WHISTLER GULCH RV PARK, DEADWOOD, SD

Our Opinion: Neutral. We won’t return, but it is OK if you really want to be in Deadwood. It would work well, though, for tent campers or smaller rigs - or people with kids.

Date of Stay: July 14 through 16, 2008

Weather During Stay: Very warm days, cool nights, occasional rain.

Site Description: 50 amp FHU gravel pull-through, long and very narrow in a row of similar sites. Not very level. Peeling picnic table. When we had neighbors, their awning extended into our site. While in bed in the morning, we could hear the conversation of our neighbors while they were STILL INSIDE. As I write, I can hear their TV and their dog playing with a squeaky toy.

Rate: Usual rate is $36/night. With 15% off for being Escapees and tax added, we spent $33/night. Too much.

Phone/radio/TV: Verizon phones have 2 bars. Aircard has 1 bar, but works, and reasonably quickly. No local NPR that I could find. No cable TV; antenna got two snowy stations. No obstructions for TV satellite antennas, though. WiFi available at no additional charge.

Elevation/Landscape/Terrain: This is a very sloped campground in a narrow gulch at 4700’. Views are of your very nearby neighbors and close, treeless hillsides.

Lighting/Noise: No road noise, and night lighting is not a problem if you pick your site carefully (not next to one of the numerous tall “streetlights”).

Favorite Sites: We were in 28, similar to the other pull-throughs. No favorites here; they are all WAY TOO NARROW and not sufficiently level. Plenty long, though.

Hiking/Walking: We chose this park because of the great walking. Walk to town (Deadwood) or head the other direction on the Mickelson trail, a wonderful 100+ miles trail on an abandoned RR grade. Excellent walking.

Comments: We came for the proximity to the town (a short walk or shuttle ride), but found it didn’t outweigh the tight, tight sites. We won’t return. BUT, when in Deadwood, have a great lunch, or dinner on Thursday, Friday or Saturday, at Deadwood Thymes Café Bistro on Sherman Street (closed Monday). Outstanding. Next time we want to stay in the northern Black Hills, we will stay at the city park in Spearfish. If you travel in a smaller rig, there are some wider, level, much prettier sites up at the high end of the campground and some interesting mining remains.

WEST WHITLOCK RECREATION AREA, GETTYSBURG, SD

Our Opinion: Rave. A bit out of the way, but we felt it was worth the drive.

Date of Stay: June 30, 2008

Weather During Stay: Sunny, breezy upper 80’s when we arrived at 5 pm, had cooled to 78 when the sun went down at 9 pm.. Overnight low was 66 degrees with a slight breeze.

Site Description: The campground consists of one large, paved loop with 82 long, level, graveled sites with 30 amp electric. Most sites are shaded. All sites can be reserved.. Water is available at various places throughout the campground, and a dump is positioned for easy access arriving or leaving.

We chose site 73, very long, fairly level, with good afternoon shade. All sites have nice aluminum picnic tables in good condition. The campground also has two cute wooden cabins with partially covered porches, four more electric sites, and a dozen dry camping sites in another, smaller loop.

Vault toilets are scattered around the campground, and the two clean bath houses have running water, flush toilets and showers (and provide shelter in severe weather). Dumpsters and aluminum can recycling bins are near each bath house at at the fish cleaning station (most campers other than us have a fishing boat).

Rate: $14 for a site with 30 amp electricity, plus a day use fee of $3/person or $5/vehicle. We decided to buy an annual pass for $23, since we are likely to visit more SD state parks this year. Too bad we didn’t do that at Custer State Park!

Phone/radio/TV: Verizon service is weak to non-existent, though we probably could get a half-way decent signal if we put up the antenna. A pay phone is available. We didn’t bother with the TV satellite, but many sites would work with rooftop dishes. Didn’t bother with the TV antenna. NPR is available on 92.3 from Sioux Falls, SD.

Elevation/Landscape/Terrain: This is a flat park on Lake Oahe, made by damming the Missouri River. Elevation is 1,640’. Green everywhere - mowed green lawns and many large deciduous trees Views are of other campers, trees, and shady green lawns. The lake is nearby, but not within sight of our campsite.

Lighting/Noise: The only noise is from other campers, as we are several miles - or maybe even several hundred miles - from any heavily traveled roads. There is one streetlight at the playground in the center of the camping loop, and lights on each of the two bath houses. No lighting at each campsite - yay!

Favorite Sites: All sites are similar. We were looking for shade and distance from other campers and the playground.

Hiking/Walking: Walking the loop and the park entrance road is around 2 miles. A 2 mile long trail has been mowed through the tall prairie grass around the perimeter of the park.

Comments: We are on a three-day trip up to North Dakota, mostly on two-lane highways. Our stops have been selected to break the trip into easy driving days, and West Whitlock Recreation Area (a state park) happened to be along the route, about 10 miles off the two-lane highway we are traveling in the part of SD. Though there are commercial parks in the area, we like the extra space you can usually find in public parks, as is the case here. Very restful and refreshing stop.

RUSH-NO-MORE CAMPGROUND, STURGIS, SOUTH DAKOTA

Our Opinion: Recommend. We came here for a rally and enjoyed the park.

Date of Stay: June 21 through June 28, 2008

Weather During Stay: Quickly changing summertime mountain weather: hot sunshine, wild thunderstorms, drenching downpours, cool nights.

Site Description: This park has two distinct areas. For the rally, we have all 30+ sites in the more private back area (second photo). Sites in this area are a mix of perimeter back-ins and terraced pull-throughs in the center of the loop. We are in site 202, a long back-in FHU (50 amp) site near the bathhouse. Roads are dirt and gravel, very muddy after a thunderstorm. Sites are reasonably level. Very little shade in this section of the park.

Though the back section has a bathhouse with a washer and dryer, most of the park amenities (office, pool, hot tub, playground, pavilion, laundry, and social area) are in the front section of the park (top photo and third photo), a short walk from our section, with perhaps another 60 sites and several cabins. Grass lawns, blooming flowers and lots of trees make this a very appealing spot.

Rate: The usual rate for FHU’s is $25/night. We paid $15/night during the rally.

Phone/radio/TV: Verizon phones get 5 bars; aircard is on Broadband. Local NPR from Rapid City on 89.3. TV antennas may be able to pull in a few stations, but ours were very snowy. Park has WiFi, but we didn’t use it. Most sites to not have any obstructions for TV satellite dishes.

Elevation/Landscape/Terrain: This is a green, grassy park in a forested area of the Black Hills, well away from the freeway at the end of a dead-end road at 3,800‘. The forest has been cleared to create open space for the park. Part of the park is flat (front section); our section, up a dirt/gravel road to the back, is on a terraced hillside. Views are of green grass and forested hillside.

Lighting/Noise: No road noise. A few bright lights around, but we were positioned so that they didn’t shine in our windows. Some others might not have been as lucky.

Favorite Sites: Site 202 (last photo) worked well for us, but there are many nice sites here. All sites can accommodate big rigs.

Hiking/Walking: Walking the park loops is pleasant. A rustic dirt road leads out of the back loop to the top of a ridge - good for a short burst of exercise. Many well established and documented trails nearby in the Black Hills.

Comments: Rush-No-More is a good name for this park. The staff is helpful and accommodating, the scenery is very appealing… excellent place to kick back and relax. Cabins are available for rent, and a couple of social areas are located in the front section (including a beer bar with draft beer). This park would be a "rave" if there were more walking opportunities without the need to drive.

GAME LODGE CAMPGROUND, CUSTER STATE PARK, SOUTH DAKOTA

Our Opinion: Rave. Beautiful, green, level campground in a gorgeous state park filled with wildlife.

Date of Stay: June 19 and 20, 2008

Weather During Stay: Wild. Sunny, clear mornings; severe thunderstorms in the afternoon with lightening, thunder and hail; cleaning just before dark. Highs in low 70’s, lows in low 50’s.

Site Description: All sites have 50/30/20 amp E, no water or sewer. Dump station. Roads and sites are paved. Many sites are large enough for a big rig. Lots of trees; sites on the south side of the campground loop are in heavy forest. We preferred the more open sites. Each site has a picnic table. Sites are large and well separated from each other by mown grass lawns and leafy trees. All sites can be reserved.

Rate: $22/night for the campsite plus a park “license” for day use, $5/person good for one week. For a two night stay, we paid $44 in camping fees plus $10 for the “licenses” - $54 total.

Phone/radio/TV: Our Verizon phones get 1 bar with the external antenna, no service without the antenna. No aircard service. Both are available in the town of Custer, 10 miles or so east. No antenna TV. Our TV satellite was unobstructed. Local NPR on 102.5.

Elevation/Landscape/Terrain: This campground is one of several located in a gorgeous, amazingly green, state park. Elevation is 4,200’. Views are of forested hillsides, huge expanses of mown lawn, camping cabins and neighboring campers.

Lighting/Noise: A bright light on each restroom and the laundry - too bad! Noise is moderate during the day: traffic on the park road and campers. Very quiet at night.

Favorite Sites: We liked the one we had, 12E. Good view of the daily action at the dump station! The only sites we would avoid are those on the south side of the loop as they are heavily treed.

Hiking/Walking: Great 2 mile paved bike/hike path from Game Lodge Campground to the Grace Coolidge Campground. Use it to walk to the Norbeck Visitor Center (with good bison viewing), to the Game Lodge Resort, and to the Coolidge Store and Gift Shop (ice cream). Bison are often spotted along the path, near the Game Lodge and across from the Norbeck Visitor Center. Lots of trail in the park, but plan to hike/walk early to avoid the afternoon thunderstorms.

Comments: We love this place. It is easy to spot bison a short walk from the campground, and the Wildlife Loop Drive begins right outside the campground. On a drive today, we saw several each of bison, pronghorn, big horn sheep and wild burros.