Mount Rushmore

[aflorese]

We are planning a trip to Mount Rushmore in about 2 months. Any recommendations? We have a 31 and a half foot motorhome with one large pop out

[suenmike]

We stayed at the Mt. Rushmore KOA, nice place with a small water park. Not far from Mt. Rushmore and Crazy Horse.

[mcars302]

We were just there a month ago. Mount Rushmore KOA is about 5 miles away. We do not tow a car with us, and rented a car from KOA. Rental included passes to Mount Rushmore and Custer State Park/Needles Highway. Go to Mount Rushmore about 7 or 730pm and catch the lighting. The crowds are much smaller. We liked it so much we went two nights in a row. We were back in the campground in less than 10 minutes each night. There is a ton to do in the area; Badlands, Minuteman Missile, Devils Tower. I have a Four Winds 31e. No issues anywhere (I had a rental). Let me know if you have any question, enjoy.

[JamieGeek]

x3 on the Rushmore KOA. Been there twice--they added a ton of stuff between our two visits.

There is even a lodge there if you have people visiting who don't camp (on our 2nd trip some of our party stayed in the lodge).

Mount Rushmore Resort at Palmer Gulch | Mount Rushmore KOA | Palmer Gulch Lodge Palmer Gulch

Note: It is not the place to go if you are looking for rustic!

[jpmihalk]

We stayed at Kemps Kamp just outside Keystone. The only negative was that you must approach from Keystone, if you come the other direction any motorhome will not be able to make the turn at the office. We had to unhook our tow and dolly and back up then go to our site. The park itself was nice and there is a sightseeing train that runs daily with tracks right across from the park.

[Mr Sunshine]

Been to that area many times. Fall is a great time to travel. You won't have to deal with crowds of summer, and you should be able to easily get into any campground. If you are traveling without kids, KOA wouldn't be our first choice. We stayed there last summer with grandkids, then moved to Rushmore Shadows when the little ones were gone.

Spearfish Canyon is one of the best drives in the country. Be sure to do the short walk to each of the three waterfalls. If time allows, the Journey museum tells the story of the native peoples. The night lighting show at Mt Rushmore is memorable, and seeing the faces through the tunnels on Iron Mtn Road is stunning.

Enjoy your Black Hills trip!

[be happy]

A couple years back I stayed at Fort Welikit out side of Custer https://www.blackhillsrv.com/

This is a great park close to everything. You might want to check out when the Buffalo Round up is at Custer National Park. If you are going to be there at that time frame its well worth seeing.

[DocP]

As others have indicated, the Mount Rushmore KOA is very nice. My personal preference is the Rafter J Bar Ranch (South Dakota Camping & Resort in the Black Hills at RafterJ). The campsites are spacious, and it is very close to most of the Black Hills tourist attractions.

[Yvonnemarc]

Great info...this is on our Bucket List. We don't tow a car so good to know on the rental car.

[sky_blue]

If you have a toad, make sure to do the Iron Mountain Road. RVs can't take that road. Start from Custer, drive through Custer State Park and end up at Mt Rushmore. One of the most beautiful roads I've driven.

[mcars302]

If you do the wildlife loop at Custer go to the visitor center first. Ask a worker were the herds of buffalo are. They track them daily.

[patnoib]

We were just there in June. Stayed at Custer State Park, Game Lodge Campgrounds. Beautiful!! Blacktop parking spaces with lots of space in between sites. Creek for the dog to take a swim. Green grass everywhere - it was really one of the nicest campgrounds we've ever been to. The sites are electric only. They do have a dump station onsite. It's conveniently located close to Iron Mountain Rd/Needles Hwy which is a great scenic loop for Mt. Rushmore and the Wildlife Loop. If you get up early (5-6am), there may even be a herd of buffalo roaming by the campground. You must make reservations and well in advance!