Mt Rushmore area

[solo318]

14 hours ago, Kirk W said:

22 hours ago, solo318 said:

Is there any fuel stations along the way?

With the range that you have, you won't spend much time in the stations, but there are a selection of fuel suppliers in every town in the area. If I remember right, there is even one vendor inside of Custer SP. but they are bound to be the highest priced fuel around.

My fat fingers strike again. My buggy is good for 200 miles ish.

 

 

[Jim & Alice]

22 hours ago, solo318 said:

Is there any fuel stations along the way? My buggy has a 2300 mile ish range, and my DW HATES roadside hiking.

Plenty of fuel stations... check a map of the area, and the small towns serviced by a paved road generally have Stations.   In the Summer time, this area (Black Hills) is a heavily visited region... You shouldn't have a problem. BUT, if you drive some of the beautiful mountain back roads, dirt type, you can go on for miles & miles seemingly... without much civilization!   Carry a map.

Edited May 27, 2020 by Jim & Alice

[solo318]

4 minutes ago, Jim & Alice said:

Plenty of fuel stations... check a map of the area, and the small towns serviced by a paved road generally have Stations.   In the Summer time, this area (Black Hills) is a heavily visited region... You shouldn't have a problem. BUT, if you drive some of the beautiful mountain back roads, dirt type, you can go on for miles & miles seemingly... without much civilization!   Carry a map.

Still looking for a good map. We are backroads kind of people.  Even gravel at times.

 

[durangodon]

24 minutes ago, solo318 said:

Still looking for a good map. We are backroads kind of people.  Even gravel at times.

 

I got detoured onto one of those gravel backroads going into Lead one time.  It rained.  I was covered in black silt end to end.  There's a reason they're called the black hills.  Coal=coal dust.

[Kirk W]

3 hours ago, solo318 said:

Still looking for a good map.

We always stop at the highway welcome centers as we enter a state and pick up a copy of the official state highway map. I think that you can download a copy from this SD Dept. of Transportation website as well. 

[Ray,IN]

Years ago a  magazine-type map of each county in a state was sold in mainly truck stops and such places. I think it was called the gazetteer and showed every road from dirt to paved in the county. Apparently Garmin now owns the company, and have increased them to state size.

[solo318]

1 hour ago, Kirk W said:

We always stop at the highway welcome centers as we enter a state and pick up a copy of the official state highway map. I think that you can download a copy from this SD Dept. of Transportation website as well. 

Thanks Kirk,  I looked at the maps from the DOT and found they didn't cover the back roads very well.  I like to explore, so I often find myself on roads that aren't marked on the tourism maps. Drives my wife crazy, but she loves me anyway.

 

[2gypsies]

We loved Jeeping and used the Benchmark series of gazeteers.   They're only published for the western states and one per state.  They are so easy to read and shows public lands clearly with many backroads.  We had one for each state - pricey - but we added as we went over the years.  We supplemented them with forest service maps.

[Jim & Alice]

We have a map obtained (If I recall correctly... ) at the Local US Forest Service Office (Mystic Ranger District) in Rapid City on Hwy 16 S. about a mile south of the Catron intersection.   And, I find that using Google Maps in advance... printing off intended travel areas is useful also - when I know where we are going!

Edited May 28, 2020 by Jim & Alice

[Ray,IN]

On 5/27/2020 at 5:32 PM, 2gypsies said:

We loved Jeeping and used the Benchmark series of gazeteers.   They're only published for the western states and one per state.  They are so easy to read and shows public lands clearly with many backroads.  We had one for each state - pricey - but we added as we went over the years.  We supplemented them with forest service maps.

I just ordered one for Indiana from Garmin. BTW Garmin website and Garmins Amazon store front are same pricing

[2gypsies]

3 hours ago, Ray,IN said:

I just ordered one for Indiana from Garmin. BTW Garmin website and Garmins Amazon store front are same pricing

If you're talking about Delorme's, they aren't as good for detail  as Benchmark unless they've changed. They have tiny lines for backroads and aren't always marked with road number.

[solo318]

https://www.amazon.com/South-Dakota-Recreation-Benchmark-Maps/dp/0783499124/ref=sr_1_16?dchild=1&keywords=south+dakota+gazetteer&qid=1590765946&sr=8-16

 

This is what I ordered. Seems cheap enough if it's terrible. Any input?

 

[Ray,IN]

11 hours ago, 2gypsies said:

If you're talking about Delorme's, they aren't as good for detail  as Benchmark unless they've changed. They have tiny lines for backroads and aren't always marked with road number.

 

11 hours ago, 2gypsies said:

 

I may be returning it then, Thanks for telling me. Perhaps I can still cancel my order.

[2gypsies]

55 minutes ago, Ray,IN said:

 

I may be returning it then, Thanks for telling me. Perhaps I can still cancel my order.

Oops.  Keep it!  Benchmark is only published for the western states perhaps because that's where the majority of public land is.

[Ray,IN]

11 hours ago, 2gypsies said:

Oops.  Keep it!  Benchmark is only published for the western states perhaps because that's where the majority of public land is.

Already cancelled, thanks anyway. I phoned just in time, supposed to ship next week.

[solo318]

On 5/29/2020 at 11:34 AM, solo318 said:

https://www.amazon.com/South-Dakota-Recreation-Benchmark-Maps/dp/0783499124/ref=sr_1_16?dchild=1&keywords=south+dakota+gazetteer&qid=1590765946&sr=8-16

 

This is what I ordered. Seems cheap enough if it's terrible. Any input?

 

So this is WAY more information than I need. what an AWESOME map/gazetteer.  Now to find one for some of the other states we like to visit.  No more boring highways for us!

 

[2gypsies]

I see they have not added a new gazetteer for Southern Appalachians.  They used to do only western states.  Nice!

This shows the various kinds of maps they publish.  Love them!!

https://www.benchmarkmaps.com/

[solo318]

On 8/4/2019 at 5:15 PM, Big5er said:

If you like Filet Mignon and are close to Hill City check out the Alpine Inn. They serve dinner from 5p-930.

Here is the dinner menu:

BACON WRAPPED FILET MIGNON

Served with a baked potato, Texas toast and a quarter wedge of lettuce with our homemade ranch dressing.

6oz $11.95 9oz $13.95

KAES SPAETZLE PRIMAVERA

German dumplings and Swiss cheese served with fresh vegetables, and Texas toast.

$11.95

That's it.

I gotta Say that this is SOUND advice. We each got a filet and a spaetzle for the table. What a wonderful evening out. We always try to have dinner at the camper, and we eat out generally once per trip. This was AWESOME.

We stayed at Beaver Lake campground. The campsite was nice and level. water was clean. power was good. the cell phone reception is non existent and the wifi is a joke. one of the work kampers put a wifi repeater and a cell phone booster in one of the picnic pavilions so you could sit and use it. All in all it was worth the price. In the future I would stay in the Hill City area as everything we wanted to do meant driving the 20 miles to hill city.

We had a list of things we wanted to do and see but we threw it out once we got there. We did take the time to see rough lock falls and cement ridge.   We also spent a few hours at Mt Rushmore. Beyond that we spent our time driving the roads in and around Custer State park.

On 5/26/2020 at 10:27 AM, Jim & Alice said:

Kirk hits it pretty well.   Also, there is the 'Old Hill city Road", from Hill city to Keystone.   And adjacent to Spearfish Canyon Rd, is the "Roughlock Falls Rd (dirt) that extends up into the mountains... eventually going by a place called "Cement Ridge" lookout Tower.   Enjoy!

What a fantastic view.  The falls are beautiful, but they don't compare to the view from the fire tower at Cement Ridge. I was discussing this with a (very large) Polaris tour group from SC and they ended up meeting us up there. so over 40 of us owe you our thanks.

The weather was pretty awesome as well. we had mornings in the 40s and afternoons in the 70s and 80s. It sure was hard coming back to high 90s here in Florida. All of the rain and hail was in the late evening after we were in for the day.

So I would like to thank each of you for good advice. It made a good trip even better

[duraduk]

We stayed at Custer St. Park for a week.  North Stockade CG.  No water hook up's due to winter freezing but they had electricity.  Had to go to dump station near Park HQ.   The following year we spent a week near Deadwood in a forest service CG.  Only problem is they charge $5 dollars a day extra for each dog.  That wasn't clear on the reservation page.   Love the area and would go back.  We stayed at the Elks Lodge in Rapid City when we needed to do laundry and stock up on supplies.  They have full hook ups and dry camping.  Great little restaurant. 

[Big5er]

On 6/29/2020 at 8:16 AM, solo318 said:

I gotta Say that this is SOUND advice. We each got a filet and a spaetzle for the table. What a wonderful evening out. We always try to have dinner at the camper, and we eat out generally once per trip. This was AWESOME.

 

Glad you enjoyed it. Can't be beat for the price. 

[2gypsies]

Anyone going to the rally at Mt. Rushmore on the 3rd?  I wouldn't go near it!!  Supposed to be approx. 8,000 there.  That's so ridiculous.  

[Barbaraok]

33 minutes ago, 2gypsies said:

Anyone going to the rally at Mt. Rushmore on the 3rd?  I wouldn't go near it!!  Supposed to be approx. 8,000 there.  That's so ridiculous.  

I take a look at any of these big gatherings and think "Dead People Walking".  The idea that one can think that they won't  catch it when all around them people are dying is beyond belief.   I just don't understand it!

[dirtyboots]

To get back to the purpose of this thread...THANKS to Solo318 for sharing the reports of your trip.  So glad you enjoyed it, the weather was good and you ate well.  Been a couple years and I can't wait to get back.  This thread will give me a couple places to visit (if I can tear myself away from Custer State Park)!!

[Kirk W]

9 hours ago, dirtyboots said:

To get back to the purpose of this thread..

That has to be one of the best places to go if you want to have a wide range of things to do and places to see. One that I don't believe has been mentioned is the Black Hills Wild Horse Sanctuary.

[solo318]

On 5/26/2020 at 10:27 AM, Jim & Alice said:

10 hours ago, dirtyboots said:

To get back to the purpose of this thread...THANKS to Solo318 for sharing the reports of your trip.  So glad you enjoyed it, the weather was good and you ate well.  Been a couple years and I can't wait to get back.  This thread will give me a couple places to visit (if I can tear myself away from Custer State Park)!!

 

We are already planning next years trip. We are going to dry camp at Nomads View on the way there and spend some time in the Badlands. Then at least a week in and around Custer State Park.

On a side note, I'm amazed at the advertising spin that a lot of these campgrounds have on there websites. I'm looking at websites and comparing them to google earth and wondering how the dump place we drove by could be what the website is claiming. There seem to be 2 common levels of campground,  Roadside cow pastures with some hookups or High dollar luxury resorts. Nothing in between.