South Dakota - any advice?

[Mike and Carol]

We have a family reunion to attend near Kansas City in early October. I think we’ll head north after the reunion to continue our National Park exploration quest. We want to spend some time around Badlands NP, Wind Cave NP, Custer State Park and Mount Rushmore. Any advice or lessons learned would be appreciated! Mike

[STEVEnBETTY]

Mike, 8miles south of wall sd is badlands dispersed, as you're going south look to your left, you'll see cell towers,  when you are parallel with them there is a barb wire gate that you have to open and close, but it's a great spot, plenty of room, quiet, and "free".

 

The entrance to badlands state park is a 1/2 mile to the south, highly recommended, and free with the geeser pass.

 

Steve

[KenB]

Mike, 8miles south of wall sd is badlands dispersed, as you’re going south look to your left, you’ll see cell towers, when you are parallel with them there is a barb wire gate that you have to open and close, but it’s a great spot, plenty of room, quiet, and “free”

 

Here is another photo of the area mentioned south of Wall including our LEII, our Land Cruiser, my wife, a cell tower, our closest neighbors, and wild mountain goats on the hillside under our trailer. Great place to park for the night.

 

Ken

[Mike and Carol]

Steve and Ken, that does look like a great spot! Free is always good. Thanks for the tip! Mike

[ScubaRx]

During our return from the Boler Rally in Winnipeg we traveled down through North and South Dakota. We saw all the National Park units in both states. Several of them had campgrounds for about $8-10 per night.

[Mike and Carol]

I thought about going to ND also but figured I’d be pushing my luck late October. We should be able to visit Wind Cave NP and Badlands NP from one camping location?

[STEVEnBETTY]

Mike, we camped at badlands dispersed for 4 days, and visited badlands np, Rushmore, Custer, and wall drugstore, if you don't mind driving a bit it's doable. When we were there it was the middle of "bike week" in sturgis and it was never crowded or noisy.

[topgun2]

Mike & Carol -

 

I'm no help on SD but depending on how you are getting up there from Kansas I do have two suggestions.  First is Big Lake State Park, Craig, MO.  This park is not far off Interstate 29.  Spotless showers and restrooms.  Take food though in that there is not much nearby.  The second is a commercial campground - Victorian Acres, Nebraska City, NB.  On highway 2 not far west of Interstate 29.  Clean showers and restrooms, laundry on site and restaurants nearby.

 

Bill

[SeaDawg]

As far as skipping a 4 hour side trip to North Dakota , that's all weather dependent. If the forecast is good, and you have the time  ... I'd  do it. I like ND teddy roosevelt  better than the SD badlands.

 

Just don't dig yourself in somewhere  without sufficient  lp and supplies, at altitude,  to wait out weather. At lower elevations,  the snow will just melt away in a day or two while you enjoy the scenery... its still early for snow in October... but later in the month  it sure can happen.

 

Last year, we had close to blizzard conditions in eastern ND and western Minnesota in late October.  On the 26th, in tropical southern Owatonna,  MN, we awoke to beautiful  70s, and went to bed in the low 30s with a strong wind. In the morning,  the snow was three or four inches deep. I drove south past Osage, Iowa on the 27th,  before I could turn off the wipers...  some slick spots on 218 in the early morning. We left at 8.

 

I was driving  miss daisy ( mom),  and had a flight to catch out of St Louis, so not much time to hang around and enjoy the beauty of the first snowfall... bummer for me. I love seeing the first snowfall. Especially since I know it will melt...

 

Sherry

 

 

[SeaDawg]

Beyond the national  parks, the Dakotas have a number of wonderful  state and local campgrounds, and most small cities, by our urban standards, have historic sites and museums.  The Dakotas  are well worth the time. Imo. Beautiful plains and parks, and nice people.

 

Sherry

[rideandfly]

Mike,

 

We enjoyed camping at Custer SP SD, Game Lodge campground. Visited Mt. Rushmore, Badlands, and Sylvan Lake.

 

 

Sylvan Lake

 

 

Custer SP

 

 

 

[Mike and Carol]

Bill, great pictures! Will add Sylvan Lake to the list. Mike

[KenB]

If you decide to visit the North Dakota badlands, the south unit of TR National Park, and the Medora, ND area, there are a few options for camping. The National Park campsites were full in July when we were there.  October should be better for finding an opening. Most of the National Park sites we saw in the South unit campground were shaded. By October the leaves should be down so the solar should work better. Avoid the RV city park in Medora. They were literally stacked slide-out against slide-out.  We drove out of town to check out Sully Creek State Park. It was wonderful and I can’t imagine why more people weren’t there.  Downside was no electricity or flush toilets, though they did have showers, water, and a dump station.

 

 

Our Campsite was marked by a stake on the edge of a field with the bluffs in the background. I think it was site #8.

 

 

Our nearest neighbors.  There was some generator noise off in the distance.  Our camper is the one in the far middle of the photo.  Neighbors look closer that they actually were.

 

 

 

 

[Ralph Mawyer]

I'm going to piggy-back on Mike's post.

I'm real late to planning, but we leave Emporia/Kansas City Kansas on May 15 and will need to be in Gardiner/North Yellowstone 22 May or a few days later.

Is this simple plan reasonable to do:

Emporia (2-days Travel) - Custer SP (4-5 Days basecamp) - Gardiner (2 Days Travel) a reasonable plan to explore Wind Cave and other sites above?  

UPDATE: Looks like Custer SP is full to the brim...

 

Or should I consider a National Park site with hookups, since I get the Senior discount?

Could split it between Badlands NP first than near Wind Cave.

Still deciding on whether to cut through Kansas or just hit the Interstate north, then west to SD.

May try and wing travel day stops, but will reserve if I can work out a plan.  Just a bit compressed on time oncoming back from Africa last weekend and then off again.... (First World Problem, but a life event highlight..that and 5000 images to edit. 😉

https://www.ralphmawyerphotography.com/Travel/Africa-2023/Botswana-Africa-2023-Field-Selects/

 

[Mike and Carol]

41 minutes ago, Ralph Mawyer said:

I'm going to piggy-back on Mike's post.

I'm real late to planning, but we leave Emporia/Kansas City Kansas on May 15 and will need to be in Gardiner/North Yellowstone 22 May or a few days later.

Ralph, Carol is a graduate of Emporia State U.  So are two of my brothers.  We’ve spent a lot of time there….  Mike

[Ralph Mawyer]

12 minutes ago, Mike and Carol said:

Ralph, Carol is a graduate of Emporia State U.  So are two of my brothers.  We’ve spent a lot of time there….  Mike

Small world. Tonya's side of family lives there and her parents lived outside there for years.  Going back for a high school graduation, thus the transition route to YS.  Weather in May, might drive me west vs north, we'll see.  Tonya may have to learn to enjoy boon docking. 😉