Catching Up With Friends, Making New Ones And The Black Hills

We just spent a wonderful 5 nights in the Black Hills of South Dakota. We spent those 5 nights at Big Pine Campground right in the heart of the Black Hills in Custer, SD.

Big Pine Campground is a wonderful place to stay if you like the state/federal park look and feel but want full hook ups.  Our friends, Geeky Explorers, had been staying here for close to a month when we arrived to visit. While there, we also met some new friends, and current friends of Geeky Explorers, Don and Christine. What a great bunch of people.  We really needed some down time and relaxation and being around friends helped. Not to mention Don is the cook extraordinaire. With just a cast iron pot and a roaring campfire, he could take ordinary ingredients and make them into fabulous meals.

We did the obligatory trips to Mt. Rushmore National Memorial and the Crazy Horse Memorial.

You can see both monuments from the roadside.  While we just drove by the Crazy Horse Monument and took a couple pictures, Mt Rushmore we fully anticipated going into the park and seeing it. However, when we got there we were dismayed to find out that our National Parks Pass was not valid there and the park had a private concessionary for parking. We felt this was a dis-service to the National Parks Service and the people going to visit. On principle, we turned around and did not go inside the park. We buy the annual parks pass to support the parks and we feel it’s wrong that they have a private company vending the parking area. It was not explained to us until after we got back to our campsite by our friends that the money they collect does go the park. Maybe they should have said that when we asked the parking attendant. It didn’t seem like the first time he had this issue.

We also took a couple days and drove around Custer State Park. Yes, it’s a state park that you have to pay to get into ($15 a car) however, this payment didn’t bother us as much as this was all run by the state parks department. So we knew that the money was going to the park. Plus, the pass is good for 7 days.

I know, we all have our quirks.

The Needles Highway inside Custer State Park is a ride you must do if you are nearby. Do not attempt this in your rv though. Their are many hairpin turns and a few tunnels that you would not make if in a large vehicle. It was a tight squeeze on some of those turns with our SUV.

While driving around we saw the Needles Eye rock formation and off in the distance rock climbers. I must admit, the rock climbers are braver than I am. They were pretty up there and on a very windy day I might add.

David managed to get some flying in, regardless of the wind. Throwing caution to the wind so to speak.

Pun intended.

The video can been seen below.

Their are plenty of pull offs along the route to get out and take pictures. Even though this part of the Needles highway is only 14 miles, it could take you all day depending on how many times you stop for pictures.

We also drove the Wildlife Loop Road Inside Custer State Park. Here you get to see some wildlife of the park up close and personal. And I mean really personal. When you turn a corner the bison are everywhere! Crossing the road right in front of you. Not a care in the world. So use to cars and the public. But fair warning, as all the signs state, these are wild animals. So precautions should be taken.

The views along the highway are spectacular. Around every corner you look, regardless if you are on the Needles Highway, the Wildlife Loop Road or just driving around the Black Hills.

We’re definitely going to have to come back here and spend more time.