Campground Review #103 Custer State Park in the Black Hills of South Dakota Near Mt. Rushmore
Mount Rushmore is a HUGE RV destination and there is no shortage of campgrounds in the area. On this episode of the Campground of the Week podcast, Janine Pettit reviews the Blue Bell Campground in Custer State Park, nestled in the Black Hills of beautiful South Dakota. This campground is under an hour away from the Mount Rushmore National Monument.
Custer State Park was only one of the twenty campgrounds that Janine visited on her grand National Parks tour this past summer. You can hear more about her epic RV journey on episode #96 of the Girl Camper podcast.
Campground Details
There are multiple campgrounds in Custer State Park, but on this episode we focus on Blue Bell Campground, where Janine stayed during her visit. You can find a complete list of the campgrounds along with reservation information and individual campsite photos on the State Park website.
Blue Bell Campground has only about 25 campsites with electric hookup, so visitors should book as far in advance as possible to guarantee a spot. The sites cost $25 per night and there is a dump station at the state park for camper use.
The campground is scenic and quiet, plus it features some of the best comfort stations that Janine has ever seen. Seriously, she raves about the bathrooms on this episode.
Custer State Park Activities
Custer State Park is amazing and has wonderful outdoor opportunities for campers. The legendary wildlife loop has some of the best wildlife viewing opportunities in the country, and folks just love the burros that beg to be fed by visitors. The Needles Highway is also a must see scenic drive within the park. Other highlights include…
- Trail rides
- Chuckwagon cookouts
- ranger programs
- hiking
- kayaking
- fishing
Regional Activities
Of course, there one big reason many people come to the Black Hills of South Dakota…Mount Rushmore is less than an hour’s drive from Custer State Park, so this is a great option for camping near the iconic national monument. Other regional attractions include:
- Crazy Horse Memorial
- Rapid City
- Sturgis
- Deadwood
- Badlands National Park (a 90 minute drive, but possible for a daytrip)
If you want to find out more about other great options for camping near Mount Rushmore, check out episode #49, which has a review of nearby Rafter J Bar Ranch. It will probably be a tough decision to make after hearing our two correspondents RAVE about them both!
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See you at the campground!
Stephanie + Jeremy
