Virginia to Mt Rushmore 2022 - 4th of July

[rosieposie7]

Honestly there are a lot of things worth driving to in the Black Hills... it's one reason my dad loved that area and now I do too: you can set up a 'base camp' and go out in various directions. A day trip to Devil's Tower is well worth it too, although it's further than an hour...

Are you staying at Rushmore/Palmer Gulch KOA? We split our time between one of the Custer SP campgrounds and there due to availability. That KOA is both the most expensive, and smallest campsite I've ever had... but they had a lot of stuff to do and the kids enjoyed it (honestly we all did, even though I'm not used to being sandwiched between Class A's, and it was muddy and they wouldn't let me park in a place where I didn't have to stand in a puddle getting in/out...)

Can't beat the location though. If you want to splurge, they have horseback riding which we did on my son's birthday.

We are staying at R/PG KOA. It's not my go to type of campgrounds, since same feeling of "sandwiched". However your right, it's all about location. I will have to think of other splurges like horseback riding. Hiking a bit sounds amazing as well. However not too much as I have as young as a three year old and not equipped for long hiking. I'm loving everyone's input so that I can really think of ways to best use our time. I just need to figure more things to do to fill two days worth.

 

[rosieposie7]

South of Mt Rushmore is the town of Hot Springs. Hit the Mammoth site.

Hot Springs · Northeast Fall River, SD 57747

Northeast Fall River, SD 57747

www.google.com

Don't forget Devils Tower. I was not impressed with Deadwood, kind of a tourist trap if you ask me and parking was a pain.

So mush to see in that area.

Have a safe trip and take photo for us.

Will do. Great idea to stop. We love all things fossils and dinosaurs.

 

[tfischer]

There is a dinosaur museum in K̶e̶y̶s̶t̶o̶n̶e̶ Hill City as well. It is small but a worthwhile stop if you like that sort of thing. The group who found Sue runs it, and they're still not quite over the fact that they can't display her there lol (there was a long court battle that caused her to end up in the Chicago Natural History museum)

 

[tfischer]

Oops the dinosaur museum is actually in Hill City. Black Hills Institute.

 

[PopUpSteve]

So are you hitting any other spots on the way out West?

 

[gladecreekwy]

South of Mt Rushmore is the town of Hot Springs. Hit the Mammoth site.

Hot Springs · Northeast Fall River, SD 57747

Northeast Fall River, SD 57747

www.google.com

Don't forget Devils Tower. I was not impressed with Deadwood, kind of a tourist trap if you ask me and parking was a pain.

So mush to see in that area.

Have a safe trip and take photo for us.

True. It is a tourist trap ( I live in one as well ) I was a big fan of the HBO series.

 

[PopUpSteve]

I was a big fan of the HBO series.

the real town is a little different. It's like around here going to an Amish farm.

 

[Jaycojoeheritage]

They are not having fire works at the monument but Custer is having fire works.

 

[Arlyn Aronson]

They are not having fire works at the monument but Custer is having fire works.

Is that the city of Custer? If so, its a ways south of Mt Rushmore.

 

[tfischer]

Is that the city of Custer? If so, its a ways south of Mt Rushmore.

It's only like 20 miles.

 

[Arlyn Aronson]

It's only like 20 miles.

Gee, sure seem further than that!

 

[Lug_Nut]

My current thoughts are overnights in Erie, Rockford, Sioux Falls motels before camping at Pactola Lake.

The 'campground' at Pactola was a huge disappointment. There's a thread on camping in a parking lot, and that's EXACTLY what my site was: I had two adjacent car parking spaces in a section of ten spaces.

The amenities as listed on the web site are: "Facilities include a full service marina with seasonal, monthly and daily slips, gasoline, oil, groceries, food service, shower and laundry." https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/blackhills/recarea/?recid=26199
What's NOT stated is that those are for patrons that have rented slips at the marina, NOT for campers. So no showers, no toilet, no hot water, just pit toilets and a few centralized water spigots. Do I need to mention it was in mid-90's F even in the shade and hills? Or that the campers aside me had their generators running every allowable moment to keep their A/C units running?
I had 'site' 56 reserved for three nights, then site 55 (two spaces next to 56) for 5 more. I bailed at one night and cancelled the balance. Checked into a Hotel Half-Dozen.

I did spent two restful pop-up nights on the return trip. One in LaCrosse, WI on the Mississippi river, the other in Milan, Ohio.

 

[rosieposie7]

So are you hitting any other spots on the way out West?

We stopped at Hocking Hills Ohio (beautiful waterfall, and ton of activities), and Blue Earth to see Green Giant. Wall Drug was great too.

 

[rosieposie7]

The 'campground' at Pactola was a huge disappointment. There's a thread on camping in a parking lot, and that's EXACTLY what my site was: I had two adjacent car parking spaces in a section of ten spaces.

The amenities as listed on the web site are: "Facilities include a full service marina with seasonal, monthly and daily slips, gasoline, oil, groceries, food service, shower and laundry." https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/blackhills/recarea/?recid=26199
What's NOT stated is that those are for patrons that have rented slips at the marina, NOT for campers. So no showers, no toilet, no hot water, just pit toilets and a few centralized water spigots. Do I need to mention it was in mid-90's F even in the shade and hills? Or that the campers aside me had their generators running every allowable moment to keep their A/C units running?
I had 'site' 56 reserved for three nights, then site 55 (two spaces next to 56) for 5 more. I bailed at one night and cancelled the balance. Checked into a Hotel Half-Dozen.

I did spent two restful pop-up nights on the return trip. One in LaCrosse, WI on the Mississippi river, the other in Milan, Ohio.

Great advise, and sorry to hear about the disappointments.