Question for anyone familiar with Custer State Park in SD.

[Atlee]

Is there a particular campground inside the park you would recommend? Is it advisable to have reservations before hand? I normally don't like to make early reservations because it forces me to be at a certain place at a certain time.

How late can one wait before getting a reservation, if it is advisable? In other words, how crowded is Custer?

[SDcampowneroper]

Big Pine is a great camp. Good choice for your wishes. Give Ron & Angie our best

[Jenanne]

We leave monday for Badlands/Blackhills...cant wait...enjoyed reading this thread! Staying at Big Pine Campground near Custer...anyone been there?

[monkey44]

SDcampowneroperator wrote:

Horsedoc wrote:
There is not a dump station at most of the CGs in the park.
For a little more $$ you can stay close and have FHU (Custer Gulch, Wagons West, several in and west of Custer city)
They are getting a little greedy since the Park is such a big money maker for SD.
Prices will likely go up for Sturgis Rally this year, just to ride through the park

SD state parks are revenue neutral. SD is a user pay state, with no general funds supporting the parks. Visitor fees are set by a citizens commission valid throughout the year. Visitor and camping fees are constant regardless of season or event.
Custer State Park does have a higher visitor fee, than other State parks due to the higher cost of managing such a large park with such extensive amenity.
Camping fees are also higher than most other state parks which reflects the cost of their operation, short season. There is no rate increase for any park for any event.
Fact is. CSP does have only 1 dump station, to serve its 5 campgrounds. Rock and soil , proximity to lakes , streams, wells prohibit waste treatment systems for all 5 camps, so a central waste treatment system in favorable soil is the solution. Even Quartszsite La Posa south does it.
There are free to fee dump stations availabe in city systems, private camps nearby.
SD State Parks are intended like NFS, USCE to be discovery camps, not residential . A 14 day stay limit for any ' camping unit ' is commonplace in federal and state lands.
I would not wish it otherwise. a gov. park without pay as you go fee and restriction is fodder for misdirection of truth.

*************
True enough for the park - worth every dollar to see it, camp, and use the visitors services. And we've been there several times, and enjoy it, and will probably hit it again on this fall trip west. We have no problem paying our way either, it's worth it, and it keeps the parks viable, and the wilderness areas and habitats open and safe for wildlife.

The one single thing that stuck in our craw, standing on an open, first-come site in the park, and having to call a reservation station and pay a reservation fee to enter and camp in an empty first-come site and stay one night !! That's not the way to do it, and in our opinion, just a chance for the reservation company to rake off another eight bucks for nothing. jmho !

And, that's after an entrance fee, a day use fee, and a camping fee.

[SDcampowneroper]

Horsedoc wrote:
There is not a dump station at most of the CGs in the park.
For a little more $$ you can stay close and have FHU (Custer Gulch, Wagons West, several in and west of Custer city)
They are getting a little greedy since the Park is such a big money maker for SD.
Prices will likely go up for Sturgis Rally this year, just to ride through the park

SD state parks are revenue neutral. SD is a user pay state, with no general funds supporting the parks. Visitor fees are set by a citizens commission valid throughout the year. Visitor and camping fees are constant regardless of season or event.
Custer State Park does have a higher visitor fee, than other State parks due to the higher cost of managing such a large park with such extensive amenity.
Camping fees are also higher than most other state parks which reflects the cost of their operation, short season. There is no rate increase for any park for any event.
Fact is. CSP does have only 1 dump station, to serve its 5 campgrounds. Rock and soil , proximity to lakes , streams, wells prohibit waste treatment systems for all 5 camps, so a central waste treatment system in favorable soil is the solution. Even Quartszsite La Posa south does it.
There are free to fee dump stations availabe in city systems, private camps nearby.
SD State Parks are intended like NFS, USCE to be discovery camps, not residential . A 14 day stay limit for any ' camping unit ' is commonplace in federal and state lands.
I would not wish it otherwise. a gov. park without pay as you go fee and restriction is fodder for misdirection of truth.

[Horsedoc]

There is not a dump station at most of the CGs in the park.
For a little more $$ you can stay close and have FHU (Custer Gulch, Wagons West, several in and west of Custer city)
They are getting a little greedy since the Park is such a big money maker for SD.
Prices will likely go up for Sturgis Rally this year, just to ride through the park

[Rangerman40]

We ended up at Bluebell as that's all that was available. On the complete opposite end of the park from Game Lodge, but it's very close to Wind Cave NP and the wildlife loop. Wasn't too far of a drive to Needles if I remember correctly.

[ADAD437]

SDcampowneroperator wrote:

OutdoorPhotographer wrote:
I have to jump in on this one. Yes, Custer is a beautiful park but they have another racket going on for money. I was traveling from Rushmore to Windcave and Google Maps took us through the edge of the park. Map shows road is a through route. First time we hit a gate/ranger station, we were charged $20. I said we were just driving to Wind Cave, not visiting Custer. He replied, "Yep, we need to send Google a thank you note. That will be $20." I asked if I could turn around and go another route and he said too late, I had already driven through the park.

Did not leave a good taste in my mouth to say the least. Who put's a gate on a through road and after you don't have a chance to turn around? Traveled 48 states and countless state and national parks and never saw that anywhere else.

Sad first impression because I read so many good things on here about Custer.

You drove through on the wildlife loop, a park road signed as a fee road at its beginning near the Game Lodge. not state or fed. hwy. Sorry, its your bad. You did enjoy the drive?

you also passed thru other gates in route to the loop that you apparently failed to stop at.

[2gypsies1]

Here is Custer State Park map... much more accurate than Google Maps:

https://gfp.sd.gov/userdocs/custer-map.pdf

[SDcampowneroper]

OutdoorPhotographer wrote:
I have to jump in on this one. Yes, Custer is a beautiful park but they have another racket going on for money. I was traveling from Rushmore to Windcave and Google Maps took us through the edge of the park. Map shows road is a through route. First time we hit a gate/ranger station, we were charged $20. I said we were just driving to Wind Cave, not visiting Custer. He replied, "Yep, we need to send Google a thank you note. That will be $20." I asked if I could turn around and go another route and he said too late, I had already driven through the park.

Did not leave a good taste in my mouth to say the least. Who put's a gate on a through road and after you don't have a chance to turn around? Traveled 48 states and countless state and national parks and never saw that anywhere else.

Sad first impression because I read so many good things on here about Custer.

You drove through on the wildlife loop, a park road signed as a fee road at its beginning near the Game Lodge. not state or fed. hwy. Sorry, its your bad. You did enjoy the drive?

[dieseltruckdriv]

OutdoorPhotographer wrote:
I have to jump in on this one. Yes, Custer is a beautiful park but they have another racket going on for money. I was traveling from Rushmore to Windcave and Google Maps took us through the edge of the park. Map shows road is a through route. First time we hit a gate/ranger station, we were charged $20. I said we were just driving to Wind Cave, not visiting Custer. He replied, "Yep, we need to send Google a thank you note. That will be $20." I asked if I could turn around and go another route and he said too late, I had already driven through the park.

Did not leave a good taste in my mouth to say the least. Who put's a gate on a through road and after you don't have a chance to turn around? Traveled 48 states and countless state and national parks and never saw that anywhere else.

Sad first impression because I read so many good things on here about Custer.

As much as I like to and do use tech, it really is your fault, for not checking anything else. I know the route you took, and if you would have gone just a little to the west, you wouldn't have had to pay anything. These types of things have bitten me also, but I have never tried to blame anyone but myself because of the old saying, "Trust, but verify".

I live in the Black Hills and camp every year in Wind Cave NP. I am sorry you think the state park volunteer and DOT had it out for you. Although, the statement about owing Google a thank you may have been out of line IMO.

[soren]

OutdoorPhotographer wrote:
I have to jump in on this one. Yes, Custer is a beautiful park but they have another racket going on for money. I was traveling from Rushmore to Windcave and Google Maps took us through the edge of the park. Map shows road is a through route. First time we hit a gate/ranger station, we were charged $20. I said we were just driving to Wind Cave, not visiting Custer. He replied, "Yep, we need to send Google a thank you note. That will be $20." I asked if I could turn around and go another route and he said too late, I had already driven through the park.

Did not leave a good taste in my mouth to say the least. Who put's a gate on a through road and after you don't have a chance to turn around? Traveled 48 states and countless state and national parks and never saw that anywhere else.

Sad first impression because I read so many good things on here about Custer.

I can think of numerous places where this can occur. I have spent a day four wheeling in Moab, then had to pay the NP entrance fee to continue on the trail, and drive on Arches NP dirt, to the highway. Literally a couple of miles of unmaintained dirt track for $20. You can end up in the same situation in the Badlands NP, when you leave Rt 90 and decide to loop through the badlands on what look to be SD state highways. Smooth sailing on a secondary SD. highway until you hit the national park toll booth. It's not the park's fault, or issue, that you decided to use a secondary state park road to get where you are going. It is actually possible to drive straight thru Custer SP without a pass, on RT 16, as long as you do not stop to use any park facilities.

Oddly, Mapquest doesn't show the route you discuss, but google does, and boy did they blow that one. One of those roads they recommend, (playhouse) is gravel and nothing I would want to be on with anything bigger that a pickup truck. Bottom line is that you can be bitter till your last breath, but there is nobody to blame but Google for suggesting that route in the first place. The park volunteer was right, it's google leading you to the toll booth, and he can't let you pass for free.

Google just got me the other day. It told me of a Subway shop four blocks east of my location. I headed east, and appeared to be in a fairly tight residential area. What I didn't know is that I was on a toll bridge ramp, with no way to get off, and no warning before the last cross street. I literally drove four blocks and paid $8 for a bridge that was unmarked, with no "last exit before toll" signs anywhere. I wasn't happy, but it could of been worse, if I had the motorhome it would of been $24.

[OutdoorPhotogra]

I have to jump in on this one. Yes, Custer is a beautiful park but they have another racket going on for money. I was traveling from Rushmore to Windcave and Google Maps took us through the edge of the park. Map shows road is a through route. First time we hit a gate/ranger station, we were charged $20. I said we were just driving to Wind Cave, not visiting Custer. He replied, "Yep, we need to send Google a thank you note. That will be $20." I asked if I could turn around and go another route and he said too late, I had already driven through the park.

Did not leave a good taste in my mouth to say the least. Who put's a gate on a through road and after you don't have a chance to turn around? Traveled 48 states and countless state and national parks and never saw that anywhere else.

Sad first impression because I read so many good things on here about Custer.

[Cali-MinnieWinn]

I made reservations for Game Lodge in April, for 5 nights in late August. But, I had to check every day for a site to open up that had 5 nights in a row. Cancellations do occur, so if you don't find what you want, keep looking!

[Rangerman40]

We stayed at Bluebell. Its right at the end of the wildlife loop and the closest to Wind Cave. They also have horse rides and Chuck wagon dinners there. The food at the Bluebell Lodge was great. The sites were decent and the bath house was very clean.