek ion April 2007 for Bike Week (August 4-11, 2007). At the time I made my reservations I was told that I had to pay in full up front - $750.00(ish) for two sites. I found out within two weeks of making the reservations that I would have a work conflict and that we could not attend bike week. I immediately called the campground to cancel our reservations. At that time Michele, I assume one of the owners, stated that their policy was to re-reserve the sites before they offered a refund. That sounded fair. I notified them in writing and via phone that I would be cancelling. I did receive an e-mail confirmation from Crooked Creek for my reservations. It did not state a refund policy for bike week. I allowed approximately six weeks to pass before I contacted the campground again - to remind them of the refund. When I called I asked the girl who answered if they had any availability for bike week, my dates specifically, for a 30' TT - Full HU - just as I reserved. She said the largest rig they could accommodate was a 25' TT. I left a message for Michele - no return phone call. I have e-mailed her numerous times now - and finally reached her on the phone earlier this week - June 29, 2007. She agreed to refund my $$ though the sites had NOT been rented (according to her) to make me "go away." She reprimanded me quite a bit for my 'testing' her staff. To date I have NOT received the refund - though I have made repeated attempts to follow up via e-mail. Moral of this story - if you are not 100% sure - do NOT make bike week reservations. I have not received my refund - and I am EXTREMELY displeased with the "Customer Service" we have received. Their campground may be nice - and they may be close to the bike rally - and I may attend bike week another year - but I will NOT STAY at this campground. If your plans change - DO NOT count on a refund. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
Review Rating
[ 8 / 10 ]
[ 8 / 10 ]
September 2006
$36
They really squeezed us in to the end site here, but the staff was so friendly and helpful, I have to give a good review. We asked where to get air in our tire, and the owner told us to pull up to his personal garage, where he supplied an air compressor. The woman at the desk gave great advice on getting into the campground, then also gave great advice on sightseeing. If not for her, we would not have known about the lighting ceremony at Rushmore, nor Wildlife Loop Road. Convenient location. Picnic table at the site. At the time we were there, the pool was under construction and the playground was in the construction area, so not too good for the little kids, but it was a nice place. The showers were clean, but I had to wait in line. The laundry facility was nice, but expensive. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 8 / 10 ]
[ 8 / 10 ]
September 2006
$31
Very nice campground located central to everything in the Black Hills. Very friendly and informative staff on hand to assist. We were lucky to get one of the four large spaces located near the creek at the rear of the property. Bathrooms clean but showers rather small. But overall, we were very happy with our stay there. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
Review Rating
[ 7 / 10 ]
[ 7 / 10 ]
August 2006
$35
In additon to the other reviews which were 'spot-on.' This campground was right on the bike trail, which made it very convenient. We camped here a few weeks after Sturgis and the campground was not very full. Some sites are very tight for rigs with slides. We didn't have to share a fire ring because of lack of campers. Be careful with your awnings, the wind can unexpectedly pick up and cause damage. We always pulled ours in before leaving to tour the area. The bathrooms were clean. The owners were very friendly and helpful. Camp hosts were great. Nice, quiet campground when not full. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
Review Rating
[ 5 / 10 ]
[ 5 / 10 ]
August 2005
$36
Not big rig friendly; the owners will tell you that they can get big rigs in but it is so tight you cannot open your awnings and there is no place on the site to park the tow vehicle or toad. The sites are very narrow if you have slides you will need to watch the trees. It is a very convenient location with many things to do and see in a 30 miles radius. We enjoyed our stay, however we were never at the campground except to sleep. Has great potential and the new owners are working hard to improve the place, and it is well maintained with friendly helpful people working there. Will stay again however need to be careful to select the right site for our rig. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
Review Rating
[ 7 / 10 ]
[ 7 / 10 ]
2004
$40
This was an okay park. The W/E sites were pretty sizeable but the full hook ups were slide to awning. There are area fire rings that have to be shared with your neighbors. Bathrooms are clean. The pool was very tiny and aboveground-looked more like a bathtub. This is a clean park with friendly help. A big alert though-in order to dump your tanks you have to back into the dump station. It is a decent campground close to Custer National Park and the other area sights. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Camp Information
Sites
100
Date of Stay
September 2012
Latest Rate
$33
Hookups
Electric
50amp
Water
Sewer
Wireless Internet
Cable TV
Accommodations
Pull-Thru Sites
Big Rig Access
Waterfront Access
Shade Trees
Pool Access
Pets Allowed
Tents Allowed
Family Friendly
Latest Review Information
Ratings (Last 10 Newest/Oldest)
9 10 7 7 5 10 1 3 7 9
Clean Restrooms (Last 5 Newest/Oldest)
Clean Showers (Last 5 Newest/Oldest)
Review Rating
[ 9 / 10 ]
[ 9 / 10 ]
September 2012
$33
This is a park that feels like your just camping in the woods. We had a large pull-through site in the back for a few nights. The sites have very good spacing. This is a clean, well run park. The staff was great and the location is center to everything. We will be back for sure. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
Review Rating
[ 10 / 10 ]
[ 10 / 10 ]
July 2012
$38
Very nice park and centrally located to tourist attractions. The owners and staff are friendly and knowledgable. The store has all the amenities you could need; there are 3 washers/dryers; and plenty of showers. We stayed here 3 nights and would have loved to have stayed longer. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 7 / 10 ]
[ 7 / 10 ]
August 2011
$36
This park is located on a hillside with gravel roads. Most the the sites were fairly level with shade and grass between. The restrooms were ok, showers each had a private stall with change area, but kind of cramped. The Wi-Fi was not very good, strong signal but extremely slow (when it was working). Laundry facilities were nice and reasonable priced. Our site afforded us a beautiful view of the valley and hills across the road. Very little road noise. We would stay again. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 7 / 10 ]
[ 7 / 10 ]
July 2011
$36
This is the second year we have stayed here with friends, and we enjoy the park. Unfortunately, pine beetles have really reaked havoc on many of the trees here (like much of the Black Hills) and the owners have removed hundreds of trees. The nights are nice and peaceful, though, and it was not at all crowded when we went. There is a nice big open grassy area to play games and the pool is also nice. It is also a nice home base for exploring all of the surrounding areas. We will be back again next summer. We camped here in a Tent Trailer.
Review Rating
[ 5 / 10 ]
[ 5 / 10 ]
July 2011
$25
Road and campsites are more dirt than gravel. Restrooms are not very clean. Internet service is bad. Would not stay there again--too many other options in the Hill City area. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 10 / 10 ]
[ 10 / 10 ]
September 2010
$31
People here are wonderfully nice and helpful. The campground was very quiet, clean and in beautiful surroundings. We were here 2 weeks before they closed for the season, but would come back even in the busiest of times. Very convenient to all attractions. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 1 / 10 ]
[ 1 / 10 ]
September 2010
$36
We meant to go to Horse Thief Lake Campground and made the mistake of coming to this campground because we followed the road signs. Do not make the same mistake. It was not a positive experience. Our fire pit was on the side of a slope which made sitting by the fire difficult if not impossible. The pit had cigar butts in it so we passed on the fire. The sites were littered with cigarette butts and candy wrappers. The bathroom was very dirty. When taking a shower, the campers at the sinks can see in because the gaps between the door and panels is wide. But the gaps were so filled with dust and dirt maybe they could not see in. The toilets are old and outdated with signs instructing you to hold the handle down to get an adequate flush. Not everyone followed these instructions as evident when you entered a stall. The Wi-Fi was only available if you sat on the front porch of the check in office. The sites were very close together and unpleasant. We camp 45 days a year and this was one of the worse campgrounds we have stayed in. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
Review Rating
[ 3 / 10 ]
[ 3 / 10 ]
September 2010
$37
Stayed here 2 nights, should have moved on. Sites very uneven, smell of sewer at our site, no cell coverage and no cable. Good Wi-Fi if you are close to the office. Looks like a nice pool for the kids. There are many many RV parks that are not advertised in the area that are cheaper and nicer. This is basically gravel and it was smelly. Too expensive for what you get. Would not stay here again. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 7 / 10 ]
[ 7 / 10 ]
July 2010
$41
Good central location. Friendly staff. Pull-through sites were relatively easy-in/easy-out. Limited big-rig parking for registration. Quiet at night. Very good pricing for the area. Regarding the Wi-Fi: a fellow camper handled it best by sitting on the front porch with a laptop and a book. Connectivity is extremely slow, bordering on non-existent. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 9 / 10 ]
[ 9 / 10 ]
July 2010
$25
Great experience! Beautiful park away from the highway; kids loved the pool (although a bit small) and the play area. Staff friendly and helpful. Seemed like the showers were crowded most of the time. We will go back. We camped here in a Tent Trailer.
Review Rating
[ 7 / 10 ]
[ 7 / 10 ]
July 2010
$30
The family that runs this place is very friendly and helpful. Good for family and kids. Some sites are open to grass, others to dirt, so be conscience of that when making reservations. The best part of the trip for our kids was the daily hike/climb up a rock formation at the edge of the campground (lookout point). It gives a great view of the surrounding peaks and the valley. Campground is located on 87 Needles Highway, be sure to come in off of 16/385, unless you love driving a camper on hairpin turns on the edge of a cliff. Very conveniently located for main attractions in the area. WiFi is only for on the porch and service is very slow. Multiple shower stalls in bathrooms, but mainly for individuals, tight for more than one. Nice and quiet at night, no road noise, and the other campers were warm and friendly. Sylvan Lake trail was another great place to let kids explore and climb on rocks. Would have given it an 8 but we got one of the dirt sites. We camped here in a Tent Trailer.
Review Rating
[ 7 / 10 ]
[ 7 / 10 ]
July 2010
$37
Staff was very friendly at check-in. I did not use the WiFi but we were told by the staff that it was intermittent and slow. Sites are pretty close together. The park is very convenient to Mt Rushmore, Crazy Horse, Wind & Jewel Caves, Hill City and Custer State Park. Good Sam discount is available if you ask for it, they do not ask you. We would stay here again. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 7 / 10 ]
[ 7 / 10 ]
June 2010
$36
The sites are very small here. The first site we were given was very bad and we actually damaged our camper trying to pull into it. My husband complained and we were given a better site. However, he had to spend the next morning fixing our camper from the damage. They also use the end of a row as a camp site so it is difficult to navigate when pulling in or out of a site. I am not sure how some of the big rigs managed it. We did use their laundry, which was very clean. The bathrooms were also clean. We would not stay here again. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
Review Rating
[ 7 / 10 ]
[ 7 / 10 ]
June 2010
$27
New owners for very pretty campground. WiFi was intermittent and slow, but they are working on it. Some trouble with laundry being full of unattended clothing. Lots of kids, so can be noisy and some trouble with dogs off leash. Sites were pretty close together. Is nice to be away from road noise and is very convenient to Mt Rushmore, Crazy Horse, Wind & Jewel Caves. Very small tunnels on 89, so use 385/16 to find this park. Good Sam discount and a nice stocked store. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
Review Rating
[ 8 / 10 ]
[ 8 / 10 ]
September 2009
$28
This is a nice campground close to all the major tourist sites and worth the extra trip from the interstate if you plan on spending several days in the area. Though we had rain over a 24 hour period the individual sites were free of water or mud. Sites are not level but campers should have no difficulty leveling the sites. If you like a woody natural site this is a good campground with deer and fox visiting in the evening. Wi-Fi cannot be relied upon and local TV reception is very limited. Bring a book! We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 7 / 10 ]
[ 7 / 10 ]
July 2009
$29
My wife and I and our dog spent 2 evenings at this campground. During the day we were sight seeing and only in camp evenings. Nearby campers were a little noisy in the mornings packing up early to move on. Campground owners have no control over this, other campers could be more considerate. The campground well maintained and management and staff very friendly and helpful. The Campground very centrally located for sightseeing in Black Hills area. The WiFi was very spotty. Lack of phone service and TV reception was enjoyable for vacation. We would stay here again. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
Review Rating
[ 4 / 10 ]
[ 4 / 10 ]
July 2009
$35
This could be a nice park if they didn't pack so many people into such a small space. The site we had was mud and gravel and our jacks punched down several inches. If you're a tent or popup camper, good luck. There is one bathhouse for a large campground. While we were self-contained, I looked in and only saw 4 showers for a campground of several hundred people. There was only one dish wash area that was always backed up at meal times. While we were there, the Wi-Fi system was down. While this seems to be the norm at campgrounds (who designs these systems?), it was still frustrating since the big rig RV area is in a narrow valley, lined with trees. We arrived early in the week and no garbage was picked up while we were there for almost a week. As a result, the dumpsters were overflowing and trash was everywhere. I don't know if this is the best in the area, but I will not stay here again. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 7 / 10 ]
[ 7 / 10 ]
July 2009
$36
Very nice park with VERY sloped sites, which is to be expected in the Black Hills. Bathrooms were nice, pool was clean, and the staff was friendly. WiFi not available while we were there. Told us it would be working the "next" day. The next day would come and we were told the "next" day. I needed internet access for work, and had planned on it, but never got it. No TV channels available, nor will you probably have a cell phone signal. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
Review Rating
[ 10 / 10 ]
[ 10 / 10 ]
June 2009
$30
This was a beautiful campground, in a gorgeous area with the nicest staff. We would stay again in a second! We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
Review Rating
[ 9 / 10 ]
[ 9 / 10 ]
June 2009
$31
We camped here 24 years ago, as it turns out, liked it then and still do. They've made a lot of changes since then - pool, wireless, etc. This is one of the few places we've had to use the campground's wireless and it was off and on, but manageable. The kids seemed to be having a marvelous time. It's a lovely setting under tall pine trees near Rushmore and other Black Hills attractions. We would stay here again. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
Review Rating
[ 8 / 10 ]
[ 8 / 10 ]
June 2009
$35
This is a nice, peaceful campground. It is a little far off the main road, which is why we rated it a little lower. The bathrooms are old, but clean. Some sites were a little hard to pull out of because of the angle and trees. We would camp here again. Wi-fi is almost non-existent at the sites. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
Review Rating
[ 8 / 10 ]
[ 8 / 10 ]
June 2009
$34
This campground our first stop of a multi-stay trip. We had site 59. Its almost the farthest from the lodge. It was clean and easy to access. Our site was wooded and shaded. Hookups worked well. Bath/shower house was also clean and large too. Nice heated outdoor pool. WIFI did not reach our site despite having extra antennas in the campground. I sat on the porch to do some work. Connection was slow, but reliable. I would stay here again We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
Review Rating
[ 6 / 10 ]
[ 6 / 10 ]
June 2009
$39
The campground itself is not too bad and it is centrally located for local attractions. Our site (121) was a pull-thru with gravel and grass,and fairly level. The WI-FI did not work for several days and the office personnel attributed it to "the weather". When it finally did work it was extremely slow and would not connect most of the time. Staff considered WI-FI problems a pain and did not seem to be concerned. I agree with a previous comment that overall the campground was okay but the staff was not. If you want a "rustic" experience, this might be alright for you... There is no cell service, no cable TV,no local TV, and satellite reception only from a few sites.We will make another choice next time we are in the area. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 9 / 10 ]
[ 9 / 10 ]
October 2008
$27
Everything was perfect! The only reason we give it a "9" and not a 10 is because of the gravel sites. Utilities are in the right spot. You really have Wifi at your coach. Very quiet, way off the main roads and close to ALL attractions! We would definitely recommend this site and come again! We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
Review Rating
[ 8 / 10 ]
[ 8 / 10 ]
September 2008
$18
Sites pull through, but I needed to take off toad first as you must park in front of your motorhome and the sites start going downhill, not flat. Large park, close to Mount Rushmore and Custer State Park. We used Camp Club USA and our fee was half and owner was very easy to deal with We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 8 / 10 ]
[ 8 / 10 ]
September 2008
$24
Great park like setting. We have a 31" trailor and had no problem finding a space. WIFI worked fine for us, but was told it didn't work at some sites due to trees. Great location for sightseeing. We felt like we were camping out in the wilderness. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
Review Rating
[ 6 / 10 ]
[ 6 / 10 ]
September 2007
$25
We used this campground as a base camp for checking the area, such as Needles Highway, Mt Rushmore, and Crazy Horse. It is centrally located for easy access. It’s basically located on the side of a hill in the woods. Loved the views, wildlife, and atmosphere. Also, my daughter loved the playground and play area. Their water has a lot of minerals in it. Clogged my water filter after two days. WiFi is a no go. Staff did their best but kept saying my computer was not compatible, but neither was anyone else’s because everyone was having the same problem. Staff was friendly and helpful with directions and area information but they did seem defensive with the WiFi. Seems they get quite a few complaints. Verizon air card and cell phone were both no go’s. Ended up traveling to Hill City and sitting in the lobby of the Comfort Inn to get internet and cell service. Not sure if we would stay here again. Glad we camped here in the off season, I would not want to stay here in peak season. The price was good for the area. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
Review Rating
[ 7 / 10 ]
[ 7 / 10 ]
August 2007
$35
We stayed here in '93 and again just recently in aug. '05. We loved this campground! The views were excellent, and you felt as though you were camping in the Hills and not just a field. The sites at the back of the campground (behind the bathhouse), which BTW is clean, are all gravel. The sites at the front have grass and were very nice. It is centrally located in the hills. Overall a nice campground I would recommend to anyone! We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
Review Rating
[ 6 / 10 ]
[ 6 / 10 ]
July 2007
$34
Horsethief Campground in Hill City, SD has tremendous scenery around the place. The campground itself is okay and it is centrally located. Our site (126) was a secluded site but was on a hill. The trailer leveled okay but everything else (chairs, tables, etc) would not level. The driveway for the trailer and the surrounding area was all dirt (very little gravel) and we had a storm come thru which ended up giving us about 5 inches of mud all over every item we had outside. The campground web site boasts of having WI-FI available. While this is true it is extremely slow and would not connect most of the time. I asked the staff about this and they did not seem to care that I was having an issue (which I later found out that other campers were experiencing the same thing). The staff was very distant and not polite at all. Overall the campground was okay but the staff was not. I would not recommend the site to others at this time. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
Review Rating
[ 8 / 10 ]
[ 8 / 10 ]
August 2006
$25
This campground has a great central location north of the Needles Highway in the Black Hills. Many of the sites have shade, and others have a view of the nearby mountains. Our kids loved the playground, and my wife loved the washer and dryer, saying they were the best she has seen. The bathrooms are clean and nice, though they can get crowded and there is offensive graffiti in several of the stalls. We found the staff very friendly. We definitely would stay here again. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
Review Rating
[ 2 / 10 ]
[ 2 / 10 ]
July 2006
$30
Rude staff. Sites not level, asked to relocate and was told that there were no other sites available even though several remained open throughout stay. Would never stay at this park again. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 7 / 10 ]
[ 7 / 10 ]
October 2005
$20
Stayed with my son and family 1st week of 10/05. Found staff easy to deal with. On day of departure, 4 inches of snow made us unsure as to leave or stay. Owners assured us we could stay beyond the 11am checkout to make up our mind based on weather and road conditions. Spaces are close and back-ins at some sites might pose challenge. We would stay again. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 2 / 10 ]
[ 2 / 10 ]
2001
$26
Very tight turns. Very rude staff. One of our group was washing off his rear stabilizer and berated for washing it by owner. Cruddy laundry. Owner screamed at customer. One of our group put a broken pine branch thru the wall of his 5th wheel on a turn -if it had been sawed off this would not have happened. We shall not use this park again We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
Camp Information
Sites
40
Date of Stay
May 2011
Latest Rate
$23
Hookups
Electric
50amp
Water
Sewer
Wireless Internet
Cable TV
Accommodations
Pull-Thru Sites
Big Rig Access
Waterfront Access
(Lake)Shade Trees
Pool Access
Pets Allowed
Tents Allowed
Family Friendly
Latest Review Information
Ratings (Last 10 Newest/Oldest)
6
Clean Restrooms (Last 5 Newest/Oldest)
Clean Showers (Last 5 Newest/Oldest)
Review Rating
[ 6 / 10 ]
[ 6 / 10 ]
May 2011
$23
Great rustic campsite. Can use generators. Great views and really close to Mount Rushmore. Big sites with cement areas under picnic tables and grill area. Very clean. Vault toilets. No showers. Faucets for water. Recycling available. Great hosts greet and will help you - they will help you with anything. Some sites right on the lake. Forested area. It is very rightly a popular choice and we are glad that we booked in advance. We camped here in a Tent Trailer.
Camp Information
Sites
500
Date of Stay
October 2012
Latest Rate
$15
Hookups
Electric
50amp
Water
Sewer
Wireless Internet
Cable TV
Accommodations
Pull-Thru Sites
Big Rig Access
Waterfront Access
(Stream)Shade Trees
Pool Access
Pets Allowed
Tents Allowed
Family Friendly
Latest Review Information
Ratings (Last 10 Newest/Oldest)
7 8 9 9 9 10 9 7 7 9
Clean Restrooms (Last 5 Newest/Oldest)
Clean Showers (Last 5 Newest/Oldest)
Review Rating
[ 7 / 10 ]
[ 7 / 10 ]
October 2012
$15
This was off season for the campground and they only have dry camping. So no power, water or restrooms. I wanted to watch the debates and the cable and WiFi was still working so I setup. I was the only person there. Nice level sites, huge KOA that winds back into the hills. Very close to Mt Rushmore. Stayed there in a Camp-Inn teardrop trailer. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
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Review Rating
[ 8 / 10 ]
[ 8 / 10 ]
September 2012
$50
We stayed here 2 seperate nights. On the Tursday before Labor Day weekend we had a FHU, pull-through site for $60. The park was maybe 40% full that day. We came back for a second stay to take advantage of the $6 per person shuttle to Mt. Rushmore for the evening light show. On our second stay (Labor Day itself) we had a W&E, pull-through site for $40. The park was even less full that night. We were able to get decent WI-FI at both sites (probably because the park was not that full). Recent reviews have correctly raved about all the amenities (2 different pool areas, playgrounds, basketball, horseshoes, volleyball, trail rides, jumping pillow, etc.) at this park. This is part of the reason for the high nightly rate. Besides multiple pools, there are at least 5 bathhouses (each of which is modern with numerous showers), a second store (beside the one at the office) near the bigger pool area, a snack bar, and a full service restaurant, pancake breakfast, and so on. This is one of the biggest parks we have been to in years. Because the park is in hilly terrain, many of the different sections of the park are almost hidden from other sections. I don't know the numeric breakdown of the various types of sites, but they have FHU, PT, 50 Amp deluxe sites, tent sites, and everything in between. I can't imagine what it is like to be here when the park if fairly full (as it was over the holiday weekend). A mother with 3 kids at the pool on Monday said the pools were mobbed over the weekend. Very popular destination park for families on vacation. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 9 / 10 ]
[ 9 / 10 ]
August 2012
$48
This is a very large RV park, but each RV avenue is clearly marked so you can find your site again. Space between sites was ok, but then we just had a small travel trailer. Looking around the spacing seemed ok, though. Great for children due to the horseback rides and water parks and activities. Made me want to be a kid so I could play in the water and go down the slide. Lots of spaces to walk the dog. Restaurant and expresso coffee shop. Restrooms were clean but a bit small and crowded for the size of the park itself. People would sit on benches right outside the shower doors to wait, so privacy was limited. Movies were geared for kids, and chuckwagon dinner was not available due to some sick horses, I heard from staff. Pancake breakfast outdoors allowed some socialization and freedom from cooking or having to go out. Very close to Mt. Rushmore and Crazy Horse Monument. Again, great place for kids, but we did not have any. Fun and friendly atmosphere. Volunteer young adult staff was also helpful. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
Review Rating
[ 9 / 10 ]
[ 9 / 10 ]
August 2012
$65
This is really a very nice family oriented park. Has everything kids could want to occupy them. My only issue with this park is it really does not have internet access. We have been here a week and have asked them to reset their router.. finally they did.. if you want to get on a page, click on it, walk away for 5 minutes and come back and maybe if you are lucky, it may be there. It also get no cell signal from Verizon or ATT. If you have to work any while here and need to communicate, stay elsewhere. You will have to leave and drive several miles to get a decent signal that will not be dropped. For this reason, I will not stay here again. Otherwise, it is a nice park. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
Review Rating
[ 9 / 10 ]
[ 9 / 10 ]
July 2012
$70
Hand's down one of the coolest campgrounds for kids and families. Our kids loved this place. The included activities for free: ice cream social, bounce pillow, water slide, two pools, mini golf, bounce houses, and I am sure I am forgetting something else. The sites are a little cramped, but we didn't spend that much time at our site anyway. We had room for our rug and to put the slides/awning out. It can be crowded. We planned on utilizing this park as a "base camp" to visit Mt. Rushmore, Custer State Park, etc., but we barely left the park. Our kids were having too much fun. It's dusty and dirty because hardly and of the roads are paved. That's on bad thing. The pools were heated well and most all the facilities were clean: including the laundry rooms. We would recommend this park to friends because of the location and amenities. We would probably stay here again. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
Review Rating
[ 10 / 10 ]
[ 10 / 10 ]
July 2012
$45
A fantastic campground with all amenities. Level sites, nice clean showers and restrooms, nice pool area, splash pad for little ones, two stores, super pancake breakfast for $2.50 each morning. All in all a very nice campground. Busy, but we like it busy. Nice play area, small water slide, horseback riding on site, and rental cars and ATV's. We will definitely stay again. Kids are already asking when we will be returning. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 9 / 10 ]
[ 9 / 10 ]
July 2012
$65
Kid Heaven! This place is a massive kid playground no doubt about it. This is our 2nd year here with many more to come. The campground: Big rig friendly, level sites, Wi-Fi doesn't really work, clean showers/bathrooms, clean grounds, just a nice KOA. Resort: This is what you are paying for. You drive in here, throw the kids out the door, literally, and find them a few hours later! You have 2 pools, water playground, several playgrounds, waterslide, bouncy pillow, tons of rocks to climb on, movie theater, gem hunting, fishing and fire truck rides. Did I mention 2 places to eat, wine tasting every night and beer on a deck! Yep and a bar. Put the kids in the theater at 7pm and it is cocktail time! We pull in here and usually don't fire up the truck again for a couple of days. Horseback riding on site. Bicycle and hiking trails across the street. I rode from one side of the campground to the other to visit a friend and it is around half a mile, plenty of riding for kids. If you don't like kids, go somewhere else. If you have kids this is the place to be. The sites are about $40 for the full hook up. You pay an extra $6 per person for resort fees and other stuff. It is pricey for sure. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 7 / 10 ]
[ 7 / 10 ]
July 2012
$45
Like others have said, if you have kids, this is the ultimate campground. There is enough for them to do to keep them occupied and then some. Some costs extra: like horseback riding and bike rentals. But so much is included: like two swimming pools, jumping pillow, mini-golf, basketball, volleyball, waterslide, movies in the evenings and the list goes on and on. There are also several restaurants, a $2.50 pancake breakfast, a free wine tasting from different local wineries every evening, and car and ATV rentals. Staff was friendly and helpful. It has a great location, near all of the attractions near Mount Rushmore and the southern Black Hills. We had a fun time; however, it's not perfect. We found the showers in the evenings to be dirty with poor pressure. The second night we camped, they jammed a huge party of loud tent campers right next to us. One of the pools sits right next to where the horses are kept, so you get the flies and smell. In all, if you have kids, you can't beat it. On the other hand, if you don't like kids everywhere: there are better choices nearby! We camped here in a Tent Trailer.
Review Rating
[ 7 / 10 ]
[ 7 / 10 ]
July 2012
$90
This campground is a BIG BUCKS place to stay. As they expression goes you are paying for Location, Location, Location. Park is conveniently located to points of interest. Our first night here they put us on a site that was ideal for a pop up, not a big rig. Remainder of our stay on a Deluxe site. Sites through out park are small and tight. The rating one would give this campground would depend of what section of the park you stayed at and the site. There are sections of the park where campers are packed in like ants on a sugar pile. Deluxe sites are the ones that have cable. Digital TV over the air is not existent due to the high hills surrounding the park. If traveling with children this campground have lots of activities. Many have fees tied to them. There is a large staff at this park. Some are friendly while others are not. Campground has large number if Wi-Fi antenna which make for a good service. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
Review Rating
[ 9 / 10 ]
[ 9 / 10 ]
June 2012
$65
We were a little hesitant to stay here because of the other reviews, and they are right. If you have kids and are staying in the Mt. Rushmore area I would highly recommend this KOA. The list of activities and amenities for kids goes on and on. The kids would rather stay at the campground than go sightseeing. If you don't have kids you may want to stay away. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 4 / 10 ]
[ 4 / 10 ]
August 2011
$58
The KOA web site base rate for the stay does not include the $6 (11% of base rate) Resort Fee that is added after the selection (kind of a bait and switch type of ploy since the resort fee is not optional and the rate is already too high). Site we had was poorly leveled side to side for a premium pull through site. Sewer connection was also the highest I have seen. Sewer flow was very hard to establish with the connection almost as high as the fifth wheel sewer connection. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
Review Rating
[ 7 / 10 ]
[ 7 / 10 ]
August 2011
$64
I have this a 7 because of its amenities, store, restaurant, pool, playground, horseback riding, car rental, 4wheeler rental etc. Sites are a bit crowded, no trees for RVs (didn't see the tent sites). Close to Rushmore and Custer State park. Wi-Fi didn't work in the back where our site was. I would stay again, though a bit pricey. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 5 / 10 ]
[ 5 / 10 ]
August 2011
$72
We really got taken by the additional fees at this place. Not only do they charge $4/kid/day extra, they charge an additional "resort" fee. When questioned about this, the check-in staff was apathetic. This place is a beehive of activity though and location is great; 5 miles from Mt. Rushmore and between Hill City & Keystone. We will never stay here again because of the deceptive fee practices, but if you can stomach these fees (especially with kids), you'll most likely enjoy this place. Warning, if you go in the late summer, be prepared to be waken up by Harley's at 6:30 am. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
Review Rating
[ 7 / 10 ]
[ 7 / 10 ]
July 2011
$50
A nice park if you don’t mind LARGE. It is very close to Mt Rushmore and has a lot of activities. We enjoyed the pancake breakfast and went for a 3 hour horse ride. We had a back-in (Site 649) which gave us a little privacy. The pull throughs near the front are on top of each other. The Wi-Fi was so unrealizable they should even advertise it as available. Cell phone is also spotty. But if Mt Rushmore is your destination, this is the best place to stay. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
Review Rating
[ 7 / 10 ]
[ 7 / 10 ]
July 2011
$50
Big park, family oriented, lots of kids, relatively quiet but still noisy at times. Dirt pads that get muddy after rain, sites reasonably spaced but are not long enough to accommodate both 5th wheel and truck. If you are retired and looking for peace and quiet look around for another park. Expensive but has a lot of amenities. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
Review Rating
[ 9 / 10 ]
[ 9 / 10 ]
July 2011
$45
We stayed here for a week while visiting Mt. Rushmore and other local sites. The park is very large and has lots of families with children, but is well maintained and relatively quiet, considering the number of campers. Our kids enjoyed the jumping pillow, water slide, pool, and playground. All-you-can-eat pancakes for a nominal fee (I think it was $1.99), although drink prices are pretty steep. It cost our family of five over $20 for breakfast. The showers in the main shower-house were AMAZING - hot water, good water pressure, individually locking doors, and well-maintained. It's a busy park, with lots of kids on bikes, so we didn't like to drive through the park unless absolutely necessary. We would stay here again. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 7 / 10 ]
[ 7 / 10 ]
July 2011
$50
Park was clean. We will stay here again. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
Review Rating
[ 5 / 10 ]
[ 5 / 10 ]
July 2011
$70
Rental cars are junkers and expensive. Park is a zoo, it is soooooooo large. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 9 / 10 ]
[ 9 / 10 ]
June 2011
$72
Huge park with tons of activities going on. Has a restaurant, pub, ice cream store, coffee shop, stables and horseback riding, general store. We stayed here since it was only 2-3 miles from Mt. Rushmore. Do attend the "night lighting" of the mountain. There is a shuttle from the park to take you and pick you up. Just sign up when you register. Lots of children when we were here since it was June. We would stay here again. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 10 / 10 ]
[ 10 / 10 ]
June 2011
$53
Great value! Everything you might need/want because it is also a resort. So many activities that we didn't have time to do all of them. Well managed - professional. More of a corporate rather than friendly feel. We rented a car, which was an older car at a high price, but the convenience was worth it. There was a hail and rain storm one night, and the maintenance crew was out the very next morning to clean/level the roads. We would camp there again. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 10 / 10 ]
[ 10 / 10 ]
June 2011
$70
This is our all time favorite campground. It has everything a kid or adult could ask for. We go out of our way to camp here. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 10 / 10 ]
[ 10 / 10 ]
June 2011
$65
Absolutely wonderful for adults, teens, and young children. Tons of activities, great staff, campground is HUGE! Love the separate swimming pool for adults. Shopping is fantastic. Nothing but positive for this park. Looking forward to another vacation to South Dakota. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
Review Rating
[ 10 / 10 ]
[ 10 / 10 ]
May 2011
$74
We stayed here for one night on our way out west from iowa and thought it was amazing. Our kamping kabin was close to the bathrooms, pool, water park, jumping pillow, and a nice stream. This place was truly amazing and somewhere you could easy spend a week at, whether it was renting an atv to ride trails, go horseback riding in the beautiful black hills, or enjoy many of their restaurants or $2.50 all you can eat pancake breakfast. This park is the nicest one I've ever been to. We camped here in a Campground Cabin.
Review Rating
[ 7 / 10 ]
[ 7 / 10 ]
May 2011
$54
A good facility with very helpful staff who will help you out when you want to change site or need information. Our ambassador led us to our site enthusiastically and shared our dismay at the small and narrow site in the dark trees and suggested we return to the main, very modern and expensive registration building to request something else. It is good to remember that most site lengths leave little provision for a car behind behind your camper so add on your vehicle length when reserving a site. They have more sites suitable to tenters and tiny pop-ups or the big rigs. Roads get cluttered with vehicles parked willy nilly in front and behind their units because of this size issue. Buy all food and firewood elsewhere. Don's Express off exit 61 in Rapid City was our stock up point. A small bundle of wood is almost $6. Our site flooded in the rain and staff offered to help us move. Well drained sites are not evident after 2 days of rain. This campsite has resort activities and lots of programmed events: our kids loved it. Most sites are on top of each other: go for something in the 600's or get really picky off their hard to read map. Do not take their first offer. This camp ground could get really busy and noisy in the summer heat. Memorial Weekend is a great time to visit: lots to do and see and a very quiet campground this time out. Free garbage and recyclable pickup each morning is a nice little touch as is their focus on recycling. Ice cream is a good treat and the free wine tasting is a nice touch for adults. They check ID very carefully. All in all we were impressed with this campsite for their facilities and staff attitude but not for the campsites. It is a lot like camping in a parking lot so get really picky and feel free to get advise from the Ambassador. They know what is really going on. 500+ sites make for lots of traffic so if you like quiet and nature, this is not a good choice. If you have kids and want a top class resort experience, then have at it. Just accept the high price for a small campsite and a $6 per night resort fee for their WiFi which is very good, and the fun events for kids and adults. We camped here in a Tent Trailer.
Review Rating
[ 9 / 10 ]
[ 9 / 10 ]
September 2010
$53
I can't give it a 10 without having paved sites and roads, but a 9.8 is right. Was here through the Labor Day weekend, and I still had lots of room. Great destination resort as well as a good base to tour from. One of the best campgrounds I ever stayed at. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 10 / 10 ]
[ 10 / 10 ]
August 2010
$70
KOA speaking this has got to be the best one. There is plenty to do and close to Mt Rushmore and Crazy Horse. A restaurant (full service) on site, horseback riding, coffee shop, ice cream shop, pancake tent, pizza place, all on site. It all comes at a price but the place was packed and we spend 4 nights there enjoying everything this place has to see, we came in a week after Sturgis rally so we didn't have to put up with all the clowns with the loud mufflers. Would stay here each and every time I come to this area! We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 8 / 10 ]
[ 8 / 10 ]
August 2010
$45
Site was not level, very wet with no shade. Having said this the high rating was for the amenities. Lots for the kids to do. Great store and central location for sightseeing. Very busy campground. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
Review Rating
[ 9 / 10 ]
[ 9 / 10 ]
July 2010
$60
DO NOT follow GARMIN's directions. If you are being directed to get here any way other than on Hwy 244, you won't find the entrance. Ours sent us down "Old Hill City Rd" and "Palmer Gulch Trail" this would take you down a two track to come in the back of the KOA. This is great if you are camping in an ATV. This is a great KOA. Lot's to do for the kids. Two stores, a water slide, nice pool, playground, etc. Very clean, friendly, etc. Sites are small, but we didn't spend a lot of time in our site. We like the shaded sites up on the hill better. We did the Chuck Wagon trail ride and it was a lot of fun. Great meal and great entertainment. This is an added cost and it is a bit pricey, but if you consider the meal you are eating and the entertainment, it is not bad. We enjoyed it. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
Review Rating
[ 10 / 10 ]
[ 10 / 10 ]
July 2010
$52
Really fun campground. My kids wanted to stay longer just to play in the camp. Really reasonable car rental rates if you want to park your rig. Very close to Mt Rushmore with a nightly shuttle to the lighting ceremony. Great access to the Black Hills, Wind Cave and Custer State Park. Restrooms and showers were clean. They'll even pick up your trash each morning if you put it out. 100 miles of ATV trails connected to the park and rentals on site. Horseback rides throughout the day and chuckwagon dinners. Wish we could have stayed longer. Very friendly staff! We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 6 / 10 ]
[ 6 / 10 ]
July 2010
$77
We just spent 5 nights at this park, just 6 miles from Mount Rushmore. The location is great but we had no cellphone signal anywhere in the area except on top of MT. Rushmore and in Hill City. Also the internet was down 6 of the 7 days we were there. They said they were working on it but it was very upsetting not to have it as we had chosen the park with that in mind. They also have a mandatory $6.00 a night resort fee for amenities whether you use them or not. Children are $4.00 per night each child on top of a very high base rate. The showers were clean but could have been cleaner. Most of the older staff was friendly and helpful but several of the younger staff at the concession stores acted as tho we were bothering them with our requests for coffee, change and food. We are returning next summer with our other grandchildren and will not be returning to this expensive campground that does not meet up to the quality we had expected and paid for. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 10 / 10 ]
[ 10 / 10 ]
July 2010
$34
This place IS a destination resort! Yes, the Black Hills of South Dakota are great too, however this is a resort that you could bring your family to, and NOT leave! From the $2.50, all-you-can-eat pancake breakfasts every morning, the extremely clean shower houses and bathrooms, to the Fantastic Cowboy Chuckwagon Dinner show. Even if you don't want to visit Mount Rushmore, the Crazy Horse Memorial, or See Buffalo in Custer State park: camp here! We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 10 / 10 ]
[ 10 / 10 ]
July 2010
$55
First of all this is an expensive campground, but it's not a campground really, it's a resort featuring trail-rides (at an additional cost), swimming pools, spotlessly clean washroom/showers, garbage pickup at your site. This KOA has a lot of staff. We ordered pizza from the restaurant (lodge style appearance) and had it delivered to our campsite. It was a 16 inch monster meat and fed 5 people (two adults, two teens and a younger child) comfortably. I don't really know what else to say about this KOA. It's the best KOA we've stayed in. We do find KOAs don't always live up to their ads. I'm submitting this review as I sit at my picnic table early in the morning. We would stay here again. If you plan on coming here, reserve early, it's a popular place in a great location. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
Review Rating
[ 9 / 10 ]
[ 9 / 10 ]
June 2010
$55
This is one of the nicest KOA campgrounds that I have stayed at. Lots of activities and "stuff" for the kids. Pancake breakfast at the big tent. Only a very short drive to Rushmore. Very busy campground so reservations a must. I would not hesitate to stay here again. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
Review Rating
[ 9 / 10 ]
[ 9 / 10 ]
June 2010
$45
This is a family friendly campground "resort" which had all kinds of activities for children from a water slide to trail riding. It was filled, and there were many young families obviously having a great time. We could not get cell phone reception, but that was fine for a change. We would stay here again. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 5 / 10 ]
[ 5 / 10 ]
June 2010
$66
The Mount Rushmore KOA was the most disappointing of all the KOA parks we stayed in on our 6 week trip. They have a grand front office building, restaurant and riding stables, but the campsites other than the premium sites were not much and not maintained well. There`s not many premium sites so make your reservations early. The staff that assigns you your site needs training, 30 foot trailers don`t go well on 25 foot sites. We stayed at 8 KOA`s on our trip, most were not living off their location. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 9 / 10 ]
[ 9 / 10 ]
June 2010
$85
Camped here in their two room camper cabins. Absolutely loved this park! Tons of stuff to do for kids. Pancake breakfast for $2.50 a person. Took the shuttle to Mt Rushmore, this is the only way to go, you miss all the traffic and the shuttle fee includes your admission to Rushmore. Staff was excellent and camp store has everything you need. Will recommend again and again! We camped here in a Campground Cabin.
Review Rating
[ 8 / 10 ]
[ 8 / 10 ]
June 2010
$63
Huge place-expect lots of traffic in and out. Lots of activities for kids but you can expect a zoo atmosphere on the weekends in the summer, during the week it was a little less hectic. Wi-Fi wasn't that great-worked best early in the mornings. Don't waste your time in their restaurant, way overpriced and the food wasn't worth it. Large well stocked convince store-great location in the Black Hills. We'd stay again if we ever get back up to that part of the country. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
Review Rating
[ 9 / 10 ]
[ 9 / 10 ]
June 2010
$55
This is a huge park. Some roads paved, others gravel. We stayed in one of the "premium" patio sites with a nice patio table and chairs instead of the normal picnic table. They charge a nightly $6 "resort fee" that covers everything except horseback riding. Tons of activities for the kids. Wi-Fi at our sight was marginal at best and could use improvement. Staff was terrific. The bath house at our area was a bit tight. Stalls and showers kept clean, but small. Other bath houses were newer and nicer. We stayed here four nights on a deal to buy three nights and the fourth was free. We enjoyed our stay and would definitely return again. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 8 / 10 ]
[ 8 / 10 ]
June 2010
$70
Close to Mt Rushmore and many activities for the kids a plus the price is only hang up here. We should stay only several nights instead of a week. I would stay here again but, only for few nights. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 9 / 10 ]
[ 9 / 10 ]
May 2010
$43
Great place to stay for the entire family. Great facilities and the people were very friendly!! We camped here in a Tent Trailer.
Review Rating
[ 9 / 10 ]
[ 9 / 10 ]
May 2010
$43
Advertisements for this campground stated a shuttle service available to go to Mt. Rushmore's evening lighting program, but upon arrival we learned it was not available in May. We went to this RV park because of the advertised shuttle, so we were disappointed to miss the ceremony. We had a pull-through site. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 8 / 10 ]
[ 8 / 10 ]
May 2010
$45
Great park, our only issue is, if you need cell phone service: there is none here. WiFi was inconsistent. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
Review Rating
[ 10 / 10 ]
[ 10 / 10 ]
May 2010
$34
Great RV Camping park. Went in May so lots of availability. Close to Mt Rushmore Memorial. Suggest registration staff notify new guests about freeze alerts for water faucets into RV's so hoses and valves don't get damaged. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 9 / 10 ]
[ 9 / 10 ]
September 2009
$42
The Park was very clean. It has good site sizes with nice patio, patio table, chairs and fire rings. There is a large gift shop. I would have given it a 10 except the restrooms/showers were old and could have used some work although they were clean. The WiFi worked well. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 10 / 10 ]
[ 10 / 10 ]
September 2009
$42
It is a great park, close to Mt. Rushmore. The staff was well trained, it was almost like staying at a hotel. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 6 / 10 ]
[ 6 / 10 ]
August 2009
$53
This was our first "large" park camping experience. We stayed in the central part next to one of the main roads and the vehicle traffic was constant. They call their campground a resort, probably to justify the high price. They do have a lot of things for kids: water slide, pool, mini golf, jump pillow..., and they have a great pancake breakfast in the morning. But the price is too high. We paid $57.63 for water and electric hookups, no sewer. Sewer hookups are an additional $10. The pull through lots are fairly narrow. We had to put out our campfire before we could extend the pullout on that side! On the plus side, the campground is isolated and only 5 miles west of Mt. Rushmore. There is no cable TV. Although a very nice campground, would not stay here again because of the price. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 9 / 10 ]
[ 9 / 10 ]
July 2009
$70
We had a great experience at this campground. The kids had a blast of a time. The amenities are great. Our kids did not get bored at all. The two pools were clean and fun. The horse back riding, fishing, bouncing playground, and general store were all great. The price was a bit high but that was the only negative thing I can say. The showers were beautiful. This was our second trip here and we will go back again next year. Location to Mt. Rushmore is perfect. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 9 / 10 ]
[ 9 / 10 ]
July 2009
$40
This is the 2nd largest KOA in the country, and it had every imaginable amenity! There are tons of things for kids to do -- water slide, pool, splash pad, playground, movies, and etc. My ONLY complaint: we got a spot with water/electric only, and it was up on steep hill. It was extremely hard to get our 31 foot 5th wheel into the spot, and the bathrooms were all at the bottom of the hill! There were no bathrooms on the hill area, which had tons of spots. If I stayed there again, I would make sure I had a spot down below the hill. It is only 5 miles from Mount Rushmore! We highly recommend this campground, just make reservations in advance because it's always booked solid. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
Review Rating
[ 9 / 10 ]
[ 9 / 10 ]
July 2009
$71
Without a doubt the best place to stay if you have kids!! There are so many things for them to do there and there are always lots of kids for them to play with. We stayed in a premium site which included a patio with table and chairs. The site was very roomy. Great store and laundry facility. Very close to all of the activities in the area. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
Review Rating
[ 9 / 10 ]
[ 9 / 10 ]
July 2009
$60
We reserved for 3 nights, stayed 3 nights, and then begged them to let us stay longer but they had no spaces available. Yes, it's a huge park as others have reported. We were in a site near the lodge (not a deluxe site) and it was a bit cramped. But once we were in, we had plenty of room to push out slides and unroll the awning. It's crowded to say the least, but we are people persons and like being around others. Loads of kids running to and from but we enjoyed that as well. Everyone from the staff to the campers were friendly. The amenities were wonderful from rental cars to on site bar and restaurant, horse back rides, ATV rentals, even an ice cream "parlor". It's a short drive from here to Rushmore and Crazy Horse but it's also a nice base camp to see all the other sites in the Black Hills. We really enjoyed our stay here and we'd certainly stay again without hesitation. Our only recommendation? Book early! We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 5 / 10 ]
[ 5 / 10 ]
July 2009
$80
I was fooled by the lodge. It looked like a great place to be. Employees were all very nice. Sites were so close I could not even open the awning. There are lots of kids all over the place. I would pick another place because it was too crowded. We went to eat in the restaurant and the girl said it would be a 45 minute wait time. There was no one in the place. She said it was because the kitchen was small. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 7 / 10 ]
[ 7 / 10 ]
July 2009
$66
Great amenities, but most sites are nothing special. Some sites were nice, especially the deluxe sites, but the standard pull throughs were packed in very tightly and not very nice. The park was so huge and crowded we thought it looked more like a NASCAR event than a campground. There are several restaurants and shops on the grounds, as well as ATV and auto rentals. And then there is the mini golf, swimming pool, water slide, etc. that should keep any pre-teen happy. If amenities are important to you, then this is your camp. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 10 / 10 ]
[ 10 / 10 ]
June 2009
$60
Best KOA we encountered on our trip from Michigan to California and back again, staying in only KOA's along the way. Horse trail ride (right on site) was great. Each night the horses are let loose to run to their night pasture--the fenced path they take runs along the campground--a spectacular site, don't miss it. Tons of amenities, kids will love it. Shuttle to Rushmore and Crazy Horse very convenient. Beautiful views surrounding campground. We loved it. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 8 / 10 ]
[ 8 / 10 ]
June 2009
$52
Excellent resort for families and kids. two pools and hot tubs, (unheated) water slide!!!! Both pools are open until 10 pm although only one allows kids after 8 pm, which allows for quiet time for adults only which is also nice. There are horse stables for riding and Chuckwagon dinners on site. They have RENTAL CARS just for users of resort, although a bit pricey ($50+ a day) but well worth it. There is a pancake breakfast tent open every morning and entertainment in evenings. GREAT STAFF. Negatives: WiFi only works down in main campground/around store and it doesn't work very well in the upper portion or far reaches of the park. The laundry is a bit expensive. Cable TV is only available on premium sites, and one can't use antenna or dish away from premium sites due to mountains. I was told by other occupants of park that they were charged higher prices for less of a space, that may have been due to their location in campground? It seemed a bit odd when we heard about this issue from others at this park. It should be noted that this is the second largest KOA in the country and they do very well operating this park. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 7 / 10 ]
[ 7 / 10 ]
June 2009
$73
Let's get it out of the way up front, this place is crazy expensive. I would go so far to say that if you don't have kids with you this place would be a rip off. This place is also a contradiction in that it has some attributes that rate on extreme opposites of the scale. Most sites are dirt, many are not level, and many (including our travel companions') had big areas that were a muddy flooded mess the entire 4 days we were there). Also, for over $70 a night I don't think cable TV should be out of the question, which you don't get unless you have a deluxe site (which are few). The main pool was neon yellow one day and it took 2 or more of us to complain before they closed it down. The water in the slide attraction was also always cloudy and not properly treated correctly the entire time we were there. The place is dusty from the heavy traffic, it's like Grand Central Station most of the day and night. On the plus side, the visitor center was beautiful, the staff up there awesome, the views and location are also awesome. The newer bathroom/shower complex is 1st rate in construction and they did a fairly decent job of keeping it clean given the amount of traffic through there. We also had wifi most of the time there, although at times it was very slow. We thought the on-site horse rides were a good value as was the $2 pancake breakfast. It is a great place to let the kids go all day no doubt about it but if you want reasonable fees, calm atmosphere, and room to spread out this isn't for you. If they could control the price and have maintenance pay attention across the board I could almost rate it a 10. We would consider staying again but only while the kids are small enough to enjoy/partake in all the activities there. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 6 / 10 ]
[ 6 / 10 ]
June 2009
$54
We arrived during the height of tourist season and the experience might best be described as an absolute mass of teeming humanity. Our preference tends towards dry camping in national forests with occasional stops at full hookup private campgrounds, so this wasn't really our cup of tea. The facilities are huge and well maintained with lots of activities for the kids, but everything was extremely crowded due to the time of year. I am hoping the brown pool water was due the source and not lack of cleanliness. Due to the lateness of our reservation, we had a water and electric only site. It was very tight and crowded and difficult to get into and out of in our 40 ft motor home. There were many other sites which would have worked for big rigs just fine however. This is a practical and convenient location, especially for families, if you can handle the crowds. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 9 / 10 ]
[ 9 / 10 ]
May 2009
$68
Pricey, but well located in the Black Hills for varied activities.. $3 one time pet charge and $5 per day resort fee included in listed price on this site. We stayed in one of the deluxe sites and had plenty of space between sites. Very large KOA, but well run and well maintained. Want to go horse back riding...they have it. Want to go down a water slide...they have it. "Wifey" doesn't want to fix breakfast...go for the outdoor pancake breakfast or on site restaurant. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 9 / 10 ]
[ 9 / 10 ]
September 2008
$40
Had a truly wonderful time during our week here. Staff was really helpful and all were extremely nice. Sites were a good size. On site restaurant, not a KOA associate, was very good. Only problem we had was cell phone service, but what else do you expect at the base of a large mountain. Would stay here again. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 10 / 10 ]
[ 10 / 10 ]
August 2008
$50
We went on a two week trip from PA to Yellowstone & back. This was BY FAR the BEST campground we stayed in. Very clean, good security. Restaurant & other stores on site. Horseback riding, inexpensive shuttle to Mt. Rushmore, & ATV rentals with miles & miles of trails to explore. My family & I had a blast! The Black Hills are beautiful & if we are fortunate enough to return, we will certainly stay here again. Fantastic! We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 5 / 10 ]
[ 5 / 10 ]
August 2008
$35
If you are a family with kids then this is a very nice campground with tons of activities. Otherwise, this CG is very crowded and noisy with very short and narrow sites. Even with their "deluxe" pull throughs, finding a spot to park your toad is a challenge and the sites are so tight that your neighbor's campfire is right next to your coach. The roads are gravel and very tight due to the parking issues. They only have cable in a few deluxe sites and reception with an antenna is poor. If you are looking for peace and quiet in a beautiful part of the country stay away from this place. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 9 / 10 ]
[ 9 / 10 ]
July 2008
$60
This park had tons of stuff for the kids to do like miniature golf, swimming, water slide, horseback riding, giant air pillow, splash pad. It is perfect for exploring all that the black hills has to offer. The campground is very busy. The restrooms and showers could use more than one cleaning a day, that being the only bad thing. We would stay here again. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
Review Rating
[ 10 / 10 ]
[ 10 / 10 ]
July 2008
$85
Definitely a place you can go and stay a week and keep the whole family entertained. Kids loved the huge playground, pool, gameroom and other kids activities. Trail ride was great. Lots of staff, very attentive. The christian student group interacted well with the kids. Some people said they could even see some of the fireworks from their campsites. We will be back. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 10 / 10 ]
[ 10 / 10 ]
June 2008
$85
This campground is the best KOA in the system. I do not mind paying a premium if the campground is worth the money; this one is. They had a staff of about 100 with 10 of them a Christian ministry team. The staff was polite, professional and great with the kids. We had a full agenda of sightseeing and activities in the area which was a shame because the kids would have been happy just playing at the campground. They lead their horses off to their night-time coral every night, which made the entire campground stop and watch; it was a spectacular site. If you come here please learn from my mistake and plan a “down” day where the kids have a day to just play at the CG. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 10 / 10 ]
[ 10 / 10 ]
June 2008
$56
Best campground we have ever visited. We have three kids, and they were kept busy with activities throughout our visit. only 5 miles from Mount Rushmore, and the drive to the park was very scenic. Gift shop and store were stocked well, which prevented trips to the small towns nearby. One tip. Camp in the valley, as the hillside sites are a bit unlevel, which makes set-up a little challenging. Overall, we loved it! We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
Review Rating
[ 10 / 10 ]
[ 10 / 10 ]
June 2008
$45
Very nice campground. Kids area was great. New restrooms were very clean. Very nice and reasonably priced laundry facilities. Horseback riding on site was very convenient and good value. Friendly staff. Great camp store. We would definitely stay there again. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 8 / 10 ]
[ 8 / 10 ]
June 2008
$54
A super or mega KOA with nearly every feature imaginable. Friendly workers greet you from the moment you arrive. Site size are average to above. Two nice size pools and a water slide for the kids. WiFi was weak but I was at the far end of grounds. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
Review Rating
[ 10 / 10 ]
[ 10 / 10 ]
June 2008
$70
This is the closest campground to Mt. Rushmore, and the best park we have ever stayed in. There were more than enough activities to keep the kids busy and happy. The pancake breakfast is great, too. Be sure, however, to request a deluxe site with patios and patio furniture that substitute for the common picnic table usually found in campgrounds. The sites toward the back appear a little more crowded and less maintained. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 10 / 10 ]
[ 10 / 10 ]
June 2008
$57
We stayed here for 8 nights, and found it to be a great place. The price was a bit higher because we had a patio site, but we felt it was worth it. Jane, who works in the main check in-office, was wonderful. She went out of her way to put us in a site that would give us enough room for our rig and tow car. A very big atta girl to her. The roads in the campground are a bit busy but that is to be expected in a place this large at this time of the year. The amenities make this a wonderful place for families camping with children. We would definitely stay here again. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 7 / 10 ]
[ 7 / 10 ]
June 2008
$47
We stayed here 3 nights. Well maintained park with friendly staff. Busy park with lots of kids since it is close to Black Hills attractions. WiFi early morning and evening was quite slow. Some driveways were quite narrow, primarily because the sites they served were very short for the rigs parked on them which necessitated parking the toad partially in the street. Very few shaded sites which helps satellite TV if you need it. We would stay here again. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 9 / 10 ]
[ 9 / 10 ]
May 2008
$47
We camped here on Memorial Day in site #570 shortly after the resort opened for the year. This is a very good campground with a variety of sites. We arrived late at night and they left us a map and welcome pack for us. Our initial site was close to the entrance and very easy to set up in the dark (And the rain!) The next am, when we were ready, they moved us to our reserved site on the hill away from the main area. We were the first RV in that part of the campground and they forgot to turn on the water! A short time later, the water was on. This is the only reason the cg didn't get a 10. Water pressure was low near the top of the hill, but better at the bottom. I highly advise a filter, the water comes from tanks situated around the area. This is the second time we have stayed here and would recommend it to anyone! Pick your sites carefully, big variety. The main area is essentially a parking lot, but where we stayed was on the mountain and very wooded. When the rain came, it got muddy fast! We even had snow! Several specialty shops on site with two small stores at opposite ends of the resort. LOTS of cabins scattered around. Two pools, although only one was open at that time. Staff was very friendly and helpfully! Rental cars available on site. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
Review Rating
[ 10 / 10 ]
[ 10 / 10 ]
September 2007
$28
This is one of the nicest parks we stayed at. It was close to the end of the season and we got a really nice site. The park was very well maintained and the owners were very cordial. We do plan to go back again. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
Review Rating
[ 10 / 10 ]
[ 10 / 10 ]
August 2007
$42
A beautifully maintained park, very knowledgeable staff, lots of creature comforts. It is mostly geared to adults after Labor Day, as we have stayed here twice. A resort feel...not your typical KOA. Convenient to Mt. Rushmore, Custer State Park and all the other sites of the area. Easy access for big rigs with no surprises. Much nicer than the other area campgrounds we checked out. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 8 / 10 ]
[ 8 / 10 ]
August 2007
$50
Very nice park. Deluxe sites are wide and fairly grassy. Good television and WiFi reception, lousy cell service. Park has a nice hotel, cabins, car rentals, pool, nice gift shop. Mount Rushmore about five miles away, Crazy Horse monument about seven miles. Very pleasant experience. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 2 / 10 ]
[ 2 / 10 ]
August 2007
$57
This is the only campground we have ever pulled into a site, began setup and then decided we just couldn't stay. We have never left a campground in over three years of camping, we never expected to have to leave a KOA, usually very nice places. Only camp here if you are only planning a quick overnight stay and make sure you stay in the "deluxe" sites or forget it. We unfortunately had made a reservation for one of the nice perimeter sites with a view. Important note: there is NO cable except in tightly packed deluxe sites and the all the "kid" amenities, aside from the pool, cost a small fortune ($60) per family for a fun pass. Our spot was in the middle of a 'parking lot' field, with no trees and a muddy camping site. We were staying 5 nights and were so depressed over the unattractive surroundings, not to mention exorbitant fees, $4 per child a night (we have 2) and $3 pet fee a night, we went to the office and asked if we could move to another site, we would have been willing to pay more. They would have moved us but had no deluxe sites left. So we called Rafter J Bar Ranch Campground up the road and asked if they had room and moved our motor home to their place. (VERY NICE, read my review of their campground). This KOA has a nice front area, and a restaurant on site, and the deluxe sites seem nice enough, though very close together. This is a VERY BIG campground, a lot of people moving around, very busy place. Some people may enjoy the bustling energy of crowds, but we kind of like to kick back, relax and enjoy the peace of nature. We were so relieved to drive out of there, we feel fortunate they were booked out. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 1 / 10 ]
[ 1 / 10 ]
August 2007
$53
Stay away from this park! From reading the description you would think that this park is great family destination. Being in the Black Hills of South Dakota and near great attractions such as Mt. Rushmore and Crazy Horse Monument it has the potential for being a really nice place, but unfortunately it is not! The sites are muddy and uneven. The bathrooms are absolutely outdated and filthy! They advertise a wate rpark on site, but when you check in they tell you that you have to pay an extra $60 to use it. They do have a pool that you can use without an extra fee. We did not go in it, but our neighbors did and they said that it was very dirty. They have horseback riding onsite which is nice and pretty reasonable. The women inside taking care of check-ins are very nice, but the older man working outside near the check in parking is very grumpy and he will yell at you and bang his radio on your car if you do not pull up far enough! We have been to many KOA's, some nicer than others, but never have we been to one as dirty as this one. KOA should be embarrassed to have their name attached to this park. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
Review Rating
[ 9 / 10 ]
[ 9 / 10 ]
July 2007
$46
Well maintained with a lot of activities for kids. We were here around the 4th of July and the pool was a little crowded for so many people. Nice stores, restaurants, and ice cream on site. The WiFi is there but I could never get an IP address and was not usable, they said there were too many people, which I did not find to be an acceptable answer. We stayed in site 189 or 289 and the trees had to be trimmed and it was fairly tight, not nearly as nice as most of the other spaces. I think they only rented out these sites on really busy weekends. We camped here in a Tent Trailer.
Review Rating
[ 9 / 10 ]
[ 9 / 10 ]
July 2007
$52
Pricy, but worth it. One of the best parks we have stayed in. Closest park to Mt Rushmore and Crazy Horse monuments. Very well maintained park, well stocked store, and on-site pizza and ice cream shops. Water sports, climbing, hiking and horse rides. Friendly, knowledgeable staff. Not much shade available in main area, although tent, and pop-up sites were well shaded. Rental cars available so you can visit all the local sites without a toad. Busses available for Mt Rushmore tours at very reasonable rate. Will stay here again. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 8 / 10 ]
[ 8 / 10 ]
July 2007
$68
Very nice KOA. We went horseback riding, as well as utilized the laundry facilities, ice cream shop and the store. Our boys enjoyed the scavenger hunt and for a prize they received a free round of miniature golf. This place is so large that I was able to do a 5 mile run just inside the KOA campground! We were gone most of the time visiting the attractions, but we would recommend this campground to anyone especially after seeing the other campgrounds available. The grounds could use some work, that is why I'm giving an 8 out of 10. This campground has everything else you could need for an enjoyable stay. We camped here three nights. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 10 / 10 ]
[ 10 / 10 ]
July 2007
$48
This is one of the better KOA's and one of a few I would return to. Great site, fun things to do, close to everything. Pancake breakfast is great. Wifi did not work the entire time I was there, but heck I was out most of the time anyway. I'd come back here. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 9 / 10 ]
[ 9 / 10 ]
June 2007
$50
Wonderful park. Beautiful scenery and excellent amenities. We are definitely looking forward to our next visit here! We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 9 / 10 ]
[ 9 / 10 ]
June 2007
$42
Has Car rentals available. It was late at night and a shepherd vehicle guided us to the site. I chose it for the location nearby Mount Rushmore. It was a bit pricey compared to other campgrounds in the area. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 10 / 10 ]
[ 10 / 10 ]
June 2007
$55
Great Park (never given 10/10 before). But you pay for it of course. Wonderful value if you've got kids as they would never be bored unless it rained. Cable channels limited and WiFi just a little iffy at times. The place is enormous (2nd biggest in USA we're told. Reasonable food outlets and shops on site, which is lucky because it is miles away from anything else. Queue for "all you can eat pancakes" every morning. Careful where you are allocated a site. You could be literally a mile away from the office. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 9 / 10 ]
[ 9 / 10 ]
May 2007
$29
This is a beautiful campground. The staff is very friendly. We camped here in early May 2007 so it wasn't crowded. The campground is also close to all major attractions. We would definitely stay here again. We camped here in a Truck Camper.
Review Rating
[ 9 / 10 ]
[ 9 / 10 ]
August 2006
$35
Wonderful family park with lots of activities... great store for groceries, not over-priced. We loved the on-site horse trail rides. We realize this was bike week, but even though we had reservations months ahead, we were placed in a "tent-sized" site, and our toy hauler was barely squeezed in! Thank goodness there was not a camper behind us to the back left, because we had a "catty-corner" back out up a hill - very poor parking area for our rig and very nerve-wracking. Customer service was excellent, however - we will definitely come back here, but will request specific sites next time around. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
Review Rating
[ 2 / 10 ]
[ 2 / 10 ]
July 2006
$45
Campers were squeezed like sardines. No privacy. Some sites had little or no shade. Very noisy with campers coming and going all the time. Barking dogs inside campers during the day. KOA charged extra for use of water slide. Pool broken and out of use for 3 (maybe more) days. Camp stores frequently out of ice. Evening movies cancelled due to more broken equipment. KOA field staff rude, bossy & crabby. Restaurant wait staff was terrible. Bath house was nice (closed 1 1/2 hrs. for cleaning.) Turned us OFF to camping. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
Review Rating
[ 10 / 10 ]
[ 10 / 10 ]
July 2006
$70
Go to the site to check rates according to how you are staying. It all depends on what kind of site you want. Also you HAVE TO book in advance. We did a year in advance since it was prime travel season. We've been here twice and would go back again. Very clean, well maintained. Nice activities for the kids: 2 pools, great stores, nice restaurant and awesome outside pancake breakfasts for $2.00. It's very close to Mt. Rushmore: with shuttles running there and to Crazy Horse. They also have horseback riding here which is always a must. The kids playgrounds are very nice too. Would highly recommend. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 10 / 10 ]
[ 10 / 10 ]
July 2006
$55
This was a wonderful park for our visit to SD. Close to everything we wanted to visit. The stable and trail ride was wonderful. The park was clean, well taken care of and had a friendly helpful staff. The view of the Black Hills at sunset from our coach was beautiful. Never in the 5 days we were there was did we have a "noise" problem with the campground, even though there were many families with children. We would highly recommend it to visitors to Hill City, SD. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 5 / 10 ]
[ 5 / 10 ]
July 2006
$46
This CG was WAAAAY too large for our taste. I'm sure it's great for families with children, but the noise factor from SO many kids was not pleasant for us. Yes, this was close to Mt. Rushmore and Crazy Horse, but there are others in the area. We saw one or two we'd try next time. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 9 / 10 ]
[ 9 / 10 ]
July 2006
$45
This was a great campground. We stayed here for two nights. This campground is very close to the Crazy Horse Memorial and Mt. Rushmore. Although we didn't use many of the facilities, there were tons. Swimming pools, activities for children, several clean laundry rooms, a dining room, a fast food place, a candy store, and a big general store. This KOA had good security and was clean. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 6 / 10 ]
[ 6 / 10 ]
July 2006
$45
This place is huge and has a lot of amenities, and a lot of people. Before reserving here we read the reviews describing the packed-in conditions but were able to secure a "more private" site at the edge of the woods. Upon arriving we found these sites to be just terraced sites, just as crowded as the sea of trailers in the meadow. The toilets were clogged in the women's restroom and showers were not clean. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 8 / 10 ]
[ 8 / 10 ]
June 2006
$42
We stopped for an overnight on the way back from Wyoming and got the last site with full hook-ups. The sites were typical KOA, close quarters, but the park was well laid out and the WiFi worked well. Use virus and internet security, because I was attacked by a trojan within moments of logging on. The nightly shuttle to the Mt. Rushmore lighting apparently books up very early, but there are rental cars on property and it was quick and easy to rent. The pools were clean and busy and people sat quietly by their fires after quiet hours with no loud noises after quiet time at 10 p.m.. We would stop here again for an overnight but it is too big and crowded for a long stay. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 6 / 10 ]
[ 6 / 10 ]
June 2006
$59
CG is convenient to Rapid City/Hill City attractions. The sites are level. Problems exist with the management of this cg. When making reservations we were not told that only the premium sites had cable tv. The premium sites are nice but not worth the increased rate of $11. Some of the staff were rude and possessed no people skill. I'm 65 years old and didn't know I was a "dude" until told so by one of the staff members. The road in the park was horrible. Deep ruts were everywhere which made traveling around difficult. If one can find another cg in the area then I suggest you go there. The company that owns this cg also owns the Capitol City KOA and the KOA in Harpers Ferry WV. We've stayed at those cgs and they are not much better than this one. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 9 / 10 ]
[ 9 / 10 ]
May 2006
$45
This place is great. Beautiful campground. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
Review Rating
[ 9 / 10 ]
[ 9 / 10 ]
May 2006
$35
Wish we would have stayed long enough to use the many activities they offered. We camped here in a Tent Trailer.
Review Rating
[ 8 / 10 ]
[ 8 / 10 ]
August 2005
$35
Very nice campground located right off needles highway. You feel as if you are really camping in the hills. Beautiful views all around you. Very nice staff and some of the cleanest bathrooms I've seen. We will stay here again. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
Review Rating
[ 6 / 10 ]
[ 6 / 10 ]
August 2005
$49
Tourist trap, packed in like sardines, sites are not level, dump station right in the middle of the entrance to park, charged for shuttle ride to lighting ceremony. way to big for our tastes, but close to Mt. Rushmore. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 8 / 10 ]
[ 8 / 10 ]
August 2005
$45
Note that the rate is higher than normal as we were there during bike week. We got a site off behind the lodge which was totally treed and shady. If you get in the main part of the park there is no shade. We've been here before and didn't realize that the section we were in existed. It was really nice- a little on the hilly side and the turns getting in and out were a little tight but we made it without any problems. The park offers a little of everything, you can eat here, go riding or hiking and some shopping too. It's a nice place even though it's so big. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
Review Rating
[ 9 / 10 ]
[ 9 / 10 ]
July 2005
$35
This is the best KOA we have ever stayed at! It had everything close and so much to do for the kids! We really appreciated the pancake breakfast, the nightly movies in their little theater and the water slide was a huge hit with the kids! It's very close to Mt. Rushmore and Crazy Horse Memorial. There is so much to do in this area...we wish we had stayed a week rather than 4 nights. We camped here in a Tent Trailer.
Review Rating
[ 8 / 10 ]
[ 8 / 10 ]
July 2005
$52
We camped here last month while visiting the Mount Rushmore area. It is a typical KOA, in that the sites are pretty much jammed together. I would recommend that you get a site as far away from the main road as possible as it is very busy during the summer and the heavy traffic seemed to ignore the 10 mph speed limit. My kids loved the water slide they have which cost an extra $10 per day to use for the whole family. They also have horseback riding available for somewhat reasonable prices. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
Review Rating
[ 8 / 10 ]
[ 8 / 10 ]
2004
$35
I camped here for the annual Sturgis Rally. I really enjoyed this campground. It has a
wonderfully well stocked general store. The restaurants were very good. It was a great home base for touring the Black Hills. The staff and service was great. The sites were a little small but tolerable. Our only complaint was that the showers were not maintained very well at all. I would have thought that during the busiest time of the year, the owners/operators would have made sure everything was kept top notch. Also, the hot water ran out if you were not at the shower before 6am. We had a great time staying here and will certainly be back again in the future. We camped here in a Tent.
Review Rating
[ 9 / 10 ]
[ 9 / 10 ]
2004
$35
This is a large family-oriented campground with fairly spacious sites situated in the middle of the Black Hills of South Dakota. It is very close to all the local tourist sites such as Mt. Rushmore. There are several camping cabins available as well as a lodge/motel and large family type cabins available. It has a nice quiet location and we truly enjoyed our stay here. Friendly staff helped make our stay pleasant. We stayed in a tent trailer in June of 2004 and used our heater every night and most of one day. We camped here in a Tent Trailer.
Camp Information
Sites
25
Date of Stay
August 2010
Latest Rate
$17
Hookups
Electric
50amp
Water
Sewer
Wireless Internet
Cable TV
Accommodations
Pull-Thru Sites
Big Rig Access
Waterfront Access
Shade Trees
Pool Access
Pets Allowed
Tents Allowed
Family Friendly
Latest Review Information
Ratings (Last 10 Newest/Oldest)
7
Clean Restrooms (Last 5 Newest/Oldest)
Clean Showers (Last 5 Newest/Oldest)
Review Rating
[ 7 / 10 ]
[ 7 / 10 ]
August 2010
$17
Although this is a no frills campground it was beautiful. We wish we had stayed longer, it is convenient to Custer, Rushmore, Wind Cave and Rapid City, Hill City and Deadwood, SD. Nice shaded sites with a mild breeze even in the mid to high 90 degree temperatures while we were there. Friendly/helpful host. Highly recommend if you are self contained and can dry camp for up to a week. Generator friendly campground.. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Camp Information
Sites
200
Date of Stay
September 2012
Latest Rate
$40
Hookups
Electric
50amp
Water
Sewer
Wireless Internet
Cable TV
Accommodations
Pull-Thru Sites
Big Rig Access
Waterfront Access
Shade Trees
Pool Access
Pets Allowed
Tents Allowed
Family Friendly
Latest Review Information
Ratings (Last 10 Newest/Oldest)
8 8 8 10 10 9 9 9 5 10
Clean Restrooms (Last 5 Newest/Oldest)
Clean Showers (Last 5 Newest/Oldest)
Review Rating
[ 8 / 10 ]
[ 8 / 10 ]
September 2012
$40
Very nice place. Only issues were the WiFi that had restrictions on it: per Rafter J those were due to their provider and not them. I was not able to fully conduct business over their site and had to go into town to a WiFi place to do it. And, although clean and nice, their laundry was amongst the most expensive we have ever seen. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
Review Rating
[ 8 / 10 ]
[ 8 / 10 ]
August 2012
$51
This park would be rated higher except for their unwillingness to enforce the dog restrictions. We were in the base camp, and time and again dogs from nearby campers came and did their business in our area. We notified the office but the problem continued throughout our 4 day stay. On the plus side, the sites were nice with plenty of space. Many areas to walk (although there were piles of dog waste on most of them). They had a daily pancake breakfast for a nominal charge. The camp store was nice and well stocked. The dog problem really reduced our enjoyment of this park. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
Review Rating
[ 8 / 10 ]
[ 8 / 10 ]
August 2012
$54
We stayed here for five nights while visiting the Mt. Rushmore area. Very centrally located to all the sites. This park covers a large area of land. Very scenic with trees and hills. The sites are very large with plenty of space between each site. The Wifi sometimes got slow but acceptable. This is a very quiet park. Many families but because of it's size no noise. The pools are very nice and clean. They have a few extra buildings for activities. We kept busy outside the park so I cannot rate activities. We would stay again. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 10 / 10 ]
[ 10 / 10 ]
August 2012
$35
This may well be our favorite campground ANYWHERE! This place is beautiful, spacious, and with all the fantastic motorcycle riding around the Black Hills it just doesn't get much better. There are great eating places in Hill City and in Custer so that makes it even better! I can't wait till our next rip up here! We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 10 / 10 ]
[ 10 / 10 ]
August 2012
$60
Big Rig Friendly! Gravel roads and gravel sites, but don't let the gravel/dirt keep you away. Grass and shade at sites. Pool was refreshing. Play ground looked fun. Employees were knowledgeable and friendly. We stayed in a back in site but we noticed there were plenty of pull through sites. We will definitely return. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 9 / 10 ]
[ 9 / 10 ]
August 2012
$52
We stayed 4 nights and absolutely loved it. Beautiful campground with great views. It is organized into separate sections so you can choose just about any environ you'd like. It is centrally located to the major attractions in the area. It is a bit pricey but we would stay there again. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 9 / 10 ]
[ 9 / 10 ]
August 2012
$55
Second trip to this Park. Parked on the pull through sites at Line Camp. Stayed seven nights. Staff was great as always. Needed to change tire on pull trailer but forget jack. They provide jack. At our site the Wi-Fi connection was spotty, but we were there for the Rally and not to do business! We would stay again. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 9 / 10 ]
[ 9 / 10 ]
August 2012
$45
I've camped in two campgrounds in South Dakota, and both are fabulous. This one would be a 10, but the WiFi was so weak at our campsite (Ranch camp) that it wasn't usable. If we took our devices by the office/store/pool area, it worked, but not convenient. Other than that one detail, I can say nothing negative about this campground. Bathrooms and showers are always clean, and the comfort station at our campsite had laundry facilities, too. Sites are well spaced. Be careful if you have slide-outs, as there are many trees and we saw a few people struggle with positioning (call and inquire!). We camped here in a Tent Trailer.
Review Rating
[ 5 / 10 ]
[ 5 / 10 ]
August 2012
$60
Unless you are a biker, ANYWHERE within 100 miles of Sturgis, SD during the bike rally is pure hell, and you will see everything at its worst. That said, after 105 RV Parks in 14 months: Rafter J Bar had gotten about the best reviews online of any we had seen, so we were excited to spend time here. The huge, beautiful sites, great pool and spa should have earned this 10 but while we were here, the baths and showers were filthy, broken doors on the toilets, and the facilities were too few and far apart for such an enormous park. We had reserved a 50amp months in advance with clear overhead but given 30amps in the woods at 50 amp prices. Other than the magnificent scenery it was a major disappointment. During the Sturgis Rally they should have tripled the staff and those who were here, with one exception, were brisk at best. Also offering fire rings etc., they never told us until we arrived, there had been a "no fire" restriction all summer. Not particularly friendly, wish we had stayed at the far friendlier KOA up the hill. But again, maybe it was the Sturgis Rally that made this a 5 not 10. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 10 / 10 ]
[ 10 / 10 ]
July 2012
$18
I really enjoyed this park. The spaces were nice and large, there is a VERY large mowed meadow area to roam around in, a nice pool and spa. Our site was shaded and level, once I got to it. There was a large hill right in front of our pad, but nothing that I found to be trouble when backing in. The men's bathroom was often dirty and the showers always seemed to have stuff left in them from previous users. My wife said the women's were the cleanest she had ever seen, so I call that a draw. The WiFi was really bad as well. But everything else was top notch in my opinion, and it was close to everything in the Black Hills region. I would definitely stay here again. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
Review Rating
[ 10 / 10 ]
[ 10 / 10 ]
July 2012
$80
Wonderful, wonderful RV park! Grounds were stunning, heated pool, basketball, big playground for the kids. It is a big park, actually, but it was very quiet, relaxing, and safe. Yellowstone Park should model their RV park after this one!! There is a breakfast every morning that is wonderful: all-you-can-eat pancakes!! We would love to come back and actually stay longer! We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 8 / 10 ]
[ 8 / 10 ]
July 2012
$65
Very nice, but expensive park. Our site was level and surrounded by trees. Everything was well kept up. The pool was nice, but completely packed with people: one pool for 200 sites. We might stay here again. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
Review Rating
[ 10 / 10 ]
[ 10 / 10 ]
July 2012
$63
Everything about this resort is good. It is close to everything you want to see in the Black Hills. Everything was clean and well maintained. The staff was very helpful and friendly. Our site was big and level. We had the pancake breakfast they offer and it was definitely worth the money. There is wide open spaces for the kids to play and ride their bikes without being a nuisance for those who do not have kids. Nice place. Would definitely camp here again. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
Review Rating
[ 9 / 10 ]
[ 9 / 10 ]
June 2012
$40
Very nice and quiet, ranch type park: no horses just large and peaceful. Well stocked store and can even rent cars if needed. There are 3 different areas to camp here plus cabins also. We find the park close to all the things we like about the Rushmore area. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 9 / 10 ]
[ 9 / 10 ]
June 2012
$53
We stayed here for two weeks while visiting South Dakota. This is a very nice campground with large spacious sites. Campground staff was friendly and the campground was very clean and well maintained. The campground is divided into several sections ranging from wide open flat grasslands to heavily shaded treed areas. It is important to review the campground website and make sure the area of the park you are placed in meets your needs (i.e. some of the areas do not have bathhouses and are far from the office and pool). Also be aware that the wireless internet coverage is spotty and the service is slow in the campsites. There are internet connections in the office that are faster and more reliable. The site we were on was not overly level and required several boards under the tires in able to get the camper level. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
Review Rating
[ 8 / 10 ]
[ 8 / 10 ]
June 2012
$50
This RV park would have been a 10 except that the restrooms weren't that nice. They were clean but they were very dark and old and there weren't enough for the number of campsites, causing us to have to wait in line. We stayed in the Island section which was quiet and shady but you needed a bike to get to the restrooms and pool. It was very centrally located and very convenient for touring the Black Hills. We rented a car from the campground which was a nice convenience. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 10 / 10 ]
[ 10 / 10 ]
June 2012
$52
The best place we have stayed since we've started camping. Where to start - beautiful surroundings, doesn't feel nearly as crowded as other campgrounds, everything is well-maintained, the pool is the largest we've seen, and very clean. It also lies right next to the Mickleson trail, and we took advantage with our bikes each day. Very reasonable prices in their well-stocked store - $1.50 will get you a huge cup of ice cream. They also have a $2 pancake breakfast. The great reviews are all accurate, and we will definitely be back! We camped here in a Tent Trailer.
Review Rating
[ 9 / 10 ]
[ 9 / 10 ]
June 2012
$49
This is a very nice park, just a few things that were just not right. Confusion with our mail delivery, we were told yes, we could receive our mail forwarding service send our mail here, but not told it couldn't be sent by the Postal Service, so our mail was returned. The sewer system backed up so there was a little raw sewage on the lot next to us. Their Wi-Fi server did block several internet sites, including the Geocaching website. Staying in base camp, the roads are a little too narrow for the bigger rigs to work around. But even with all that, this is a nice place to stay. The sites have room between them to sit out, nicely landscaped with trees and bushes, great areas to walk the dogs, our Sprint phone/Hotspot worked OK. Our rate reflects the Good Sam Rate, which the office almost "forgot" to give us. But we would stay here again, one of the nicest in the area. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 9 / 10 ]
[ 9 / 10 ]
June 2012
$52
This is a great family vacation resort. If you have kids this is one of the best set up CG for amenities and touring local attractions. We stayed in the base camp: the pull through sites are a little closer than we would have liked, but extra long to allow for a vehicle. Rafter has several "camps" called line camps and another called the island. I wish now we would have stayed in the line camp along the tree line. The base camp sits in the valley with strong winds coming over the mountain. We had 3 nights of rocking and rolling because of the high winds, but that is no fault of the Rafter J. Highly recommended for family fun. Driving by some of the other RV campgrounds in the area: this is by far the best. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
Review Rating
[ 10 / 10 ]
[ 10 / 10 ]
June 2012
$55
Absolutely stunning resort and grounds. Nice level gravel pads with some tree encased. Nice store, gas station and breakfast pavilion. The pool was clean, heated and sparkling every day. Well maintained and attentive staff. Only complaint was the Internet availability. Due to too many people using Netflix they have blocked access to anything that can download video which includes NBC, ABC, CBS news CNBC and others similar sites to keep the bandwidth available for all campers. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 10 / 10 ]
[ 10 / 10 ]
May 2012
$52
Very nice campground. Huge area, with separate camps throughout property. Perfect spot for all activities in Black Hills area of SD. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 8 / 10 ]
[ 8 / 10 ]
May 2012
$40
Beautiful campground, great location to see Mt. Rushmore, Crazy Horse and drive the Custer State Park Loop (70 miles). Everything was clean, the sites are huge and the campground has six camping loops so you can pick open area, partial shade or full shade. Some loops don't have restrooms but that makes it quiet. The families with children stayed closer to the office and pool area. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
Review Rating
[ 9 / 10 ]
[ 9 / 10 ]
May 2012
$39
Rate reflects Good Sam discount & tax. Pads were gravel but very spacious and level sites. We stayed in an extra long pull through. All sites in park have a lot of open common area in front or behind them. Hookups were very good. Location is convenient to Mt. Rushmore and The Needles highway. Hill City is 2 miles away; Badlands is about 90 miles; Wild Horse Sanctuary is about 45 miles. Pool and hot tub were closed but appear to be very nice. Laundry facilities are located in each of the three bathhouses. Good interior roads. It was a beautiful and restful stay. We would stay here again. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 8 / 10 ]
[ 8 / 10 ]
September 2011
$43
Very quiet location, with incredible scenery. Sites are quite level in the area we stayed, however, tight to get into with our 5th wheel trailers. The trees in the sites made it a difficult maneuver, along with the parks instruction to stay off the grass. This was not possible. This was an excellent location for base camp to explore the attractions in the area and to enjoy the wonderful bike path which runs right next to the park. We stayed here 3 nights and would stay here again. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
Review Rating
[ 6 / 10 ]
[ 6 / 10 ]
September 2011
$40
This is a very nice RV park close to many activities in the Black Hills. We stayed "off-season" and none of the typical amenities were available. We feel that the price was too high given that the pool, hot tub and game room were closed, and the pancake breakfast was over the for the season. We also paid $6 more per night than the off-season rate and feel there should not be an additional per person rate when there are no "extras" available. We would have no problem with the rate if everything had been open and available. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
Review Rating
[ 8 / 10 ]
[ 8 / 10 ]
September 2011
$38
The campground was nice and clean, well maintained. The advertised Pancake breakfast was closed for the season, as was the pool and one of the bathhouses. When I called for directions, the person I talked to was terrible at giving directions - he had no idea how far on each road to go. They advertise 5 miles from Crazy Horse and 8 from Mt. Rushmore - add 2 miles to each. One good thing was they had rental cars available, which I took advantage of to avoid the cold weather on a motorcycle. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 8 / 10 ]
[ 8 / 10 ]
September 2011
$39
Very nice park with large sites and lots of open space. Only about 7 miles to Mt Rushmore. Very big rig friendly in a beautiful setting. Many sites are not quite level, so -1. (The leveling system on our 45' coach was unable to get us completely level.) Sites and most roads are gravel, so another -1. But overall a great park. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 9 / 10 ]
[ 9 / 10 ]
September 2011
$51
This is our second visit to this RV park, and we would go again. It is a great park with lots of trees, grass and open areas. Plenty of room between sites, and easy to get into our pull through. Wi-Fi and cable TV were good. The dirt road down to the main camping area has a steep decline from the paved road, but if you take it slow, it is ok. Clean showers and restrooms. Good location for Mt. Rushmore and Custer State Park. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 9 / 10 ]
[ 9 / 10 ]
August 2011
$49
Love the area. Stayed here over the Sturgis Days for 9 days. Staff were always friendly. We met some nice people traveling through the area. We had site open for satellite. Not all sites have cable. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 8 / 10 ]
[ 8 / 10 ]
August 2011
$65
This is a fantastic park with easy access to all the Black Hills attractions. It may be a little on the pricey side, but well worth it. Wi-Fi was excellent and the setting was wonderful. Peaceful and quiet. The sites are spread out with plenty of room to move around. If you have children, there are plenty of activites to keep them entertained. I would stay here again. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 9 / 10 ]
[ 9 / 10 ]
August 2011
$40
We really enjoyed our three day stay! Site was in the far camp, (the Ranch) and was a very big site. Quiet both day and night, except for the pop-up that came in at 11:00 and didn't have a clue what they were doing. This felt like a USFS campground but with hook-ups. Lots of grass and pine trees. Had a solid AT&T cell signal. We will be back. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
Review Rating
[ 9 / 10 ]
[ 9 / 10 ]
August 2011
$53
We originally reserved a site in the ranch camp. We were assigned site 132 but after checking it out we decided we needed to switch. The site has an extremely long gravel pad that seemed to wind itself, narrowly, through several closely spaced pine trees. It looked difficult with a 30 foot travel trailer. The office was very nice about letting us move (although not sure why they assigned us that one to begin with as they seemed to understand it was a tricky site). We moved to the Island in site #245 which we loved. This campground is surprisingly spacious and had several campground areas to choose from with each one seeming like it's own little campground. The only drawback is that only 3 of the areas have bath buildings. The Island did not have one, but this turned out to be ok as we had full hookup and took advantage of that. However, others near us would drive or walk to the ranch camp to use the facilities there which takes a few minutes to walk to. Part of the line camp and base camp have sites with no shade, but have several pull-through sites which many bigger rigs seemed to enjoy. Plus, almost all sites are so spacious you would have to try to be close to your neighbor. We loved this campground. The pool area was great, the store was nice and we enjoyed the pancake breakfast. We are looking forward to going back again and would recommend it to anyone. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 9 / 10 ]
[ 9 / 10 ]
August 2011
$50
We have stayed here three times. This is a nice park with lots of open area. Wi-Fi worked sometimes but not well. The pool , office, and staff were all very nice. The sites were gravel and level in the area where we stayed. Some sites were severely sloped and not usable for a motorhome. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 7 / 10 ]
[ 7 / 10 ]
August 2011
$47
We had read many very positive reviews of this campground and I must say I was not disappointed at all in the grounds, etc (as other reviews have accurately described its virtues). Pricing however is a bit off. We paid 46.50 for Water/Electric (Sewer would have been more). My feeling is that it's about 10 bucks more than it should be for what it is. I suppose the value is there if you utilize the facilities heavily, but if you spend the whole day driving around the Black Hills and not much time at the park, then you might not feel that great about the pricing. Although a lovely park, we would not camp here again. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 9 / 10 ]
[ 9 / 10 ]
August 2011
$47
Rate reflects water/electric site only with an additional person. It is a beautiful facility with very large sites. We were there right before the Sturgis Rally and it was very quiet. Bathrooms/showers were very nice and clean. Laundry facilities were excellent. The staff was friendly. The pool is large. We camped here in a Tent Trailer.
Review Rating
[ 8 / 10 ]
[ 8 / 10 ]
August 2011
$48
Nice CG with 5 camping areas. We camped in the Island area. Wi-Fi is marginal in some sites. Staff is friendly. Great access to the hills and Mount Rushmore. View is outstanding. As others mentioned, campfires out by 11pm. Camp store is well stocked. Pool area is clean. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
Review Rating
[ 9 / 10 ]
[ 9 / 10 ]
July 2011
$54
The park was a little hard to find when coming in from the south. Signs are at the north entrance. Entrance roads have water drainage dips that need to be navigated slowly to prevent too much upset in your RV. First obvious aspect of the park is it has a lot of space, measured in acres of open area. Plenty of grass and trees. Plenty of space to walk your dog. Great swimming pool. Nice laundry facility and restrooms, both maintained well. Access to restrooms are good for some and poor for others due to spread out locations. This park is the place to stay if price is excluded, as it was the most expensive park we visited this year. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 8 / 10 ]
[ 8 / 10 ]
July 2011
$59
Beautiful park! Aside from being greeted by a large hailstorm, this place did not disappoint. Unfortunately our pull through lot was not really a pull through (too many trees around) but once that was settled, there were no further problems. Spectacular views, pancake breakfasts, gas and propane on site. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
Review Rating
[ 10 / 10 ]
[ 10 / 10 ]
July 2011
$50
We stayed here 19 years ago and it is still a great campground worth the extra money that you might pay to stay here. It has full services, including cable, and is a beautiful RV Park. It is close to everything you might want to see in the Black Hills. We will go back here; hopefully it is not another 19 years before we make it back. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
Review Rating
[ 8 / 10 ]
[ 8 / 10 ]
July 2011
$52
Park is conveniently located to all of the "tourist" attractions of this area of South Dakota. However, there is so much to do at the park that you may not want to leave! There is a nice pool and playground area for kids. There are also basketball courts and beach volleyball courts available. A pancake breakfast is available every morning for a small fee. Campground is very large, with plenty of open space. Lots of shady spots available! We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
Review Rating
[ 7 / 10 ]
[ 7 / 10 ]
July 2011
$50
This was our first stay here and after hearing glowing reviews from friends and on this site we have to admit we came away with mixed feelings. Great central location and beautiful scenery all around. We were in Base Camp and had a roomy pull through with nice shade trees. However, the pad was quite unlevel and it took two leveling blocks to get situated. Facilities were nice and the kids spent a lot of time at the pool and playground. We enjoyed the morning pancake breakfast. What was not so great was the Wi-Fi was completely unusable and never worked our entire stay. We also found their campfire policy of 11pm curfew to be ridiculous. After a long day of sightseeing, by the time you get back, make dinner, etc 11pm comes quickly. Sure enough at 11:05 the campfire police arrived and made us and everyone around put out their fires. What possible harm is done by sitting around a campfire? This was a topic of discussion among several of the other campers around us and all agreed it would seriously make us reconsider coming back. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
Review Rating
[ 9 / 10 ]
[ 9 / 10 ]
July 2011
$51
Great park central location and large sites. Very friendly staff. Conveniently located to all major attractions. Would return here if in the area. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 8 / 10 ]
[ 8 / 10 ]
July 2011
$50
Park is beautiful and well maintained with many sites shaded by tall pine trees. Open fields and mountain views. Nice pool. Sites are long and most are well separated. No cable except in one of the 5 areas of the park. WiFi is almost unusable, even at the office. Staff was unconcerned about poor WiFi, shrugging off that it might be unusable. Could not get satellite reception due to trees. Pancake breakfast is nice. Steak dinner twice/week a nice idea but quality of steaks varied from good to undercooked and inedible. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
Review Rating
[ 9 / 10 ]
[ 9 / 10 ]
July 2011
$52
We love this RV park for a variety of reasons - large RV sites, beautiful open spaces, PERFECT location for many of Mt Rushmore's area activities, and a friendly staff. Only negative we have experienced is the small and cramped laundry room. We would definitely stay here again, and will recommend it to our RVing friends. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
Review Rating
[ 9 / 10 ]
[ 9 / 10 ]
June 2011
$48
Great park, with excellent access to Mt. Rushmore. The KOA was a little closer to Rushmore, but we looked and this place had much more private, shaded spots. It's a beautiful location, with lots of pine trees and a nice large meadow. The site was way out of level, but I'm willing to spend time leveling for nice scenery. I'm going to give one word of caution though, there is at least one area that is very tight for larger rigs. The site we originally got was along a very narrow access road with pines trees very close together and in the way. I tried unsuccessfully, even with the nice neighbor's help, to get into the site and it just wasn't going to work. Its the first time I have ever had to give up and ask for another site. They were very nice about it though and the next site was a breeze to back into. They have access for even the largest rigs, you just have to stay out of that one section. We would definitely stay here again. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
Review Rating
[ 10 / 10 ]
[ 10 / 10 ]
June 2011
$44
My wife and I both thought it was one of the best campgrounds we have ever stayed in. It was great for the kids with the large swimming pool and brand new playground equipment. Lots of room at this campground. The only negative we found was a lack of bathroom facilities in all the campground sections and because the place is so big it can be quite a hike to the nearest bathroom. I thought if nothing else they would have at least has a portable toilet in the sections without a bathroom but they do not. Staff was helpful with helping us find a new site after one night not being near a bathroom. I would be careful to check the campground map when reserving. Even with that said, this was a wonderful place and the kids loved it. Won't even look at other options if we were to return to this area again. We camped here in a Tent Trailer.
Review Rating
[ 9 / 10 ]
[ 9 / 10 ]
June 2011
$50
Depending upon where you are located in the park it can be excellent or 'not so excellent'. If you have a longer rig (45') stay away from the Base Camp area. They do honor site locations and I would recommend reservations well in advance for specific sites. This is a very well run campground and it shows. Extremely close to Mt Rushmore and Crazy Horse National Monuments. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 9 / 10 ]
[ 9 / 10 ]
June 2011
$45
Very close to Mt Rushmore, & nearby Hill City is very cute! Large, level, gravel sites, some with trees. You can pick & reserve a spot ahead of time. Picnic table & fire ring. Clean showers & restrooms. Large laundry area with commercial dryers so fast drying times. Pet friendly. Clean pool & hot tub. Pancake breakfast is $2, but once you add on drinks, bacon, etc., it gets pricey. Beautiful area; would definitely stay there again! Rental cars available, too. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 8 / 10 ]
[ 8 / 10 ]
June 2011
$48
I would rate this park higher, but they aren't bashful on their price/and it reflects the discount! I think it's a little over-rated for the price, but consider where you are: busy tourist area. When we got here they put us in an area that we just didn't like because of the pines rubbing on our 5th wheel. We went back in the office and they gladly gave us another choice. We went down across a field from the office and we were so happy! Great for the dogs and walking. The view is really nice and can see back up to the office/pool area (big and well kept) and across the field. You have a 'out in the woods' feeling but with conveniences. The Wi-Fi worked great, no cable TV, antenna pulled in just so many stations, but OK. A added bonus, is they serve pancakes every morning hot off the griddle for an extra $2.50. Plus you can have bacon or sausage with them or even pick biscuits-n-gravy. We have a couple dogs, so the open green field in front was great for their running for a little extra exercise. Sites were pretty level in our tier, and spaced fairly nice apart for privacy. Very convenient to area attractions, just out the driveway and up the hill to Mount Rushmore, or a few miles back to Hill City or a few miles to Custer and Crazy Horse. Would probably stay here again. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
Review Rating
[ 10 / 10 ]
[ 10 / 10 ]
June 2011
$42
This place is unbelievable! We stayed in the island setting and had an easy back in. There were a couple sites that might have been a little challenge, but doable. We watched five deer out in the meadow. Our site was nice and level and we had good shade. Call ahead for reservations; it is a popular place. We will definitely stay there again. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
Review Rating
[ 9 / 10 ]
[ 9 / 10 ]
June 2011
$45
Very nice, big open meadow in center of campground close to walking/biking trails. My only complaint is the Wi-Fi only worked the first day of our three day stay. Would stay here again. A Good Sam Park. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 10 / 10 ]
[ 10 / 10 ]
June 2011
$48
Major "it" factor for this campground. Beautiful meadows, beautiful views everywhere. Enormous sites, with either shade or sun, in 5 different camping areas on the 167 acre site. Very kid and family friendly, without a lot of noise. Small camping store, pancake breakfast every morning (all you can eat, $2.50), just outside Hill City, SD. Bit on the expensive side, but well worth the money. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
Review Rating
[ 9 / 10 ]
[ 9 / 10 ]
May 2011
$48
One of the most beautiful parks we have ever stayed at. Great big sites with a lot of amenities. Very close to Mt. Rushmore and the surrounding areas. We will be back again! We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 9 / 10 ]
[ 9 / 10 ]
September 2010
$40
Check-in was really easy and very fast. The younger man here was very helpful and very pleasant. We asked for a site near the playground for our children and he gave us the closest site that was open. This campground is very large. The lawn could have used a mow and there were weeds growing up in the firepits in some of the sites near our site. The playground is the best feature of this campground, in our opinion. The kids played on it for hours. Very, very quiet place. We had paid for 2 nights and had to unexpectedly leave a day early late in our second day and were were refunded all but $10. The staff at this campground are exceptional, best we encountered in the Black Hills! I would stay here again. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 9 / 10 ]
[ 9 / 10 ]
September 2010
$36
Nice setting, with lots of shade. Good, central location. We camped here in a Tent Trailer.
Review Rating
[ 10 / 10 ]
[ 10 / 10 ]
September 2010
$35
This park is a solid 10! My absolutely favorite in three months of camping. Gorgeous mountain views all around. Two streams. Wide sites, easy access. Picnic tables and fire rings. Sites are dirt/gravel but there is plenty of grass around the sites. Clean bathrooms, showers and laundry rooms. Washers are a little pricy but the dryers are big and efficient. Pool and hot tub. Very helpful personnel. Store and gift shop. Gameroom with pool table. Very good upkeep on the grounds. Excellent playground for the kiddies. Bicycles for rent. Pancake breakfast during the summer season. Beautiful meadow with deer in the mornings. The Mickelson biking and hiking trail runs along the side of the park and you can hike right into the Black Hills National Forest from the park. Depending on what amenities you want, you can opt for open sites or sites nestled in the ponderosa pines on top of a hill. There are cabins, also. Wi-Fi and cable TV (limited selection of channels) were strong. Three miles from Hill City, which has a decent grocery store, restaurants, and a vintage train ride. It's a bit of a hike to the nearest Wal-Mart in Rapid City, though. Excellent base for sightseeing in the Black Hills. We were here for almost two weeks and I could have stayed for a month at least. Can't wait to come back next year! We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
Review Rating
[ 7 / 10 ]
[ 7 / 10 ]
August 2010
$35
This is a very nice park, with helpful staff, in a lovely mountain setting. The sites are large and more generously space, not so close together as in many RV parks. We liked almost everything about it, but were mildly disappointed in the WiFi performance at out site. The park is large and spread out and reception is inconsistent at some sites. A second slight frustration was that we were near the highway, and the sound from passing motorcycles during the motorcycle rally week was a little disturbing. We would gladly stay here again! We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 10 / 10 ]
[ 10 / 10 ]
August 2010
$46
Wow! Great place. We loved the open space and great location for Mt Rushmore and other attractions in the area. We had a beautiful view and found them to be friendly. Well kept, clean and plenty of amenities. Satellite worked great and 50 amp was stable. They had rules, but were flexible. Enjoyed the onsite breakfast in the morning. We would definitely stay here again. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 10 / 10 ]
[ 10 / 10 ]
August 2010
$45
This is a very interesting RV Park. It has some history as an actual ranch many years ago. The park is very large with acres of open space. The area we stayed in was very wooded and had very large sites, more like you would find in a state park. The pads in our area were gravel, but were well maintained and we had no problem leveling our unit. The facilities were wonderful, although we spent much of our time in Custer State park and the surrounding National Forest. They did have a good c-store. It is a little pricey but we would certainly return when visiting the area attractions. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
Review Rating
[ 7 / 10 ]
[ 7 / 10 ]
August 2010
$48
We left Rafter J with mixed feelings about the campground. Pros: nice spacing between sites, location, amenities. Cons: site was VERY unlevel, some were escorted to site, we were not, had to ask for a GS discount. We will go elsewhere our next visit to the Black Hills. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 8 / 10 ]
[ 8 / 10 ]
August 2010
$51
Had a beautiful site in the Island area with a view of a large meadow and several mountains. No shade on our site, but others in the Island have shade. Good SATV. No cable TV in the Island and no broadcast TV. Sites are well kept gravel. Our site was level, but some sites in the Island and Lower Ranch Camp will require leveling. Good 50 amps, water, sewer placement. Our site was spacious, others in Island area were closer together. Verizon cell and air card worked well. Some road noise. Beware: Line Camp area is on the road and noisy! Office staff is helpful. Excellent location for Black Hills attractions and "town" (Hill City). Would get a higher rating if all sites had cable TV (and paved sites and roads, I'm dreaming I know). Would return again. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 10 / 10 ]
[ 10 / 10 ]
July 2010
$50
This was the best park we stayed at on our 2 week vacation through Glacier/Yellowstone/The Black Hills, and then back to Seattle. Great spacious camping sites, with fireplaces, lots of grass and even a great big huge grassy field. They had a fun pancake breakfast each morning too: all you can eat. They also offered car rentals right on property which was an added bonus. We decided to rent a car rather than go in our RV to see the sites and it was great. The park fees were already paid for us, since they use a sticker program that is placed on the car, so we didn't have to pay park entrance fees. Very friendly, helpful and great folks here! Hope to come back again! We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 9 / 10 ]
[ 9 / 10 ]
July 2010
$47
Rafter J Campground is the best campground we have stayed at in the 3 years we have owned our trailer. We heard such good things and read good reviews that we decided we would stay here during our 8 days in South Dakota. We came here 2 weeks before Sturgis Bike Rally. This campground is very clean and kept that way the entire time. Everyone was very helpful and pleasant. Their store has most everything you may need during a short or long stay. The only reason I give this place a 9 instead of 10 is because they make it very clear that all bonfires must be put out by 11:00pm. They are very strict about this rule. I would like them to change this rule. Either make sure it is out before you leave or make sure you are quiet after dark. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
Review Rating
[ 8 / 10 ]
[ 8 / 10 ]
July 2010
$70
The Rafter J Bar remains as consistent as ever. This was our 5th stay here. It is getting a little pricey but the campground was full and they were turning people away so I guess they know what they are doing. The sites are spacious, especially for the Black HIlls. Close to Rushmore, Hill City, Custer, Crazy Horse, etc. Staff is quite friendly. Campground is clean, quiet, well maintained and feels like home away from home. They have added a breakfast tent that is very affordable and good food. Our kids wanted to eat there every morning. We camped here in a Tent Trailer.
Review Rating
[ 9 / 10 ]
[ 9 / 10 ]
July 2010
$43
We stayed 5 nights and used this as a base camp to visit the Black Hills: it was the best choice. The park is huge and sites are big. The bike trail goes right by, if we had know that we would have brought our bikes. Make reservations as people were turned away daily. We made ours several months in advance. Has a nice camp store with ice cream. The only downside was a huge noisy family reunion right next to us. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 8 / 10 ]
[ 8 / 10 ]
July 2010
$55
Overall a very nice well maintained campground. The only two concerns I had were: One, someone defecated in the pool and rather than shut it down for the night they scooped it out, vacuumed it and let people back in. Needless to say I did not let my kids go back in. The second was the downright lack of professionalism of the woman who is part owner. Would we stay here again? Probably because of location and roominess. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
Review Rating
[ 7 / 10 ]
[ 7 / 10 ]
July 2010
$35
Nice park, with lots of amenities. Nice pool and hot tub. Large open spaces for kids to run around. Claim to have wireless but could not get it from our site. Nice, quiet place. Only complaint was poor directions/signage from the check in to my RV site. Would certainly come back. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 10 / 10 ]
[ 10 / 10 ]
July 2010
$50
Great campground. Has spacious sites in the shade; a nice open area for the dogs and breakfast was fantastic. I would stay here again. Our only negative comment was not on the campground, it was on the parents whose kids are running everywhere unsupervised on all roads leading to the pool area. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 10 / 10 ]
[ 10 / 10 ]
July 2010
$46
Great place to camp. We stayed in line camp. All kinds of space between campers. It was easy in and easy out with my 66 feet of toy hauler and tow vehicle. I found it very handy to be so close to all the attractions. I would certainly stay here again. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 10 / 10 ]
[ 10 / 10 ]
July 2010
$46
We stayed for 3 nights and absolutely loved this park. The setting is perfect, all I can say is: what a view! The property is very well maintained and the staff is great. There is a very nice store for all your needs, even just to get a gift. Every morning there was an all you can eat pancake breafast. Park is just minutes from Hill City and Mount Rushmore, Crazy Horse etc. We were even happier with our choice when we got a look at the campgrounds we passed on the way up to Rafter J. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 10 / 10 ]
[ 10 / 10 ]
July 2010
$48
Stayed here for 5 nights in space 70. Great working hookups. This is a very large campground with a lot of space between sites. This is one of the most beautiful campgrounds we have been to. Was well maintained. Had spoty TV reception as with the WiFi reception at our space. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 10 / 10 ]
[ 10 / 10 ]
July 2010
$46
We loved this campground and would definitely come back here again. The only other one in the area that we would consider, is the local KOA. Every other campground in the area that we saw was camping rigs parked side by side in what looked like a parking area with few trees. This campground has that feature as well, but with several different mini sites within the site, you shouldn't have to do that. We stayed in the "Island" in site 242. Any of the sites in the island area were great. Looooonnnng. I could probably pull three 32' 5ers in this and most of these sites. We didn't have too many problems with the WiFi, but some of our neighbors complained that they have not been able to get on at all. As a matter of fact, I'm writing this review from our site right now. I am using a Macbook, so I don't know if that is the difference. Our connection has been good. Pool is clean, hot tub is clean, but in July, they have been pretty full the entire time. Sitting in a hot tub with 10 other people is not my cup of tea. They have a chuckwagon ride with a show and meal, but we did not do that, so no comment. Cabins are available as well and they look really nice. Beautiful scenery, well maintained, gas, propane, store, gift shop, arcade, laundry all on site. Great location to see all of the local sites. I can't say enough good things about this place!!! I hope you enjoy your stay as much as we did. I would really recommend staying at the island or Ranch Camp. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
Review Rating
[ 10 / 10 ]
[ 10 / 10 ]
June 2010
$51
First, this campground is centrally located. Custer State Park is just minutes away. Mt. Rushmore less than 20 minutes to the east. Crazy Horse 20 minutes to the SW. Wind Cave about 40 minutes to the South. Hill City to restock supplies or a restaurant meal is 10 minutes to the north. Kind of a touristy town but locals very friendly and helpful. This is the best campground we've been to. Staff friendly, helpful, and well-organized. Owner is readily available. Sites well kept as were all the facilities-pool, playground, bathrooms & showers, game room, etc. There is a multitude of sites so if you want shade, sun, or anything between they have it. Car rentals are available for the motorhome owners who don't want to have to hook/unhook to sightsee or if you're tow vehicle has trouble and needs repair. We stayed on two different sites because our plans changed last minute and we lengthened our stay. Since our original site was not available for the entire trip, they found us another one. A few caveats depending on your preferences. If you want privacy, most sites are not screened from the others around you. There's plenty of distances between sites but you're not screened. This is not a cheap place to stay. The prices are reasonable but nothing's free. We plan on going there again on our way out to Yellowstone in a few years. We camped here in a Tent Trailer.
Review Rating
[ 9 / 10 ]
[ 9 / 10 ]
June 2010
$48
Amazing campground. Could put in many, many more sites but they chose to keep the open outdoor feeling. Beautiful scenery with wildlife wandering through camp. Although it rained the entire three days we were here, the stay was fantastic and we will return. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 9 / 10 ]
[ 9 / 10 ]
June 2010
$45
This is a wonderful campground. The restrooms and showers were very clean. Bring cash as they do not allow you to have a running tab for items such as ice, firewood, and such. It is cash only for these items. The location is wonderfully central to all of the attractions in the Black Hills. We stayed in site 155 in the Ranch Camp. This should not be a site as it is moon shaped and difficult to get rig in and out. Also, it is right next to the bath house and we had people walking and riding their bikes through out campsite the whole week. We were really surprised by how rude fellow campers were and how little parents supervised their children. We would stay here again, but would request the Island, where there is no bathhouse with nice wide and long sites. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
Review Rating
[ 9 / 10 ]
[ 9 / 10 ]
June 2010
$53
Rafter J Bar lives up to their claim of being a resort that is clean, quiet, well-shaded and scenic. We stayed in the Ranch Camp section which included a mix of different campers. Lots of room for our rig and a nice view. Full hook-ups. Great facilities including the swimming pool but too cool for us to swim. Close to Mt. Rushmore and Custer State Park. We would stay here again. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 8 / 10 ]
[ 8 / 10 ]
June 2010
$48
They have 7 different campgrounds in this resort. We were in Base Camp which has full hook-ups including cable TV. Site was long and good for a big rig. Road was a little small for manuvering. Pool was nice; staff not too friendly. Views of the Black Hills were great. Pancake breakfast was good. Only real complaint was the rude campers who could not walk or ride their bikes around on the roads to get to the pool, office or playground, but had to walk and ride right through your site even when you were sitting out having dinner. The campground needs to add this to their campground rules or post signs in the office telling people who don't seem to know any better, not to cut through other people's sites. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 10 / 10 ]
[ 10 / 10 ]
June 2010
$47
We loved our visit here and stayed for 8 days. Beautiful wide open campground;our site had a wonderful view of mountains. Staff was very friendly and helpful. Pancake breakfast was great! We would definitely stay here again if we get a chance to do so. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 9 / 10 ]
[ 9 / 10 ]
June 2010
$52
We were in site 260, back in the trees. No cable TV in this area but it was so beautiful it was worth the 4 days without TV. We had trouble with our toad and the staff was more than helpful getting us set up. They even gathered round to push it into a place where it could be picked up by the tow truck. I think we scared it because it magically fixed itself at that point. Would love to stay here again. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 5 / 10 ]
[ 5 / 10 ]
June 2010
$48
Lots of room, but the different camps are pretty far apart, so you pretty much have to drive to the pool or to the store or to the pancake breakfast they have each morning. Good location to see everything in the Hills though without ever having to drive very far. Can only have campfires from 5pm-11pm & they diligently enforce it. So no late night around the fire. Would research other places in the area before staying again. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
Review Rating
[ 6 / 10 ]
[ 6 / 10 ]
June 2010
$48
This is a clean, well maintained park, with a long list of features. However, the focus of the owners is making money, not value. Everything is provided for advertising purposes, not for real use. For example Wi-Fi is advertised, but so over capacity it is totally unusable from 6:00 - 10:00 PM. From limited cable TV to minor things like the cheapest toilet paper that can be found, everything is focused on making money. In addition, be aware...if making a reservation for 4 days, they expect to be paid for 4 days no matter if you want to stay or not...and no refunds what-so-ever. If you try and pay for say 3 nights...the owner will hunt you down at your site and nearly demand payment on the spot. Typically when paying in this price range we expect paved sites, restrooms closer than a 1/4 mile hike and a staff interested in service; none of this will be found here. There are at least 1000 nice campsites in the Hill City/Custer area, do yourself a favor and choose somewhere else. The rating of 6 is based on value, not what is advertised. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
Review Rating
[ 8 / 10 ]
[ 8 / 10 ]
May 2010
$50
Big spacious park. Had a great time here and the location is great. Make sure and check out Custer State Park and the Needles highway, not to mention Mt. Rushmore. The park has everything you need and I've never seen such a big spread. Would stay here again. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 10 / 10 ]
[ 10 / 10 ]
May 2010
$45
LOVE this campground. Pituresque location, large sites, GREAT location right in the heart of the Black Hills. No highway noise despite being close to the main drag. Great playground, pool, and is on the George Mickelson bike trail. This was our second stay at this campground, would highly recommend it and will stay again! By far the best we saw in the area! We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 9 / 10 ]
[ 9 / 10 ]
May 2010
$36
Friendly and helpful staff. Be sure to get directions to the park. Many choices for type of site. Wi-fi available but slow at times. Verizon air card worked well. Cable is only available in certain areas. Pretty setting. Would stay here again if in the area. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 7 / 10 ]
[ 7 / 10 ]
May 2010
$48
We were in site # 218 in Base Camp. Our site was a 50 amp pull through and had a picnic table with fire ring/grill combo. Base of site was gravel and had grass between sites. Our site was unlevel; first time on this trip we needed to get out our step stool. Wi-Fi is offered, but don't ever count on it. It is very spotty, we ended up using our Mi-Fi as well to check messages on. There is basic cable in Base Camp of 13 channels. The day we checked in we used the hot tub, and the temperature was fine, but the jets weren't very powerful. On the last day we wanted to go into the hot tub but the temperature of the water was not in the optimum range for use. The pool area was very clean and the playground was brand new. Park has its own set of gas pumps so no need to leave. Cell service was good for Verizon, but no service for AT&T. Park offers a pancake breakfast each morning for $2.00 with anything extra costing more. Park rents bikes and cars for sightseeing. They also have chuck wagon dinners and rides in the summer. They have a store that has food and gift items. Laundry was $2/wash and $1/dry. Clubhouse area with pool table and video games available. Custer is about 11 miles away and Hill City is about 4 miles away. The only real problem I had with this park was the driveways into and out of each area were on uphill or downhill grades. Makes it difficult to see people or cars coming, and if you have to wait for them to pass you end up spinning out in the gravel road. Other than that we would come back to stay again. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 9 / 10 ]
[ 9 / 10 ]
May 2010
$40
This is a beautiful, relaxing campground. We checked in with no reservation and stayed 3 nights. The third night was an add-on and we had to move to another location, but not a big deal. We stayed in Base Camp so we could have cable TV (the only area that does). It is so wide open and roomy here! There are about 6 or 7 areas of sites from which to choose. There are big open fields that I hear fill with deer, but during our stay we saw not one! Staff was friendly and this place has all the amenities you will need. It is also about 3 miles to town and about in the center of all sights in the Black Hills. Highly recommend. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 9 / 10 ]
[ 9 / 10 ]
May 2010
$38
We did not really get to enjoy this campground as it was very cold and raining while we were staying here. We stayed in The Base Camp and would not advise staying in that one as the access to the sites is very small and tight to get in and out of, but it is very close to the office, pool, and playground. We did go around the whole campground (which is huge) and found some very nice sites up in the Lower Ranch Camp and The Island Camp. The Line Camp also had some nice sites, but I would try the other two first. There were deer all over there. During our 2 day stay we must have seen over 50 deer. They do have a nice heated pool and hot tub, but they were not open when we were there because it was too cold. I wish that the weather would have been nicer when we were there as this is a nice campground to be able to explore. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
Review Rating
[ 8 / 10 ]
[ 8 / 10 ]
May 2010
$40
This is truly a RV park within a resort with many nice amenities. The only things that kept it from a "10" rating is (1) the section where they were putting RV's had no restroom and the nearest one was about a 2 block walk across a road, and (2) the grass was so covered in animal waste that did not eat outside or let our grandson play on it. From looking around, I would recommend the KOA located on the entrance road to Mt. Rushmore. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
Review Rating
[ 10 / 10 ]
[ 10 / 10 ]
September 2009
$35
Wow...we entered under the arch to an unbelievably beautiful ranch park. Jaw dropping! Our stay was wonderful. Staff worked with us to satisfy our desires in a better parking spot. Friends stayed up in a cabin. It was so fun to go back and forth for dinners and campfires. We loved it here...the best park we have every stayed in. Just wish we had spent more than 4 nights to see more of the whole area. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
Review Rating
[ 9 / 10 ]
[ 9 / 10 ]
September 2009
$39
This is a very big park with 6 different campgrounds: we stayed in the lower ranch camp. The spaces are about average width but we were still in our space after we opened the slide-out. Wi-Fi worked from our trailer. We did not use their showers, but we checked them out and they were clean: I would use them if I needed to without hesitation. The entire park was immaculate and the staff was friendly and helpful. We would stay here again. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
Review Rating
[ 10 / 10 ]
[ 10 / 10 ]
September 2009
$35
This is really a great campground. Set around a large meadow with hills as a great background. Deer feed in the meadow in the evenings and can easy be seen from most sites. You can hear the coyotes at night, too. All the facilities are top notch, and the sites are fairly large. There are only two bath houses which makes a drive or a walk necessary from some camp sites if you want to use them, but they are very nice and well maintained, as is the laundry. What we didn't read in other comments is there is one of the finest bike paths in the US just at the gate of the campground. This is the George Mickelson Trail from which you can ride 109 miles from start to finish! We opted to ride from one of the trail heads near Hill City, but we will ride more when we return. We highly recommend this campground. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 10 / 10 ]
[ 10 / 10 ]
September 2009
$36
This is a model of what a good RV campground should look like. Plenty of space, fire rings, grass, level sites, tables, friendly staff, and very convenient to Mt. Rushmore and Crazy Horse. Staff couldn't have been nicer. I needed some air in my tires and they wheeled out a compressor: no charge. Cable TV is only available in the Base Camp area. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
Review Rating
[ 9 / 10 ]
[ 9 / 10 ]
September 2009
$35
We chose this one because of all the good reviews and weren't disappointed. It is a beautiful park with good sized sites and lots of open grassy areas. There are plenty of dog walking trails close-by. We did have some problems with the Wifi even though we were in the Base Camp area, but the staff were very helpful and reset the modem which cleared the problem somewhat. There are a lot of campgrounds in this area, but we would have no hesitation in coming back to this one which is close to Mt Rushmore and Custer State Park. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
Review Rating
[ 10 / 10 ]
[ 10 / 10 ]
September 2009
$69
I am so glad we stayed here. Looking around at the other campgrounds, the space between campsites is considerable. I found the site pretty level, well maintained, and with an excellent view. It was so calming staying here. No hustle and bustle, no feeling like you had to keep the kids quiet, and everyone was friendly. My only complaints are that you will need to bring an extra sewer line and a coupler. Also the Wi-Fi is very slow, but it works. They have minivans on site you can rent. Important to those of us with small tow vehicles wanting more room for a longer trip to Devil's Tower or such. Highly recommend this RV park. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 8 / 10 ]
[ 8 / 10 ]
September 2009
$38
A beautiful Park. We stayed in the lower base camp. Had to level one side of the fifth wheel. Plenty of room between rigs. As stated in the previous review the Wi-Fi needs help. Cable TV was limited. The main advantage to this RV park is that it is about 9 miles from Mt. Rushmore and very convenient for the night lighting and ceremonies at the Monument. You must see this if you have not. After dark you don't have to drive a great distance and chances of encountering wildlife on the road are lessened. Fee quoted was less than during peak season as it just changed as of the day we were there. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
Review Rating
[ 5 / 10 ]
[ 5 / 10 ]
September 2009
$43
Terrific setting: meadow, trees, mountains, and a great location for the Black Hills. But management doesn't seem to know much about RVs, especially big rigs. Many very tight (90 degrees, one turn to/from main exit road more like 120 degrees). Then they have added posts and huge rocks to make it even harder to drive: guess they don't know that coach with attached toad can't back up. Their rules say don't drive on grass (actually just weeds) but this can't be avoided due to tight turns, narrow roads, narrow gravel pads, etc. Wi-Fi is seriously deficient: very slow when it works, but also poorly configured. It is easy to get totally locked out: had to get office helper to unplug the entire camp's Wi-Fi router so I could get back online. It requires frequent re-log-ins and upon connection displays the title of a different campground! They also have two of their Wi-Fi access points on adjacent channels (5 and 6) which should never be done as it messes up both. The camp's grounds have unrealized potential, degraded by silly things. The official swimming pool parking lot is next to pool, but there's no gate except on the other side of the pool! The pancake breakfast gets expensive fast. The only place to dump trash is hundreds of yards from the big rig area. If only the camp operators would try to do what their customers must do, they'd probably realize how annoying some of it is. I'd go back, knowing the frustrations, but still shaking my head. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 8 / 10 ]
[ 8 / 10 ]
August 2009
$45
We stayed at this park for a week. We were very pleased with the location and the grounds! The facilities were very nice, and they seemed to have everything we needed. I did not give it a higher rating because they told us we would have WI-FI in the base camp. The WI-FI was awful!! We could not keep our signal even though we had an antenna extender. Fortunately Cable and WI-FI were included in our rate. I would suggest that the office NOT guarantee WI-FI service in the base camp if it does not work efficiently. I believe there were too many users, and the system was overloaded. Other than that we had no problems and would stay here again. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 8 / 10 ]
[ 8 / 10 ]
August 2009
$45
We camped here during the Sturgis Bike Rally. Even though there were motorcycles absolutely everywhere within a hundred miles, the campground was relatively quiet. Sites are well spaced, gravel lots with trees around most. All sites surround a large green meadow. Staff was friendly and helpful even during this hectic time. Close to just about everything in the Black Hills area. We saw several RV parks in the area and Rafter J Bar Ranch seemed to be one of the best. Might have gotten a ten if they had concrete sites, or if the sight was slightly more level. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
Review Rating
[ 8 / 10 ]
[ 8 / 10 ]
August 2009
$45
This a nice, beautiful park with very clean facilities. The staff was not overly helpful or friendly. I asked for a nice shady spot and cable TV, and was put next to the large open meadow with no shade whatsoever. We should have asked to be moved, but chose to stay anyway. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 9 / 10 ]
[ 9 / 10 ]
August 2009
$48
The park was well maintained, very open and expansive. The park staff was helpful. Most of the sites were reasonably level gravel. The sites are large with a nice view of the Black Hills. Everything is far enough from the roads that only occasional noise is heard. This is a good campground for families, groups, or RVing older couples as they have appropriate spaces for everybody. There is plenty of room to walk dogs or have kids play and ride bikes. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 9 / 10 ]
[ 9 / 10 ]
August 2009
$49
A huge RV park. We stayed in the Base Camp. A fairly busy area, but well kept and we had a very roomy site, #217. Everything is a bit of a hike from the other areas, but nothing wrong with that. We did not use the showers or restrooms as they are near the main building. Pool was great, office was helpful when asked and the store is a bit expensive which is not surprising. We enjoyed our stay and would stay again. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
Review Rating
[ 9 / 10 ]
[ 9 / 10 ]
July 2009
$53
Very nice campground to stay at. The store was well stocked. This place is huge with several different camping areas. This place is very busy with a lot of campers. Staff was friendly and the place well kept. They served a pancake breakfast ($4), but we did not attend. It's close to Rushmore and the surrounding attractions. Pool was nice for the kids and adults. We had a great time here and would return. Only reason not a 10: the kids running the front desk need better training or an adult on site. They thought I did not pay (which I did), for a second night (when I did) and gave me some grief about it. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
Review Rating
[ 10 / 10 ]
[ 10 / 10 ]
July 2009
$30
This campground was better than expected. Plenty of room between sites, beautiful scenery (off major roadway), very clean bath house and the pool was great! Close to all Black Hills attractions. Would definitely stay here again. We tent camped here for 6 nights. We camped here in a Tent.
Review Rating
[ 9 / 10 ]
[ 9 / 10 ]
July 2009
$50
We stayed here for three nights on our way out to Yellowstone. It was a beautiful resort. The sites were huge along with the whole facility. There was tons of space of the kids to run around and play. Waking up, stepping outside the trailer, breathing the mountain air and viewing the Black Hills: it was a beautiful thing. We did get hit by a couple of severe hail storms two of the nights we were here. The staff was very helpful and extremely diligent as far as getting the Wi-Fi back up and running after the storm. We highly recommend this place. I wish this were closer to our residence (Napeville, Il). If we ever get out West again, we will definitely stay here. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 10 / 10 ]
[ 10 / 10 ]
July 2009
$43
This is an excellent campground. It is a very large property with fabulous views which include Harney Peak. It also a nice large meadow in the middle that is well maintained which is great for frisbee, catch or stargazing at night. We camped with a large popup #150 in the Lower Ranch Area. It was a walk up a hill to get to Restrooms and Showers, but it mattered little for us since we have facilities in our popup. Regardless, they were immaculate. The Wi-Fi was slow, but typical in our experience for campgrounds not located near urban or suburban areas. The pancake breakfast was both cheap and delicious. I highly recommend the campground and we plan to make another trip out to it and the Black Hills in the future. We camped here in a Tent Trailer.
Review Rating
[ 10 / 10 ]
[ 10 / 10 ]
July 2009
$46
Great campground! Very large and divided into different camping areas. We stayed in the Island area which was perfect. In fact, we decided we had the best site (no. 247) in the entire campground. The sites are some of the largest we have ever seen in a campground and level. The Island area is not close to the office, pool, bathhouse, or laundry and does not have cable TV. Just need to be aware if you have those needs. They have a pancake breakfast every morning which is cheap and delicious. The rate may be high but we thought it was well worth the extra bucks. The campground is conveniently located to many area attractions including Custer State Park and Mt. Rushmore. We stayed here 5 nights and would stay longer if we were not headed elsewhere. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 7 / 10 ]
[ 7 / 10 ]
July 2009
$58
This is a nice park with lots of trees and different areas in which to camp. However our reservations were messed up upon arrival. We requested 50 amp site with cable TV: were assigned a 30 amp site with no cable TV hookup. Were it not for the mess up, we would have rated higher. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 9 / 10 ]
[ 9 / 10 ]
July 2009
$45
This is a beautiful campground in the beautiful Black Hills. Some of the hills to get here are steep, so be prepared because you are staying in the mountains of SD. We camped here for six nights in the Lower Ranch Camp at the end site #190. We were backed into the farthest site of three that were somewhat close together. The site was long and the two nearby were staggered, but the drawback was that our view was partially of the back of the rig next to us. At one point the smoke from our fire pit which was about 30 feet behind their rig was going into their camper and we had to put it out. Our site was quiet and very peaceful. The bathrooms were a hike up the small hill to the 'Ranch Camp.' They were clean and well kept. We camped here in a Travel Trailer so we didn't use them, but did check them out. We loved that the Lower Ranch Camp had great views of the meadow and was easy to walk over to the new playground and heated pool. The general store was wonderful and also had ice cream. There is also a gas pump on site that is fairly priced. The location is wonderful and close to Hill City, Mt. Rushmore & Custer State Park. Overall a wonderful place to stay for a week and a great family park. We would stay here again. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
Review Rating
[ 9 / 10 ]
[ 9 / 10 ]
July 2009
$45
A nice park within an hour of the Badlands and 20 minutes from Mount Rushmore. The park is divided into 5 sections. We spent 2 nights in Line camp, which has wide sites but no shade. The third night we moved to Base camp, which has some shade but narrow sites. The Line camp was better. The site were level and the roads were okay, mostly gravel with the expected dust clouds. The park could use some added bathrooms, it was a long walk to use them should you need to. Overall, a good stay, we would probably stay here again if we return to the area. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 9 / 10 ]
[ 9 / 10 ]
July 2009
$48
A beautiful campsite - one of the best we have stayed in. The location is just fantastic, waking up to that view every morning was wonderful. We booked at the last minute and had to move from the island to base camp so we experienced staying in 2 areas. Didn't get wifi in either though! The island consists of a small number of gravel sites, shade provided by ponderosa pines, ours was level with plenty of space between us and our neighbor. We were lucky enough to get an end site (237 I think) and one one side was just a huge, open grassy space, all neatly mowed. Great view, great location. The base camp is closer to the pool and playground but this seemed like an older area - our site wasn't that level. Would still stay here again though in any area of the campsite. Laundry spotlessly clean. The whole place looks to be well maintained. The only reason I didn't give it a 10 is that the office staff were not the most friendly or accommodating that we have come across. No local maps or info in the office either. Would love to stay here again! We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
Review Rating
[ 10 / 10 ]
[ 10 / 10 ]
July 2009
$44
This is a very good park, paved entrance road, gravel interior roads and sites. Many camp sites but spread around a large meadow and in the trees so it doesn't feel crowded. We were in the Base Camp full hook up area with a good Wi-Fi signal and limited cable TV although the sites are open enough that satellite TV was fine. Verizon air card also worked. Set back far from the highway so there is minimal road noise. Nice pool and play area for kids. We would stay here again. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 9 / 10 ]
[ 9 / 10 ]
July 2009
$48
This is a wonderful campground. We stayed here during their high season (4th of July) in a diesel pusher. We had no real problems. The location is beautiful. We we in the Line-Camp among the trees so we could not get WiFi or Satellite TV. However, the views were excellent. All you can eat pancakes for $2.50 in the mornings. You can also get bacon, sausage and biscuits with gravy. A well stocked camp store, although the prices were high. Friendly staff. Rules were not strictly enforced but the park was pretty quiet. By 9 PM everyone was in bed - lol. I took my computer to the store so I could log onto the free WiFi. It was extremely slow, nearly unusable. Still, I would be happy to stay here again. Nice pool, hot tub, bike rentals and friendly staff. It is close to all of the major attractions, including Mt. Rushmore only a couple miles away. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 9 / 10 ]
[ 9 / 10 ]
June 2009
$46
A beautiful park nestled in the woods. The kids loved the playground which was large and fairly new. We enjoyed the open space; enough to throw a frisbee. The Wi-Fi worked fine, and the location of the park is great. We went to the pancake breakfast and it was really good. The staff was really friendly and when my daughter asked the cashier if they found $3 she had lost (from the tooth fairy) the cashier GAVE her $3 to make her feel better! My only complaint(s) would be the lack of bathroom and shower facilities. This is a very large park, and does not have nearly enough facilities; nor were they clean. Also, the dumpsters were overflowing for days and there was nowhere to put our garbage. Even so, we still liked it. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 8 / 10 ]
[ 8 / 10 ]
June 2009
$43
Peaceful, clean and spacious. You could here a pin drop at night and the setting is very good. A very good base to explore the Black Hills. They had a nice hot tub for soak sore muscles from hiking and a very reasonably priced pancake breakfast in the mornings. We would camp here again. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 9 / 10 ]
[ 9 / 10 ]
June 2009
$40
This is a resort. They could easily add several hundered more sites, actually, one on either side of me, to this resort. The spaces are extremely long, level and wide. There is a large and I mean large meadow in the center of the resort. I've never stayed anywhere that had this much open space. The roads are gravel and the sites are gravel with lots of grass. Yea...not a lot of concrete. Even when it rained here, the was very little standing water. Final comment, this is the first campground we've ever stayed that the pictures on their web site didn't truly represent how beautiful this place is. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 10 / 10 ]
[ 10 / 10 ]
June 2009
$47
Nice park, Lots of room with views, would stay again. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
Review Rating
[ 10 / 10 ]
[ 10 / 10 ]
June 2009
$51
This park is much like a state park in that the spaces are large and there is a lot of open space, with the upgrades (pool, etc.) of a commercial park. The park is quiet and roomy. There is excellent dog walking areas available. The roads are paved, dirt, and gravel. The pads are gravel and level. Mule deer are abundant. I would stay here again. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 9 / 10 ]
[ 9 / 10 ]
June 2009
$46
Stayed in the Island section. Grounds were well maintained. Staff was friendly and helpful. Well stocked camp store. Restrooms were clean. I would recommend this campground. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
Review Rating
[ 8 / 10 ]
[ 8 / 10 ]
June 2009
$45
Nice facilities. Pretty location central to most everything in the Black Hills. We stayed in Base camp for the pull through and TV hookup. Drove around Ranch Camp but the road is a little rough and for smaller tents & trailers. Otherwise, well maintained. We'd probably choose the Main Camp on next visit as its close to the showers & laundry with full hookups and plenty of shade. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
Review Rating
[ 9 / 10 ]
[ 9 / 10 ]
June 2009
$45
This is our first stay at this campground since 2006 and the personal and staff was very friendly and helpful which is a big improvement over our last stay here. This is a large campground with many sections and each area has there own special appeal. We chose to stay at the base camp with a back in site with full hookups. Our site was gravel and very level and no leveling blocks were needed all sites have a picnic table and fire pit. The Cable TV was good and the Wi-Fi was very good at our site. There are three laundries in the campground and we used the one at the main camp and it was nice and adequate. This is your idea campground for the Black Hills area which includes Mt. Rushmore, Crazy Horse Monument, and Custer State Park. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
Review Rating
[ 9 / 10 ]
[ 9 / 10 ]
May 2009
$30
Had a wonderful 2 nights at the Rafter J Bar Ranch. The views are beautiful, and the location is perfect if you've come here to visit Rushmore, Custer & Crazy Horse. This park is located right in the middle of all of them. The owners were very helpful and when it froze overnight, they were there to tell all of us to turn off our water connections and early the next morning, when it was okay to turn them back on. I would highly recommend this park! We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 10 / 10 ]
[ 10 / 10 ]
May 2009
$43
Two paved entrances. Very spacious property. Beautiful setting. Very clean, well-kept. Very quiet. Pancake breakfast available. Gravel interior roads, as well as site. Site base not real wide, and slightly unlevel. Much room between sites. Good for satellite. Great location for Mt Rushmore, Crazy Horse, Custer State Park, and the 1880's Train. Stayed four nights. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 9 / 10 ]
[ 9 / 10 ]
May 2009
$44
A great campground, one of the nicest we saw in the Black Hills area. Well maintained grounds and facilities. Pancake breakfast available for a small fee. The Ranch Camp was the area we stayed in and would recommend that as it is close to bathrooms/laundry and more private/shaded sites. Good amount of room between sites. A beautiful location. Wi-Fi is only available near the office area. Would definitely return and stay again! We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
Review Rating
[ 9 / 10 ]
[ 9 / 10 ]
September 2008
$35
We knew this would be a nice campground when the entrance road ran beside a pasture that had horses and a pretty little creek running through it. This is a huge place with several different camping areas from rustic wooded tent camping to full hook ups with huge open grassy fields in between. The staff was courteous and check in was quick and easy. We chose the full hook up area which had gravel roads and sites. Our site was level, but some RVs had to use lots of leveling blocks. All sites had a table and fire pit, and some sites had trees. Cable TV was good but limited. Wi-Fi was weak but usable. Restrooms/showers were clean, but they need to add one closer to our area. The pool was not open, but it looked like a nice area. The George Mickelson Hike/Bike Trail was nearby. This place was very centrally located for seeing the sights around Mt Rushmore, and after checking out several other campgrounds in the area we are sure we made the right choice. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 9 / 10 ]
[ 9 / 10 ]
September 2008
$35
Very beautiful park, we loved the setting and the location. Stayed in the base camp area with full hookups and cable, wi-fi worked great. Great place for dogs. Quiet. Will stay here again We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
Review Rating
[ 8 / 10 ]
[ 8 / 10 ]
September 2008
$33
This is a huge park convenient to the Black Hills attractions. The park is in a beautiful setting, with deer all over the place in the early morning. Sites are huge, well maintained, and easy to access. The only negative comment I have is that the Wi-Fi was not reliable. I would stay here again if I was in the area. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 9 / 10 ]
[ 9 / 10 ]
September 2008
$37
Best location in the area for exploring the Black Hills. As other reviewers have mentioned, this is a very large RV park with 5 separate RV areas around a very large meadow. We stayed in the base camp area which is the only section with Cable TV. Pull-throughs were level, long and wide with stable power, some with shade. Wi-Fi was free. Very pet friendly. 3 miles to a nice market in Hill City. Looking at the other parks in the area this is by far the nicest RV park around. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
Review Rating
[ 9 / 10 ]
[ 9 / 10 ]
September 2008
$37
HUGE RV Park. We stayed in the base camp section close to the office. Nice staff, large pull thrus and a fabulous view in all directions. Super close to Mt Rushmore and Custer State Park. This is one of the most scenic parks we have ever stayed in. Good Wi-Fi which was free. A great place to bring your pets. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
Review Rating
[ 9 / 10 ]
[ 9 / 10 ]
August 2008
$43
We loved this campground. Spread out, nice amenities, lovely location and convenient to Crazy Horse and Mt Rushmore. Room for the biggest of RV's. Highly recommended. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 10 / 10 ]
[ 10 / 10 ]
July 2008
$46
This is happens to be our favorite campground in the U.S.! The Black Hills has become our favorite vacation destination for summer vacations and we have stayed at this campground twice now. Originally recommended to us by a friend we have found the campground to be a great destination for traveling with three young kids. The campground has a nice pool and hot tub and a variety of sites. I recommend the areas with the most trees, but the scenery is great everywhere. The location is excellent - only a few minutes from the main Black Hills attractions like Mount Rushmore, Crazy Horse, Needles Highway, etc., etc. Hill City is also a nice town with some good restaurants and a convenient place to get groceries, gas, etc. The shower facilities at Rafter J Bar are the cleanest of any campground we have stayed at, completely cleaned twice a day! The best part about the Black Hills is the cool nights and virtually no bugs or mosquitoes making it great for a pop-up or tent. We have always stayed in a camper, but may try the camping cabins in the future if we didn't want to pull a trailer all the way. It is a good facility in a very scenic location. We camped here in a Tent Trailer.
Review Rating
[ 7 / 10 ]
[ 7 / 10 ]
July 2008
$44
Just big but that's it. The Ranch area has lots of shade. We made reservation 9 months prior requested the Ranch area. When we got there, they moved us to the Pine area which closer to the highway and was noisy. The sites are on dirt and gravel and not too even. The 100+ mile Mickelson bike trail is right next to the campground but there is a $3 fee per day to use it. $44 is not cheap plus $3 for additional person. Except for the pool, I don't recall seeing the playground for the kids. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 8 / 10 ]
[ 8 / 10 ]
July 2008
$42
There is a wide variety of sites, from heavily wooded to lined up in a row in several different camping areas, something for all tastes in camping. We got bad advice from store staff for Mt Rushmore celebration and almost missed the fireworks. There is a nice heated pool & hot tub, and bike rentals. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
Review Rating
[ 9 / 10 ]
[ 9 / 10 ]
July 2008
$42
VERY NICE! This is the best campground we have stayed at! There were large level sites, BIG pines everywhere, and it was quiet. We even had deer walk through our campsite one night. Staff was friendly and pleasant. The location was great, close to all the attractions. We will stay here again in the future. Only reason I did not give a 10 is there were not enough pool chairs poolside. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
Review Rating
[ 9 / 10 ]
[ 9 / 10 ]
July 2008
$40
This is a huge facility that has earned its 5/5 diamond Woodall’s rating. The park was up to 279 sites when we were there (including some cabins), but it is spread over so much land it in no way feels crowded. Talk to management when you reserve about which of their 6 camping areas will be best for you. They are all separated by broad open meadows or trees and the sites are mostly nicely spaced and not at all cramped. It is a big family location that is in the center of the Black Hills attractions and the kids pretty well took over the pool while we were there. If you have a big-rig like we do, make sure you make it clear that you need a level site. We saw several rigs with one or more tires dangling quite a ways from ground. Your dumpster may also be a bit of a walk in some locations. If you get the site that is right for you and your unit, however, I’m sure you will be happy with this park. Good Sam discount available. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 9 / 10 ]
[ 9 / 10 ]
June 2008
$40
This is our favorite campground in this area. Visited 2 years ago and returned this year. We stayed in "The Island". Peaceful and quiet, close to attractions. No bathroom/shower facilities in "The Island". Closest was Ranch Camp, which was a short walk away. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 8 / 10 ]
[ 8 / 10 ]
June 2008
$40
Very nice place to stay when visiting the Mount Rushmore area. Extremely convenient to all the attractions. Sites are spacious and most areas have plenty of trees. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
Review Rating
[ 9 / 10 ]
[ 9 / 10 ]
June 2008
$42
Wow-what can I say-beautiful surroundings, clean campground, and spacious sites with large Ponderosa Pines in a number of the camping areas! This was one of the best parks we have ever camped in. We spent 8 days here and enjoyed every minute of it except for the nightly storms! Managers and workers were especially helpful in determining which camping area and site would best suit our needs and accommodate our rig! As someone else suggested, be sure and look at a map of the campground since there are several different camping areas ranging from wide-open pull thru RV sites with full hookups, shaded back-in RV sites with full hookups, back-in RV sites with water and electricity only and popup and tent sites. There are plenty of things in the area to see and do as well as in the campground. As several others have said, some of the sites are not very level due to the terrain the park is built on, and the WIFI signal is weak in some of the camping areas. Also, some areas do not have their own shower/restroom or washing facilities located within reasonable walking distance. Don't miss trying the pancake breakfast-it is great and very reasonably priced! The campground also has a store with groceries, ice cream shop and some RV supplies. We would have rated this a 10 had restroom/shower and laundry facilities been near each camping area. Nightly rate was for a 50 amp site with full hookups and Good Sam discount. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
Review Rating
[ 8 / 10 ]
[ 8 / 10 ]
June 2008
$43
This campground came highly recommended by many friends. Reading reviews I see comments about the sites not being level - ours was not level either, but it wasn't bad. We camped deep in the campground, in the woods. I'm glad we did, as we had hail both nights we were there. They had a great deal on an all-you-can eat pancake breakfast, and frankly it was a darn good deal, and very tasty too. I could never get my computer to recognize the WIFI, however I did pick it up on my iPhone, so maybe it was an issue with my computer. The staff was very friendly, and the proximity to Crazy Horse and Mt Rushmore were ideal. I would camp here again. I saw many other less expensive campgrounds near by, however they were all on busy roads. I never heard any traffic from the busy road it was just too far from our site. This is a huge campground, so I'd recommend looking up the campground map online to see what facilities you would prefer to be near. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 4 / 10 ]
[ 4 / 10 ]
June 2008
$43
We decided to stay hear because of of AAA.. Campground refuses to give AAA discount, even though they list AAA on their billboards (right next to Good Sams) and Website. You will pay for 50 amp service even if you only have or want 30amp. Cable TV and Wi-Fi only available in certain areas. Sites not very level. Pros- Pretty campground, spacious sites, centrally located to visit area. Wouldn't stay here again. Too many other campgrounds that are nice and far cheaper. Not worth the price for what is offered. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
Review Rating
[ 6 / 10 ]
[ 6 / 10 ]
September 2007
$40
Frankly, this campground was not as good as we had expected from the other reviews. Some of the sites are horribly unlevel. I'm not sure how to prevent this, because we were assigned one while the campground was half empty and we had especially asked for a very level site. They let us move, but what if the campground were full? Be sure to ask if you need to be near a bathroom, because some sections are way too far away to use bath houses. This was not a problem for us. THE ADVERTISED WIFI IS BASICALLY FALSE ADVERTISING. Do not count on wifi. I'm not talking about being close enough for a good signal, because we had one. I'm talking about the fact that their satellite wifi is much much worse than dialup. Even basic e-mail was unacceptable. We camped here in a Truck Camper.
Review Rating
[ 9 / 10 ]
[ 9 / 10 ]
August 2007
$41
This is a great campground. Large, shaded sites with a beautiful view of the surrounding hills. Very nice pool and camp store - be sure to try the homemade ice cream. I have yet to see a campground worthy of the $40+ price they charge, but this one comes closer than most. Conveniently located to the monuments, state parks, and caves. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
Review Rating
[ 9 / 10 ]
[ 9 / 10 ]
August 2007
$52
Huge and beautiful campground. Wide open meadows separating the different areas. We stayed here for 2 nights. The first night we were in site the lower ranch, we had to hike up the hill to get to the bathrooms in the rain, in the dark. There was no light, no path, and very muddy. The next morning we talked to the office about a refund for the second night because we just can't deal with that safety hazard unless they can assign us another site that is closer to the bathrooms. The manager arranged site #151 which is in the upper ranch area. Much better and closer to the bathrooms. This is the space to get if you do not have a huge rig. They only have bathrooms in 3 areas for this huge campground. They definitely should build more bathrooms around the campground. Fun to have the $2.00 all-you-can-eat pancake breakfast. Evening staff are high school kids and have attitudes. It was like a bother just to get ice-cream from them. Other than that, this is a great place to camp. Will come back if we can get site #151 again. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 10 / 10 ]
[ 10 / 10 ]
August 2007
$44
We moved here from the Rushmore/Hill City KOA, where we initially had a reservation, but opted not to stay. Beautiful surroundings, lovely views and open meadow, nice sites, very roomy - even in the main camping area where there is cable hookup. We stayed five days and wanted to have cable. The perimeter sites in the trees, were very nice, spacious and woodsy. We toured them on our bikes, and would have like it there, but no cable. Good location also, right off of the junction of HWY 16(385) and 244. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 7 / 10 ]
[ 7 / 10 ]
July 2007
$30
Loved the horses (site was across from the barn). Camp store was nice and had plenty of camping needs and souvenirs. Some staff were young, but nice even though they messed up my reservation and left a note for me to leave. Extremely steep roads and the dump site is on an incline that doesn't allow you to completely empty your tanks. Sites are spacious. Very close to major attractions, but there is a very steep hill to climb to get to the campground (something like 6% grade). We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
Review Rating
[ 10 / 10 ]
[ 10 / 10 ]
July 2007
$39
What else can I say, but this is a great campground. Very large spread out campground. They have the idea site for anyone. We camped in the full hook up sites on the east side of the office. The sites are very large and wide. The pool area, store and restrooms were very well maintained. A+ campground. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
Review Rating
[ 4 / 10 ]
[ 4 / 10 ]
July 2007
$43
We stayed in the line camp, and there was no grass. If it doesn't rain this is a nice park. BUT it did rain during our stay. We were surrounded by mud, couldn't help but track it inside. When we checked in the girl at the desk was rude and very quick to get rid of me. She didn't explain anything about the park, we didn't even know there was a pancake breakfast until the third day of our stay. I don't think we would come back We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 9 / 10 ]
[ 9 / 10 ]
July 2007
$42
The site we were in was very spacious. Getting in and out of the park was fairly easy except they had me turn around in a washed out gravel area. Park had plenty of amenities for all ages. Hook ups were at the back of our site with the sewer about 10 feet behind the rig. We were in the Base Camp which was primarily Big Rigs. This area did not have a restroom facility or showers. Very good location to Crazy Horse and Mount Rushmore memorials. They had a big horse field in the middle of the campground that they allowed our dogs to run in as long as there were no horses around. Decent playground for the kids. Pancake breakfast served daily that was very affordable. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
Review Rating
[ 9 / 10 ]
[ 9 / 10 ]
July 2007
$42
This campground is a bit pricey, but is the nicest in this area of the Black Hills. We stayed in the Ranch Camp, which is a distance from the office and pool (they have parking for those who drive to the pool). The entire Ranch Camp area is treed with pines, and is very shady. Our site was a water/30 amp back-in site, and was very spacious. There was enough room for our screen, then room on-site. Bathrooms were clean, and a there was a laundry facility in the bathhouse. The pool is large and there are no restrictions on kids in the hot tub (a mixed blessing, I guess). The location is ideal for a drive on the Needles Highway through Custer State Park, or to access Mt. Rushmore or the Crazy Horse memorial. Hill City is 3 miles away, with a number of restaurants and a decent grocery store. The Wi-Fi signal was very weak - I had to walk down to the area around the Lower Ranch Camp to pick up a signal and even then the connection was so V-E-R-Y slow as to be almost unusable. The only improvement I can think of would be to upgrade the Wi-Fi. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
Review Rating
[ 10 / 10 ]
[ 10 / 10 ]
July 2007
$43
We've been here before and continue to admire this place. Great amenities w/wifi, pool, full hookups & 50 amp service (needed to run both a/c during hot summer months). Also great access to Rushmore/Crazy Horse/Custer SP/Lead/Deadwood/Sturgis/Devils Tower and of course, Rapid City. We will stay again. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 8 / 10 ]
[ 8 / 10 ]
July 2007
$41
We stayed in Base Camp, which is the least scenic of the sections, but the closest to the office, pool, stable and pancake breakfast. We were also able to get a few cable stations and wifi. Our site was big enough for our motorhome, sleeping tent for the kids (need permission for that) and our screen room. Campground offers a nice pool, laundry, arcade, well stocked store, meadow which was great for playing ball, ice cream counter and on site gasoline. If you are looking for a perfectly landscaped and manicured campground, this is not for you. It is natural and wild. Roads can get pretty dusty. We have checked out the other campgrounds in this area, and this one is the best. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 9 / 10 ]
[ 9 / 10 ]
June 2007
$38
As others have said, it is the best campground in the area. We were in the Island section and had a very long site. It is all gravel and somewhat level. The staff was very friendly and helpful. The hot tub was very nice after a long day of site seeing. We would differently stay there again. The WIFI was iffy. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
Review Rating
[ 9 / 10 ]
[ 9 / 10 ]
June 2007
$38
This is a great park and we would certainly stop here again. From what we saw of other CG's, this is the best. My only complaint was the $3 per person extra charge for over two on a campsite. I don't believe our 12 year old grandsons consumed another $6 worth of services per day. A nice feature is the all you can eat $2 pancake breakfast. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
Review Rating
[ 10 / 10 ]
[ 10 / 10 ]
June 2007
$38
Very nice beautiful park. From what we saw it is probably the best park in that area.This park is just as nice as the pictures on its web site show it. This park should be your first choice in the Rapid City area!!! We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
Review Rating
[ 6 / 10 ]
[ 6 / 10 ]
June 2007
$38
Park is nice but staff is iffy. When we checked in the man at the office was not very friendly. We later asked to change spots and the man that helped me then was much nicer. I would have rated the park much higher if all the staff was customer focused. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 9 / 10 ]
[ 9 / 10 ]
May 2007
$31
Nice park and nice reception people at the desk. At night the entrances are easy to miss if you're not familiar with the area. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
Review Rating
[ 10 / 10 ]
[ 10 / 10 ]
May 2007
$33
This was a great CG and we hope to return soon. We only stayed 2 nights, but had we not been on a schedule, we would have stayed longer. The staff was very nice, the restrooms were some of the cleanest we have seen and their camp store was fantastic. We even had dinner there the first night (they sell pizza, ice cream, etc..) The sites were nicely spaced out with plenty of room. The WiFi worked really well where we were in the park. We purchased propane there and the price was very fair. They also have gas pumps on property, but no diesel. The pool was nice and they also had a rec room. We had zero issues. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
Review Rating
[ 9 / 10 ]
[ 9 / 10 ]
September 2006
$40
Great place to spend Labor Day Weekend. Wasn't completely full. Stayed in the Island - nice wooded spots. Would have given it a 10, it is a great park. But the water pressure was extremely low all weekend and we lost power twice (both for less than 5 minutes during a gentle rain). Even with those very minor problems, we'd stay here again anytime. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 10 / 10 ]
[ 10 / 10 ]
August 2006
$40
We had an excellent time in this campground. The staff was very polite and friendly (even the young summer help). The facilities were very clean. We stayed in the Lower Ranch section of the campground and were very pleased with the site - a little morning sun, then shade from roughly 10AM on. The sites are also spaced well apart (40'), giving some breathing room and privacy. The sites are closely surrounded by trees, which makes backing in take a little more time (no big deal). We would definitely stay here again. We camped here in a Tent Trailer.
Review Rating
[ 8 / 10 ]
[ 8 / 10 ]
August 2006
$42
Probably the nicest CG in the Black Hills (we checked out several while we were there). I would have given the place higher marks except: a) we booked a specific site, didn't get it, and the staff told us that they had given the site we requested away (Bull), and b) road noise was much more than we expected (we were in the Island section - noise might have been less in the Ranch camp section). We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
Review Rating
[ 10 / 10 ]
[ 10 / 10 ]
August 2006
$40
This was a great park. Lots of room, quiet...even with all the Sturgis people around. We were in space #81 in the tall timber. Bathroom/showers were close and very well taken care of. We rented a car from the office and visited Mt. Rushmore. Service was excellent...including after we left a cell phone behind. Staff not only found it, but mailed it back to us. We would definitely stay here again. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 10 / 10 ]
[ 10 / 10 ]
July 2006
$38
This is the best park I have ever stayed in. Sites are large and the park well kept. We were in the Island section of the park and had a feeling of privacy and enjoyed our stay. I would go back anytime I am in the area. I see why others have raved about this park. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 9 / 10 ]
[ 9 / 10 ]
July 2006
$39
We stayed in the Ranch section which offered shade and yet allowed nice breezes throughout the day. Maneuvering was a bit tight but not impossible. Showers and laundry were kept spotlessly clean and were within close range of our site. Rafter J is located right on some of the most interesting parts of the Mickelson Bike Trail. Staff was extremely courteous and pleasant. The $2 all-you-can-eat pancake breakfast, offered by a retired couple on the property each morning, was very convenient and a great way to start the day. We will definitely stay there again when in the Black Hills. It was centrally located to all that we wanted to see and do. The town of Hill City is also nicely maintained with several interesting shops and access to the Mickelson Bike Trail. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
Review Rating
[ 7 / 10 ]
[ 7 / 10 ]
July 2006
$42
Nice park but it seemed a bit expensive compared to other large RV parks. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
Review Rating
[ 10 / 10 ]
[ 10 / 10 ]
July 2006
$40
Loved this campground. It is quite, and the site are big and quite. We had a family reunion here and everyone in our party loved this campground. This is a kid friendly campground. They have horseback riding, large meadows for soccer games or tag football. The pool is heated and clean. It is only minutes from Mt. Rushmore, Custer State Park, Crazy Horse. Jewel Cave is about a 1/2 hour drive. Bear County is about a 1/2 hour drive, not far from Rapid City. We will definitely stay here again. Would recommend this park to anyone. We stayed in the Lower Ranch area and loved it! We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 10 / 10 ]
[ 10 / 10 ]
July 2006
$42
A great campground. We had no problem with staff whatsoever. Many were younger college/high school kids, but were very polite and helpful. Laundry rooms were excellent, pool was great too. We stayed in the island area for 5 nights. We will be back to this campground. They keep everything cut nicely, grounds were very clean, and the roads were well maintained. Would recommend to anyone. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
Review Rating
[ 3 / 10 ]
[ 3 / 10 ]
July 2006
$45
They have five campground areas. They are each about a quarter to half mile apart. They only have bathrooms in three of the the five areas. If it is important to have bathroom and shower access, you must make sure you confirm this at the start. The Ranch area is very tight. We used the bathrooms here and drove there in our dually truck. I could hardly get the truck in the camping area because the trees were so tight to the road. I am talking 10 inches on each side of the truck. I do not know how people even got a pop-up in the sites. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
Review Rating
[ 9 / 10 ]
[ 9 / 10 ]
June 2006
$36
Excellent! We will return. Don't miss the pancake breakfasts. This CG missed a "10 rating" only because the Wi-Fi via "Wild Blue Satellite" was slow. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 9 / 10 ]
[ 9 / 10 ]
June 2006
$43
Excellent park! The sites were large and very well kept. Plenty of room for the kids to ride their bikes. The bathrooms were very clean. The only negative was the WiFi was very weak and over capacity much of our stay. I would recommend the park to everyone. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
Review Rating
[ 10 / 10 ]
[ 10 / 10 ]
June 2006
$47
Nice park, we will stay here again if we are in the area. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
Review Rating
[ 9 / 10 ]
[ 9 / 10 ]
June 2006
$39
We really liked this campground and would return in the future. The store was very well stocked, the staff was friendly. We stayed in the back of the ranch section at site 136, which was ideal for us with a 30 foot travel trailer, 3 kids, and 2 dogs. It was a mostly shady, huge site that was easy to back into. Some of the sites near us looked to be small and very difficult to get into because of the trees and curvy road. This is a huge campground with lots of space between camping areas. There are no bathroom facilities in the island, base and lower ranch sections so be prepared to have to hike to the restroom. There is so much to see and do in the area and we recommend that everyone see the laser light show at Crazy Horse. The Proud to be an American song at the end is phenomenal. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
Review Rating
[ 7 / 10 ]
[ 7 / 10 ]
June 2006
$34
One of the best campground "layouts" we have been in. Lots of room for everyone to feel comfortable. Very helpful staff. A little expensive, but would not think twice to coming back. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 10 / 10 ]
[ 10 / 10 ]
June 2006
$27
This park is excellent for base camp in the Black Hills area. There are different area loops to stay in, we found that we like the Ranch Loop the best. There is a large pasture field in the middle of the different camping loops. There is a pancake breakfast every morning by the office. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 6 / 10 ]
[ 6 / 10 ]
May 2006
$39
We have camped at the Base Camp for the last 4 years and this year we were disappointed with our stay. The staff seemed to be rude this year and have an attitude. This is a nice camp ground and should be considered in your stay. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 9 / 10 ]
[ 9 / 10 ]
August 2005
$39
Interesting that there are a few low ratings for this place. It is almost impossible to get into, and has a cult following on a very popular RV forum, so the old saying that you "can't please everybody" seems to apply. We have stayed here for years and always been satisfied. It is unusual in that there are several different camping areas that are quite a distance for each other. I prefer the upper and lower ranch camps and the island. We have stayed at other places nearby, including the KOA. There is no comparison. The KOA is tight, overcrowded, and geared toward removing as much cash from your wallet as possible. Rafter J is a lot more spread out, far less crowded and doesn't have the carnival atmosphere. I look forward to returning. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
Review Rating
[ 10 / 10 ]
[ 10 / 10 ]
July 2005
$36
This was a great CG that was recommended by some friends of ours (a real 10 indeed!). We stayed in the Ranch Camp area that was perfect for tent trailers, a little far from the pool but not bad. Our spot was a shady site and afforded plenty of room and the bath/shower house was VERY CLEAN. The staff, very accommodating and helpful always took the time to put the guest first. With no cell service, I was unable to call home to report a safe arrival, the office let me use their phone for this purpose. The pool and hot tub were great and the store was well stocked. The only negative is if you need to use the phone bring a phone card. The pay phone was $7.00 (in change) for the first 3 min. to Chicago then the shirt off your back after that! (THIS IS NOT A NEGATIVE TO THE CAMPGROUND, just a rating of 1 for the telephone utility). I will definitely use this campground in the future as a base for enjoying the Black Hills. Be sure to see Crazy Horse, this was a great attraction and there is a Lakota flea market there to buy actual Native American items hand made on the reservation. We camped here in a Tent Trailer.
Review Rating
[ 8 / 10 ]
[ 8 / 10 ]
July 2005
$33
This is the nicest campground in the Black Hills. They have 5 different camps on the property, some are better than others, we were in the Line Camp - incredibly spacious and well shaded! Pool is fantastic, hot tub next to the pool. The staff keep the place very tidy. It's convenient to many places in the Black Hills. The only drawback seemed to be the attitude of the staff, which seemed to be "yeah, I'll help you because it's my job" most seemed to be college kids working there over summer break. I tend to think employee attitudes stem from the manager's. However, considering all the other benefits, I'd still stay here again. After checking out other campgrounds, this is the only place I'd stay in the Black Hills. We camped here in a Tent Trailer.
Review Rating
[ 9 / 10 ]
[ 9 / 10 ]
July 2005
$39
We loved this place. We stayed in the ranch camp, and had a great site with a nice view and some privacy! Decent showers and laundry. There are about 5 different areas to pick from. The camp area between the pool and stables was full sun but all the other areas appeared spacious and at least partial shade; nice pool and store. Lots of open space to walk, ride bikes etc. Would defineately return! We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
Review Rating
[ 10 / 10 ]
[ 10 / 10 ]
July 2005
$42
Rafter J is a very nice park. We camped on the Island section. The restroom and shower house were clean. The staff was friendly and helpful. The pool was heated and clean. The camp store is well stocked and clean. Lots of space between campsites. Quiet hours were respected. Campground located in the center of the Black Hills. Well worth the money spent. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
Review Rating
[ 9 / 10 ]
[ 9 / 10 ]
June 2005
$39
This was our first trip to this campground and it was fantastic. It was central to everything we wanted to see, including Crazy Horse Memorial, Mount Rushmore and Custer State Park. We stayed in the Ranch Camp section and found the sites very roomy and level. The campground in all was very clean, well looked after and had a lot of amenities for the whole family to enjoy. We would strongly recommend this campground to anyone and look forward to returning. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
Review Rating
[ 10 / 10 ]
[ 10 / 10 ]
June 2005
$37
We stayed here in June 2005 in the Island section. The campground was very nice with large sites and excellent staff. We were allowed to stay an additional day beyond what we had reserved without changing sites. The Island section is very nice with shade and a large area for the kids to play. The restrooms were very clean as well as the laundry facilities. This campground is conveniently located to numerous attractions in the Black Hills area to include Mount Rushmore and Crazy Horse. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
Review Rating
[ 9 / 10 ]
[ 9 / 10 ]
June 2005
$35
We loved this campground except for one thing, the sewer drain at our campsite was higher than our drain line, which created a little bit of a problem for us. The campground itself is very beautiful with lots of trees and spacious feeling throughout. The pool and rest rooms were clean as well as the laundry facilities, which we used a few times during our 4 night stay at the park. The staff could have been a little more friendly, but they weren't necessarily rude either--just not overly friendly. The park is a great base camp for Black Hills sight-seeing and is very quiet and peaceful. Highly reccommend! We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
Review Rating
[ 1 / 10 ]
[ 1 / 10 ]
May 2005
$33
We have stayed at this campground for the last three years and we were very disappointed this year in our stay. Not only were the facilities not as clean, the staff was extremely rude (especially the owner). They had a problem with the fact that we had more than 2 adults staying at the same site and made our stay very uncomfortable. We had convinced other people to stay with us at the campground that had stayed at the Rushmore Shadows. We felt so unwelcome here, I guess we will be camping at Rushmore Shadows next year! We camped here in a Tent Trailer.
Review Rating
[ 8 / 10 ]
[ 8 / 10 ]
August 2004
$37
This is a very large and spread out campground that calls itself a ranch and it could have
easily been one at one time. Actually, along with a great deal of things to do, there are also horses on the property that may be available for use by the guests. The park is divided into several sections, some heavily wooded and some just located along the woodline. In between, there are clearings, open pastures and fields. We stayed at the "Island" section which is a little removed from the main portion and provided quite a lot of quiet privacy. Staff are friendly and there are reportedly new owners this past year who are eager to please. The resort is very near many of the major attractions and we enjoyed our week-long stay here very much. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
Review Rating
[ 9 / 10 ]
[ 9 / 10 ]
September 2004
$36
We stayed at upper Ranch Camp. Lots of trees but still navigable, we even got the dish to work. One of the best in the Black Hills. There is a traffic signal on the highway near here, and on a still night it sounds like they are running heats at motocross every time the thing turns green. Otherwise a ten. We would come back. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
Review Rating
[ 1 / 10 ]
[ 1 / 10 ]
July 2004
$35
Simply put. The Rafter J staff was abrupt and rude. We will never camp there again. We camped here in a Tent Trailer.
Review Rating
[ 9 / 10 ]
[ 9 / 10 ]
2004
$32
We stayed here after labor day in 2004. We had a small travel trailer with full hookups
and everything worked very well. The park was excellent, the people friendly, the facilities were clean the one time my wife used them, however the shower stalls were a little cramped, much like our trailer. I asked if it was okay to set up a telescope in one of the meadows and had no problems. I really liked this campground and would go back whenever I am out that way. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
Review Rating
[ 10 / 10 ]
[ 10 / 10 ]
2004
$36
This was by far the nicest campground we have been to. It is wide open space and beautiful. There was nothing about this campground we didn't like. The sites were large and easy to access and the interior roads are very good. Contrary to other posts we found all of the employees (including the teenagers) to be very polite and helpful. The horse trail rides were great. We will return here, but I now know why a reservation is a must. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 10 / 10 ]
[ 10 / 10 ]
2004
$36
This is a large campground with 5 camping areas separated by meadows. We camped under the pines. The bathroom had white tile and white grout. Very clean. The pool was heated. They have horses and stables. We went on a horse back ride in the
forest. Granddaughters 7 and 8 and we who are early 70's. The whole experience was magic. The pool warm and clean. Also had a hot tub in pool area. Pleasant
employees. Located in a great area and close to what we wanted to see. If you want satillite cable you will have to ask for that area of the campground.
We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 3 / 10 ]
[ 3 / 10 ]
2004
$50
Rafter J is over priced for what you get. It is a beautiful campground, but as stated some sites are hard to get into, at least in the Ranch Camp where we stayed. They need to upgrade their bath houses, we had at least one broken toilet, shower, washer, or dryer everyday of our visit and usually there was no hot water in the morning for showering. One evening I told a park employee about a plugged toilet in the womens bath house, and he didn't have time, because he was just there to pick up some tools to fix another plugged sewer elsewhere in the park. Some camps don't have bath houses so people from other parts come to the other bathouses, which makes quite a bit of a line up in the morning for one toilet, which we had in the mens bathroom on two different days. They are in desperate need for some new plumbing and more shower houses. On another day they oiled the gravel roads, with out warning any of the campers first. The oil smelled nasty and caused several people in our two families to feel quite nauseated, and to say the least is stuck to my truck and anyone else's truck who had to drive through it to leave the campground. I spent $9 at the coin wash in town to try washing it off, which helped but not still did not remove the oil completly. After speaking with the manager, who lied to me and said it was their first time that they had oiled the roads, after numerous employees told my wife and sister in law that it's done every year, they weren't willing to do much for us or cover any of the cost of cleaning. I think Rafter is trying to impress Woodalls and Trailer Life, when they need to take care of the basics first. If I ever return to the Hills again, it certainly wouldn't be with Rafter J, go elsewhere. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
Review Rating
[ 5 / 10 ]
[ 5 / 10 ]
2004
$25
This park is very old. We ask for a gravel site and received one. Site has some gravel years ago, but not much. Park has been in service about 40 years now. Outlet missing at modem and could not find switch for lights in room. One outlet near by was the old two pin type and would not work. We spent two days in park and left, will not come back. Lot of very nice parks close by to stay in. Cabin side of park was very nice. Owners need to spend some money to update RV park. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 6 / 10 ]
[ 6 / 10 ]
2003
$35
It was a nice park with different camp areas. We booked the Island Camp and got the upper
ranch camp. This camp was private with large sites. We had a really nice site but some were hard to get in and out of because of the amount of trees. It was also extremely filthy as far as dirt was concerned. Everything was full of black dust without any effort. I do think that it was one of the nicer areas of the park though.
Aside from the Island Camp, I didn't like the rest of the park. The main and base camps were very crowded and out in the open. The pool was large and very nice. Their laundry facilities were mediocre. The staff, I agree with the other poster. They have youth that really yet need to aquire people skills. If you have a simple request, they act like you're dopey for asking, and their answers are very short with totally blank expressions on their faces. I tried to be friendly but it was a one-way street. Though it wasn't our favourite place, we would consider staying there again We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
Review Rating
[ 10 / 10 ]
[ 10 / 10 ]
2003
$35
Rafter J is the place to stay when visting the Black Hills. It was recommended to me, and
boy was everyone correct. This is the best place to stay. We are going to be returning to Black Hills in the Summer of 2004. Rafter J is where we will stay. Hint, make reservations to stay at this campground, the reason being is they are THAT good, and so they fill up fast. Another Plus to this campground is you are allowed a campfire. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
Review Rating
[ 10 / 10 ]
[ 10 / 10 ]
2003
$34
Wonderful campground! There are 5 camp areas within the campground - something for everyone. Satellite TV hookup is available in only one of the camp areas, but you don't need it here. The area is so beautiful and the campground is in the valley looking up at Harney Peak. Close to Mount Rushmore and Custer State Park. I think this was our favorite campground of the whole trip. Will definitely go back. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
Review Rating
[ 10 / 10 ]
[ 10 / 10 ]
2003
$34
Stayed in the island area. Recommend the last campsite in the island. We overlooked approximately 25 acres of spacious landscape. Campground could easily put more sites in. However, they have elected to keep this campground very well laid out. Would highly recommend this campground. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 9 / 10 ]
[ 9 / 10 ]
2003
$40
What can you say about this one that hasn't already been said. The only problem we had is that it was the only CG on our whole trip that didn't accept checks. I would advise asking for either island or ranch, if you want large sites (and they are) and shade. Lower Ranch and Main are close together and no shade.It is quite central to almost anything you want to do in the Black Hills. We stayed 6 nights and enjoyed it. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
Review Rating
[ 2 / 10 ]
[ 2 / 10 ]
2003
$35
Rafter J has an excellent rating and nice writeup and the place looks nice. We drove in and asked for a site and was told by the young staff in a rude manner that we had to make reservations weeks in advance to stay there. Both my wife and I commented that the staff was abrupt and down right rude. Customer service is not there high point. June 2003 We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 7 / 10 ]
[ 7 / 10 ]
2003
$28
This campground is ok, but didn't find it to be anything special. We reserved months in advance for the island area, but when we got there they had us in the ranch area, a very small, tight site. This was not acceptable for our RV, so they gave us a choice of two available sites, one of which was taken and the other a small corner site in the main camp. Very disappointing. I will look at other campgrounds if I visit the area again. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 9 / 10 ]
[ 9 / 10 ]
2003
$30
Three different areas to camp. Cable not at all areas. Nice views and sites and people. Pet Friendly. Fairly close to Mt. Rushmore. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 9 / 10 ]
[ 9 / 10 ]
2002
$24
Really nice. The Island is one of the better areas for shade and site width but we stayed in the part of the park where we overlooked the expansive meadow in site 170. Nobody on 3 sides of us. When we go back to SD we will stay here again. We camped here in a camper.
Review Rating
[ 10 / 10 ]
[ 10 / 10 ]
2001
$25
We also stayed at the "island". We had been there before in 1993 and it is just as nice now as it was then. Very busy in the summer but great in September after the kids are back in school. Very nice staff and owners. The only drawback we found were the numerous flies in the area. The area is clean, well kept and I would recommend it for anyone going to the Black Hills. We camped here in a camper.
Review Rating
[ 9 / 10 ]
[ 9 / 10 ]
2000
$28
Very nice park. We stayed in the "Islands" section which is more secluded and quiet. Mature pine trees everywhere. This park is very busy in the summer and would recommend reservations. Very large sites. We camped here in a camper.
Camp Information
Sites
34
Date of Stay
September 2012
Latest Rate
$41
Hookups
Electric
50amp
Water
Sewer
Wireless Internet
Cable TV
Accommodations
Pull-Thru Sites
Big Rig Access
Waterfront Access
Shade Trees
Pool Access
Pets Allowed
Tents Allowed
Family Friendly
Latest Review Information
Ratings (Last 10 Newest/Oldest)
5
Clean Restrooms (Last 5 Newest/Oldest)
Clean Showers (Last 5 Newest/Oldest)
Review Rating
[ 5 / 10 ]
[ 5 / 10 ]
September 2012
$41
This is a brand new RV park on the south end of Hill City. It is open, but not everything is completely finished. They still have some work to do on some of the RV sites, are currently working on the landscaping around the main building, and are still building cabins. The 34 sites I listed above is just for the projected number of RV sites. I do not know the total number of cabins. We spent one weekday night here. All RV sites are back-ins set on 10' wide gravel pads. Some are not big enough for large RVs. All are FHU with cable and free WI-FI. I did not hook up to the cable and the WI-FI worked well for us. That may be because we were the only RV customers in the park. All sites appear to be satellite friendly. The park roads are gravel and the site pads are raised causing a safety hazard for folks stepping out of their RVs onto a sloped surface. There is nothing (no pool or playground) for kids. All the sewer pipes are about 10" above the ground creating hookup and dumping headaches. The park is right off US385 and the traffic noise is steady and loud until dark. It picks up again first thing in the morning. Most of the town's attractions (shops, restaurants, museum, 1880 Train, etc.) are within a mile or so of the park. I thought the rate was high, and there are none of the usual discounts (GS, AAA, etc.). Even if they fix some of the problems (sewer height, for example), I don't think I would rate this park much higher because of the cost and noise issues. We camped here in a Motorhome.
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