Custer State park, Mt Rushmore and Wind Cave NP

Jun 16-19 2018

Mileage 52731

          We departed Arrow campground in Wall SD at 8:00 am and stopped for gas as we left town. We are heading to Custer State park and plan to visit not only this park but Mount Rushmore, Crazy Horse and Wind Cave NP while in this area. We drove Interstate 90 to Rapid City and stopped at the Visitor center for information and walking stick medallions. Journey was only 83 miles so we arrived around noon. Just as we entered Custer State Park we had a great welcoming committee. Sherry said there is a Buffalo coming down the road toward us, I stopped the RV and sure enough around the curve came this Big Bull Buffalo. He walked right toward us and no one was between him and the rig. He approached and veered to the right to pass by my driver side window about 4 feet from me. Let me tell you that was exciting.

      We were able to obtain one night in the Game Lodge campground and were in site #47 along the stream at the back of the campground. After setting up camp, we were just a mile from the Custer visitor center and we watched a movie Kevin Costner narrated about the park. Rangers were available to answer questions and also there were displays about the park. Next we drove the Wildlife loop and saw Pronghorn Antelope, Prairie dogs, and a herd of around 100 buffalo. After the wildlife loop we took highway 16A north toward the Needles and traveled through 6 tunnels and saw Mount Rushmore from a distance. We returned to the RV for supper and it started raining about 9 pm and continued raining for the next two days.

June 17

     Rain continued through the night and it was cold 54 degrees very cloudy. We have to move camp today to Rafter J bar north of the town of Custer and about 30 miles from the Game Lodge. Before me moved we drove to the town of Custer to see what the terrain would be like as Jay is nervous about steep terrain and narrow roads. It was fine and we took lots of pictures of painted buffalo in the town and enjoyed the visitor center there as well. We returned to the Game Lodge for lunch and it was superb. Spent the next three nights at Rafter J bar but were out exploring during the day.

 In the afternoon we got a call from Ryan Hurt, he and his family were in Souix falls for a wedding and were heading our way and would be there the next day.

June 18, Rainy, foggy and high of 52

     Ryan, Julie, and their girls Ashley, Kayla, Renna, and Chesney were staying in Rapid City. We met up at Keystone and then drove 16A to Custer State park. This road has 314 curves and 3 tunnels and is quite an introduction to the area. We saw the movie with them about Custer state park then had them drive the Wildlife loop while we headed back to Rafter J bar camp to move the camper across the road to a different site. We met up again at the Game lodge for lunch. We then drove the Highway 16 north to the Needles again and were stopped by a guy that took his RV through the tunnel and was pretty well stuck. He finally got through and had shredded his awning. Our group stopped on the other side of the tunnel and took pictures of the Needles. We then stopped at the RV to show them our camp and RV. After we all went to Crazy Horse and then to Mount Rushmore but because of the fog not much could be seen. We did see a movie at both sites and some views of the presidents between the clouds. All of us returned to Rapid City for supper at Longhorn steak house and had a great meal. Great day with the Hurt family and they had a flight in the morning back to home in Indiana.

June 19, Rain continued 56 degrees and cloudy again

       Went to Wind Cave National park just south of Custer State park. Took the entrance tour which was 1:15 long and included 300 steps mostly down and had several unique cave formations including Box work, Snowflake and Popcorn. No stalactites or stalagmites were in this cave. They did have an elevator back to the surface. Drive back was on the Wildlife loop and we saw several Antelope and 3 Buffalo. We stopped at Sylvan lake for supper and then returned to the RV and completed the laundry duties. We saw 6 deer in our RV park and put laundry away and enjoyed a beer.