We are at the Game Lodge Campground in Custer State Park, our 10th campsite of the trip. Eleven months ago we reserved the last site available, that was large enough for our rig. It’s hard to believe we are finally here and leaving tomorrow. The park is enormous and stunningly beautiful. There are endless possibilities for hiking and cycling in addition to sightseeing and wildlife viewing. It is on par with any national park. Had we known, we would have planned more time here.
We faired well during our first night of camping in subfreezing temperatures and snow. We kept our slide-outs in, to have less area to heat and avoid issues with ice in the seals. Our new heater, in combination with the rig’s built-in heater and our down comforter kept us warm.
The scenery on the way to Mt Rushmore was spectacular. We would have preferred 80 degrees and sun, but enjoyed the beauty of the snow. We arrived at Mt Rushmore to find that fog and clouds obscured any view of the carvings. People were leaving in disappointment, but we decided to have a coffee and wait. After about 40 minutes the clouds suddenly lifted and we could see. It pays to be patient! We also went to the Crazy Horse Memorial and the Native American Museum..
We returned to the campground via Needles Highway, a pretty harrowing drive. It’s very much like the road to Hana, with winding turns, steep drop-offs and stretches of one lane traffic. The truck barely fit through some of the tunnels. On the way, checked out all the lakes and areas around the lodges.
We checked out Hill City and the town of Custer, where we had dinner. We had Scottish Ale and English Bitter at Mount Rushmore Brewing Company, and then the best Mexican food I’ve ever had at a restaurant called Maria’s. The corn tortillas were very fresh and hand-made.
On our last full day, we drove the wildlife loop. We saw wild burrows, big horn sheep, buffalo and a lot of deer. The highlight was being at the perfect location at the right time, for a buffalo round-up. We were able to hang out with the rangers (one was from Michigan), and watch from outside, while everyone else had to remain in their vehicles, lined up behind us. It was so cool! There is a staged, controlled buffalo round-up event later in the month, but this was the real thing. They round up the buffalo to sell some, in order to manage the size of the herd.
We really do not want to leave the park. We saw most of it, but would have liked to hike, ride our bikes and have dinner in one or two of the lodges. We will be coming back!
