After visiting Anna’s uncle in Springfield Missouri for Thanksgiving we decided to go south through Arkansas while heading toward the Texas coast for winter. We had been to a couple of Arkansas parks before and wanted to try a few more during the Fall to see if we still had a good impression. By and large we were not disappointed. We will definitely be returning to Arkansas in the future!

Our first stop was Withrow Springs State Park in northwest Arkansas just north of Huntsville in the Ozark Mountains. The park was created among the scenic mountains and valleys that surround the site’s key feature, Withrow Spring. The spring, which has a constant temperature of 54 degrees, served as a common watering place for area settlers and travelers in the 1800s. It is named for Richard Withrow, an early settler who traveled west in 1831 from Tennessee an established one of the first gristmills in the area. He, along with his sons and their families, homesteaded land over much of the area.

Withrow Springs gushes from a small cave at the foot of a bluff, spills into a pond, cascades over a ledge, and makes its way through the hardwood forests of the park before joining War Eagle Creek. Fishing is popular in the creek and in a small pond within the park. There are several trails within the park but we did not hike them due to the wet weather in December.

Although Withrow Springs is pretty much in the middle of nowhere, there is a Walmart nearby and its also close to Eureka Springs. Secluded and peaceful with winding mountainside streets, Eureka Springs has flair like no other town. Streets are lined with Victorian homes hugging cliff sides, and the entire downtown area is on the National Register of Historic Places. It also has block after block of one-of-a-kind shops, boutiques, fine art galleries, craft emporiums, spas, museums, and restaurants. Festivals and events span everything from blues, jazz, and opera to car shows to UFOs, antiques and the arts. It’s a must see destination if you’re in the area but do some planning if you plan to go there with a large rig. The streets can be difficult to navigate even with just our truck.

From Withrow Springs we were also able to visit friends, Russell and Cheryl, who had just moved to Bella Vista. After seeing their new home we went into Bentonville for dinner. Bentonville was the birthplace of Walmart and the original store along with Sam Walton’s pickup truck are available to see as a part of the Walmart museum on the historic town square. It was fun to be there at Christmas time to see the impressive Christmas tree and light displays.

After leaving Withrow Springs we continued south to Lake Fort Smith State Park in pouring rain. It was a beautiful drive in the Ozark National Forest to get there. The rain turned into a very dense fog as we drew closer to our exit onto narrow windy back roads. Luckily we only had to travel a few miles and then we came out of the fog as we descended the other side of the mountain down into the valley where Lake Fort Smith is located. It was beautiful and breathtaking.

Lake Fort Smith is in the Boston Mountain Valley of the Ozarks, north of Fort Smith. Originally built as a city park in the 1930’s by the WPA, it became a state park in 1973. Following a move from its original location, the state park reopened in 2008 on the western side of a 1400-acre reservoir made by enlarging and joining lakes Fort Smith and Shepherd Springs. The result is a beautiful park surrounded by the Ozark Mountains.

The 165-mile Ozark Highlands Trail has its western trailhead in the park. This backpacking trail is heralded as one of the most scenic in the nation. Hikers can follow the trail through the Ozark National Forest, through several wilderness areas, and along the Buffalo National River. We spent a few hours hiking along the first part of this trail within the state park. A benefit of winter camping and hiking, the trees were void of their leaves so we were able to see for miles.

There are 20 class AAA campsites with full hookups and 50A service within the lower part of the loop. The upper loop class B campsites are shorter and are 30A with water. Our rig would not fit in those. In the picture below, we were supposed to be in the site blocked off with cones. About a week before our arrival a freak storm (for December) came through and dropped a tree on an RV and the electrical pole for the site so they moved us to site 9.

The last campground we stayed in Arkansas was Bellah Mine. The park is located on the northern end of DeQueen Lake just north of the town of DeQueen. We visited late in December and we were the only ones in the park. It was beautiful there and the site had multiple levels, one for the picnic table and another for the campfire. Unfortunately though, the sites were 15-20 feet shorter than advertised and had there been others in the park it would have been difficult to navigate. Others said their site was narrow and slides were very close to the road. We had a couple of feet but not much more. The dump station was also tight for a large rig. If you have something smaller, maybe < 30 feet it would likely be great but we will not return with a big rig.

Park Review -Withrow Springs State Park

Rating: 
Location:  Huntsville, Arkansas
Site Quality / Amenities: Asphalt roads and pads. Each site has a picnic table, grill and fire ring. The sites include 50A full hookups and there is a bath house and restrooms in the single campground loop. Numerous hiking trails. Swimming pool.
Type: State Park
Access: Access via Highway 23 north of Huntsville.
Staff: We had little interaction with staff at the park but they were always friendly.
Cellular/Wi-Fi: Verizon was nonexistent but we had some AT&T service via our amplifier at about 2 Mbps.
Restaurants: Granny’s Kitchen in Huntsville had good American food.
Nearby parks: We did not look at other parks in the area.
What we liked: Nice well kept park with lots of trees. Many of the sites are quite large and many include a separate parking pad in addition to the RV pad.
What we didn’t like: Although we got satellite TV in the winter it would likely be difficult to get in the summer when trees are growing. Little to no cellular signal as the park is down in a valley. The campground is on spur 23 which is primary for park and other local traffic. We expected there wouldn’t be a lot of vehicles travelling the road but we were wrong. There are lots of cars and most are going well above the 25-35 mph speed limits in the park.
Verdict: This is a very nice, small, out of the way campground with just 29 RV sites and another 10 walk-in tent sites. This is definitely a good option if travels take you into north western Arkansas. Sites 8, 12, 14, and 15 are all large sites that would be great for larger rigs but with the downside that spur 23 is right behind those sites. We stayed in site 14. Sites 16, 17, 21, 22, 26, 27 and 29 are away from the road and more secluded but closer to one wall of the canyon and as such it would be unlikely you could get satellite signal in any of those, even in the winter. Sites 18, 29, and 23 are in the middle of the campground and might offer the best of both worlds – away from the road and best shot at getting satellite signal while being a little less secluded than other sites.

Park Review – Lake Fort Smith State Park

Rating: 
Location: Chester, Arkansas
Site Quality / Amenities: Asphalt roads and pads. Each site has a picnic table, grill and fire ring. The sites include 50A full hookups and there is a bath house and restrooms in the single campground loop. Numerous hiking trails. Swimming pool. Visitor Center with small museum and a some supplies.
Type: State Park
Access: Access via US Highway 71 north of Chester. The road is somewhat steep and windy but is easily doable.
Staff: We had little interaction with staff at the park but they were always friendly.
Cellular/Wi-Fi: Verizon was nonexistent but we had some AT&T service via our amplifier.
Restaurants: Catfish Hole in Alma – Had very good catfish and shrimp.
Nearby parks: We did not look at other parks in the area.
What we liked: Nice well kept park with lots of trees. Nice view of the lake.
What we didn’t like: Minimal cellular service. Sometimes it worked but at other times it didn’t.
Verdict: We will definitely come back to Lake Fort Smith SP. Hopefully we can get a site in the spring or early fall to enjoy better weather. Good sites include 9, 14, 17, 19, and 20. Ok sites are 4, 6, and 7.

Park Review – Bellah Mine COE

Rating: 
Location: DeQueen, Arkansas
Site Quality / Amenities: Asphalt roads and pads. Each site has a picnic table, grill and fire ring. The sites include 50A full hookups and there is a bath house and restrooms in the single campground loop. Numerous hiking trails. Swimming pool.
Type: Corps of Engineers park (COE)
Access: Access via US Highway 71 north of De Queen, Arkansas.
Staff: We only saw the park attendant when we arrived but she was friendly.
Cellular/Wi-Fi: We had Verizon and AT&T service but did not record speeds.
Restaurants: Mary POPS in De Queen had decent Mexican food.
Nearby parks: We did not look at other parks in the area.
What we liked: We were the only one in the park except for the attendant(s) who were quite a ways away. Very secluded and private in December.
What we didn’t like: Location of water at some sites was quite awkward. On site 9 we didn’t get satellite even though we had almost a clear view to the south. The site was very short for our rig in spite of saying it could handle a rig up to 82 feet long.
Verdict: We really wanted to be able to recommend this park. All the sites have great views of the lake and in December, we were the only campers in the park. Unfortunately, site lengths reported on the web site were inaccurate. For instance, for site 9 it showed a maximum RV length of 82 feet but we barely fit and we only need about 67 feet with the truck parked in front of the RV. Most of the other sites also appeared to be 15 to 20 feet shorter than what was reported. For larger rigs like ours, many areas were very tight to navigate and particularly the dump station. Although we enjoyed our stay we likely won’t return to this park.

Park Review – Stone Oak Ranch RV Resort

Rating: 
Site Quality / Amenities: Asphalt roads and concrete pads. There is a decent amount of space between sites but they are not huge. Standard pull-thru sites are 80′ long so plenty big for us. There are rest rooms with showers, laundry rooms, a fitness center and a business center. There is also a heated pool, a picnic area and a playscape. There are two dog parks and a pickleball court.
Type: Commercial Park
Access: Off Ronald Reagan Blvd. (Parmer Lane) west of Georgetown and north of Cedar Park.
Staff: The staff were very friendly at check-in but we didn’t really see them after that.
Cellular/Wi-Fi: Verizon was fast at 44 Mbps and AT&T was a bit slower. Both suffered from intermittent latency issues and occasional drop outs.
Restaurants: There are numerous restaurants nearby in Georgetown, Cedar Park and Liberty Hill.
Nearby parks: We didn’t check out any other parks in the area.
What we liked: Concrete roads and pads. Our site had a good amount of room on the outdoor side.
What we didn’t like: The paved porch is too far forward for Fifth Wheels, putting it beside the tow vehicle. Regular sites did not have picnic tables or chairs. Camp fires are not allowed.
Verdict: Good place for longer stays in the area.

Park Review -Jim Hogg Park

Rating: 
Location:  Georgetown, Texas
Site Quality / Amenities: Asphalt roads and pads. Each site has a covered picnic table, grill and fire ring. Water and Electric only, bath house and restrooms in each loop. The southern loop (nearest the lake) has 50A power while the northern loop is 30A only.
Type: COE Park
Access: Access via Jim Hogg road from Williams Dr. (2338). Lakeway Dr. is good to get to Williams from the north on I35 as is 970 to Andice from 183.
Staff: We had little interaction with staff at the park but they were always friendly.
Cellular/Wi-Fi: Verizon and AT&T were fast at about 21 Mbps.
Restaurants: We have numerous favorites in the area since we lived here.
Nearby parks: Cedar Breaks on the south side of the lake.
What we liked: Nice well kept park with less cedar trees than Cedar Breaks (important since the cedars drop sap) and also with less rocks so the ground was easier and more stable to walk across.
What we didn’t like: No sewer hookups. The dump station is on the way out of the park which is a bit far for a tote tank although it works. The real issue is that if there is a line you may not be able to exit the park as the line blocks the road out.
Verdict: A nice alternative to Cedar Breaks if not just a bit farther to Round Rock where our doctors and friends are. Might be a good choice for the April/May visit as we could probably get a site that isn’t below cedar trees that drop sap. Good sites for us: Lower loop (50A sites) – 12, 14, 21, 22, 24, 26, 28, 34, 35, 37, 42, 43, 46, 47, 55; also sites 66 and 76 might be ok. Upper loop (30A sites) – 88, 89, 94, 97, 106, 116, 118, 126, and 142. Sites 105, 127 and 129 also might be ok. The upper loop sites should only be selected as a last resort.

In the fall while many other parks stay quite full even during the week, our loop was at best only about 50% full. Many of the other loops were almost empty. Keep in mind, only the Council Bluff Campground has full hookups. The two other campgrounds are electric and water only with some sites only having water. Some of the sites are for tents only. Also note that many of the sites outside Council Bluff are far too short for anything but the smallest RV. Even sites that appear to be long enough have trees that interfere with the site and might keep you from fitting properly.

The park also has 17 cabins and 11 “huts” that enable folks to stay there even if they don’t tent or RV. Many of the cabins appeared quite nice from the outside and many have great views of the lake. Most are fairly secluded. There are also 3 “lodges”, which aren’t what most people would call a lodge but they appear to have been homes that were bought when the park was created. We didn’t find out too much about them but they seem to be large enough for an extended family to come and everyone stay in the “lodge” together.

Park Review – Lake Brownwood State Park

Rating: 
Site Quality / Amenities: Asphalt roads and pads. Large amount of space between each site.
Type: State Park
Access: From TX-279 north of Brownwood, go east on State Highway Park Road 15 to the entrance of the park.
Staff: The gate staff were friendly but we had no interaction with the park hosts in our loop.
Cellular/Wi-Fi: Verizon was only available via roaming and data was excruciatingly slow. AT&T worked pretty well at 6 Mbps.
Restaurants: We didn’t eat out while at Lake Brownwood. Most nearby restaurants are in Brownwood about 20 miles away.
Nearby parks: We didn’t check out any other parks in the area.
What we liked: The park is secluded and was not crowded in late October. Lots of hiking trails but most are moderate due to rocky, rough trails with some hills to climb. Lots of cabins along the lake if you don’t want to camp.
What we didn’t like: Like many Texas State Parks, the maintenance and upkeep of the grounds is sub-par compared to other states.
Verdict: We would come here again especially during the off season when fewer people are in the park and we are looking for a place to stay with nothing else to do but just relax – there isn’t much else to do without driving into Brownwood.

Rating: 
Site Quality / Amenities: Concrete roads and pads. Some sites are pretty spacious while other are not. For big rigs you have to pay extra for a larger site.
Type: Commercial Park
Access: Access to the park is along the south west access road for I-27 at loop 289. From the north side you need to circle around on loop 289 on the west side of Lubbock taking the exit for US-87 south / Tahoka and circling around to the south to enter the park. From the south going north on US-84 get on loop 289 and circle back at University Ave then exit as above.
Staff: The staff were very friendly at check-in but we didn’t really see them after that.
Cellular/Wi-Fi: Verizon was reasonably fast at 13 Mbps and AT&T was a bit slow at 3 Mbps.
Restaurants: Twisted Root Burgers – we went back here after trying it before when our daughter went to school at Texas Tech. It was parent weekend so they could have been a bit busier than normal but overall the service and burgers were off.
Nearby parks: Mesa Verde, 503 US-62, Wolfforth (South West side of Lubbock). No trees, easy navigation through the park, good Verizon. Most sites are wide enough to park the truck beside the trailer. Good location for our doctors. Camelot Village, 6001 34th St, Lubbock (West side). Good location for our doctors. The park seems nearly 100% full but mostly permanent residents – may be tough to get a transient site for more than a week or two. Loop 289 RV Park, 3436 W Loop 289 Access Rd. (West side near Camelot Village). Good location but it’s doubtful we could get a long enough site. Many permanent residents. Lubbock RV Park 4811 North, I-27, Lubbock, TX 79403 by the airport. Sites at west (back) end of the park >site 70 are probably OK. Best sites at the far back seem to be premium. Some low trees inside the park would likely hit the trailer. Construction on the service road south of the park is a pain in 11/2022. Verizon was great there. Cottonland, 5040 E Hwy 62, 82, Lubbock (North est side). Dirt road with mix of paved and unpaved sites but mud was not bad the day after heavy rain. May be mostly long term, particularly the sites with concrete pads, and may be hard to book. Verizon was slow. Lubbock KOA, 5502 County Rd 6300 (North west side near The Shack). Not too bad but a bit muddy after heavy rain the day before – much worse than the other parks reviewed or The Retreat. All gravel both roads and sites. Indoor pool was nice.
What we liked: Concrete roads and pads. Our site had plenty of room on the outdoor side.
What we didn’t like: It’s a bit difficult to get into the park due to it’s location. The sites were awkwardly laid out. The porch was way too far forward for any kind of RV. The water and sewer connections were also far forward. The only connection conveniently located was power. Can’t book more than 14 days at a time online or early. For long term stays you have to check with them 2 weeks before you want to arrive.
Verdict: We will stay here again if we decide to visit the area.

Palo Duro Canyon is a place where erosion shapes the land, four bioregions intersect, cultures have met and clashed and change is the only constant. The majestic beauty of the canyon takes time to appreciate. The sights and sounds here are lost in most urban settings. The canyon is one of the most beautiful and majestic areas within Texas. The canyon is approximately 120 miles long and 600 to 800 feet deep. The canyon was formed less than 1 million years ago when an ancient river first carved its way through the Southern High Plains. The rocks expose a geologic story that began approximately 250 million years ago, layer by layer revealing a panoramic view of magnificent color. People are believed to have lived in the area for about 12,000 years.

Palo Duro has a wide variety of wildlife including white tailed deer, mule deer, coyotes, roadrunners, wild turkey and cottontails along with a few others. We saw mule deer, a coyote, a cottontail, a couple of roadrunners and a group of wild turkeys as well as two snakes. “Palo Duro” is Spanish for “hard wood” in reference to the Rocky Mountain Juniper trees still seen all around the canyon.

The canyon was also the scene of the decisive battle of the Red River War (1874-1875) and was the final campaign against the Southern Plains Indians. Led by Colonel Ronald Mackenzie, the 4th U.S. Cavalry attacked the first of five encampments of Kiowa, Comanche and Cheyenne at dawn on September 24, 1874. As warriors attempted to set up a defense, the people fled up the canyon. The Cavalry burned their teepees and winter food stores then killed their horses. Facing the coming winter without food or horses meant starvation for the Indians and they were forced to return to the reservation in Fort Sill. Their traditional way of life was gone forever. In 1876 Charles Goodnight and John Adair established the JA Ranch in the canyon after it was opened to settlement.

This is a beautiful place to visit but be aware that it can get very hot in the summer and very cold in the winter. The best times to visit are in the early spring or fall. Also keep in mind that none of the sites have full hookups and only the Sagebrush campground is near one of the two dump stations. Although some people used tote tanks to go to the dump, in many cases the drive is three miles or more. Finally, the biting flies are horrible! Even while we were here in the fall with mild temperatures it was impossible to get away from them. For me, all this adds up to only staying in the canyon for 3 or 4 days. We enjoyed our stay here, hiking a few trails and marveling at the beautiful scenery. The best part of our stay was spending a few days with my sister, Jan and brother-in-law Chris and getting caught up!

Park Review – Palo Duro Canyon State Park

Rating: 
Site Quality / Amenities: Asphalt roads and pads. Large amount of space between each site. Some sites like ours have larger outdoor spaces.
Type: State Park
Access: From I-27 south of Amarillo, take exit 106 (4th Ave./217). Go east on Hwy 217 to the park. It will likely be several miles from the park entrance to your campsite and there is a 10% grade for about a mile going into he canyon and the road is narrow with switchbacks.
Staff: We didn’t have any interaction with staff at the park except for the gate attendant at the entrance. She was friendly and helpful with maps to the park.
Cellular/Wi-Fi: Verizon was non-existent but we did have AT&T although it was slow at 3.5 Mbps. At least we had AT&T as we didn’t expect any service at the bottom of the canyon.
Restaurants: None, the nearest city is Canyon with the nearest restaurant being about 15 miles away.
Nearby parks: We didn’t check out any other parks in the area.
What we liked: Unbelievably beautiful scenery in west Texas. Large sites and outdoor space (in some loops).
What we didn’t like: None of the sites have sewer connections. Dump stations were close to the start of the park with many campgrounds miles away. Both dump stations were tight for a big rig with the one between the Pioneer Amphitheater and the Sagebrush Campground being a bit better. For some reason there are tons of flies!
Verdict: Palo Duro Canyon is an unexpected gem in the middle of west Texas. The views inside the canyon are spectacular. This is a must see place to camp for a few nights. Unfortunately, there are no sites with sewer connections and it may be miles to get from many of the campgrounds to one of the two dump stations which in my opinion is a bit far to go even if you have a tote tank that’s limited to 5 mph maximum; although we did see people doing it. For that reason, we would not stay here for longer than 4 days unless possibly we could get a large enough site in the Sagebrush campground.

Park Review – Coyote Keeth’s RV Park

Rating: 
Site Quality / Amenities: Gravel roads and pads. Large amount of space between each site. There are restrooms with showers but no other amenities.
Type: Commercial Park
Access: Right off of US-87 on the south east side Clayton, NM
Staff: We didn’t have any interaction with staff at the park except for the camp host in our loop. He was friendly and helpful.
Cellular/Wi-Fi: Verizon was fast at about 76 Mbps.
Restaurants: We didn’t eat out while we were there.
Nearby parks: We didn’t check out any other parks in the area.
What we liked: The sites were wide and just long enough to stay hooked up for a quick departure the next day. There is a good amount of room between each site.
What we didn’t like: There is a train track across US-87 but they didn’t use their horns and noise was minimal. It was very windy the night we arrived but that isn’t unusual for the area.
Verdict: Great place for an overnight stop but not much more as there just isn’t much there.

Many people might recognize Cheyenne Mountain as the location where the underground operations center for the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) was built during the Cold War to monitor North American airspace for missile launches and Soviet military aircraft. Built deep within granite, it was designed to withstand the impact and fallout from a nuclear bomb. Its function broadened with the end of the Cold War, and then many of its functions were transferred to Peterson Air Force Base in 2006. One of the entrances into the underground tunnels can be seen above the state park.

Park Review – Cheyenne Mountain State Park

Rating: 
Site Quality / Amenities: Asphalt roads with concrete pads. Large amount of space between each site.
Type: State Park
Access: From I-25, take exit 135. Go west on Hwy 83/South Academy Blvd. to Hwy 115. Turn left (south) on Hwy 115. Go to JL Ranch Heights road (Gate 1 of Fort Carson will be to the left) and turn right (This turn is very narrow for a big rig!). Be very careful of the signs from this point as there are two different places that could mess you up. The first is at the roundabout just after turning on JL Ranch Heights – stay to the left to enter the roundabout rather than taking the exit off to the right. The second place is at the Limekiln Trailhead turn off just after the park entrance station. It looks like you need to go straight at the intersection which would take you to the Limekiln Trailhead. Instead you want to take the road to the right to stay on JL Ranch Heights road. After that follow the signs carefully to find the correct campground. Having a map of the park ahead of time would be a good idea.
Staff: We didn’t have any interaction with staff at the park except for the camp host in our loop. He was friendly and helpful.
Cellular/Wi-Fi: Verizon was slow at 2 Mbps (on 5G!) and AT&T was a bit slow at 5 Mbps.
Restaurants: We only tried a fast food restaurant near the Walmart while we were here.
Nearby parks: We didn’t check out any other parks in the area.
What we liked: Many sites have great views of Fort Carson and south Colorado Springs. Nighttime views and just before sunrise can be spectacular. Walmart, Home Depot and other major stores nearby, although the Walmart was extremely crowded. Lots of easy to moderate hiking trails in the park. Site 10 in Raptor Glen Loop was plenty long enough to park in front or behind the trailer.
What we didn’t like: The road into the park can be narrow and confusing in places.
Verdict: We will definitely come back, hopefully in the spring/summer when temperatures are warmer and we can sit outside and enjoy the city lights at night.

As the emigrants passed through Mitchell Pass this marked for them a departure from the plains east of here and into the Rocky Mountains to the west. This area also marked the 1/3 point of a 2000-mile roadway to the Pacific Northwest. After the Union Pacific and Central Pacific railroads linked up at Promontory, Utah in 1869 the westward trails fell into disuse as a transcontinental throughway.

In the next decades Scotts Bluff symbolized the past for one group of settlers and the future for another. The new wave of emigrants arrived not in covered wagons but in rail cars. They were no longer just passing through on their way west; many came to stay.

Robidoux Pass is a few miles south of Mitchell Pass and was used by early emigrants travelling through the area until the army improved the route through Mitchell Pass. The new route was closer to the Platt River and cut about 8 miles from the route west which was about 1 days travel time. It’s hard to imagine that we can drive in 10 minutes today what took all day in the mid-1800’s!

Park Review – Robidoux RV Park

Rating: 
Site Quality / Amenities: Asphalt roads with concrete pads. Large amount of space between each site. There is a large green space in the middle of the park for dogs to get exercise. There are also restrooms likely with showers and laundry facilities but we didn’t take a look at them.
Type: City Park
Access: The park is a bit off the beaten path but well worth a trip to see Scotts Bluff.
Staff: Friendly at check-in but we didn’t have any other interaction with them.
Cellular/Wi-Fi: Verizon was very fast and AT&T was good. There is Wi-Fi in the park but we didn’t use it.
Restaurants: Ole – This Mexican restaurant was highly rated and very busy. Unfortunately for us it was just OK.
Nearby parks: We didn’t check out any other parks in the area.
What we liked: Very wide sites. Our site was plenty long for our rig and our truck to park in front of it. Walmart, Home Depot and other major stores nearby.
What we didn’t like: Can’t think of anything!
Verdict: We will definitely stay here again if we’re in the area. It’s good for a few days in the area and you could see everything. Maybe a week if you just want to chill and not do much.

Mount Rushmore

In 1923 Doane Robinson proposed carving Old West heroes in the needles of Cathedral Spires, some of the same ones seen in the pictures along the Needles Highway below. Robinson approached sculptor Gutzon Borglum about the project. Borglum shot down the idea of Old West heroes and instead wanted to place as close to heaven as possible the words of our leaders and their faces, to show posterity what manner of men they were. He felt that a monument’s dimensions should be determined by the importance to civilization of the events commemorated and he also wanted the monument to endure until the wind and rain alone would wear them down.

In 1925 Federal and state legislation authorized the carving of the memorial and fundraising begins. In 1927 President Calvin Coolidge dedicates the memorial and Borglum begins carving. 90% of the work removing stone from the mountain was done with dynamite with tools being used to finish the sculpture. This work was done by miners, farmers, and others with Borglum supervising the work. In 1941, Gutzon Borglum died and his son Lincoln oversaw completion of the work that same year. The original goal was to complete each statue down to the waist of each president but due to the untimely death of Gutzon, work was completed short of that goal.

Custer State Park

When we were doing our original planning for visiting the area we mostly focused on Mount Rushmore, Custer and Hill City. We really didn’t know much about Custer State Park until a friend of a friend mentioned it. Wow! Somehow we almost missed one of the best destinations in the area. Some of the can’t miss areas include the Needles Highway, the Wildlife Loop and Iron Mountain Road (which is technically outside the park). For Needles Highway, be careful is you have a large vehicle! The Needles Eye tunnel is only 8 feet wide which is about the same width as our dually pickup.

Custer State Park includes both granite peaks and rolling plains along with some gorgeous lakes fed by clear mountain water. We thought Sylvan Lake was the most beautiful. Encompassing 71,000 acres in the Black Hills, Custer State Park is home to abundant wildlife and adventure; camping, hiking, biking, swimming, fishing, or relaxing, there’s something there for everyone.

Buffalo (bison), elk, and other animals can be found throughout the park. The bison heard of over 1300 head roams the park throughout most of the year but in September an annual roundup is held and the female and their young are herded into a large corral on the southern end of the park. There they are sorted, checked and tested for disease. Some are auctioned off to manage the size of the herd based on the forage available in the park.

Note: The term “buffalo” may be considered a misnomer for this animal, as it is only distantly related to either of the two “true buffalo”, the Asian water buffalo and the African buffalo. However, “bison” is a Greek word meaning ox-like animal, while “buffalo” originated with the French fur trappers who called these massive beasts bœufs, meaning ox or bullock – so both names, “bison” and “buffalo,” have a similar meaning. In reference to this animal, the term “buffalo,” which dates to 1635, has a much longer history than the term “bison,” which was first recorded in 1774.

Hill City

Hill City is a small town about 15 miles northwest of Mount Rushmore that has numerous restaurants, shops, grocery stores, wineries and gas stations. It is the closest town on the west side of Rushmore and is a good place to visit when you need a break from outdoor activities.

In 1876, Hill City was the first settlement established in conjunction with the initial discovery of Black Hills gold in French Creek, just 13 miles south of where Hill City sits today. Miners came from far and wide to prospect in and around this small mountain town, now referred to as “The Heart of the Hills.” Although the first settlement in the county, it was the second community to develop in the greater Black Hills area, springing up shortly after the town of Custer.

After the bulk of gold prospecting relocated to the Northern Hills, Hill City reached a state of near abandonment by settlers before tin and the railroad drew the pioneers back in. From the mid-1880s to the turn of the century, the town revived and thrived on the discovery of tin, a malleable and silvery-white metal pulled from the rock in the Hills around the town. However, Hill City’s “tin age” was short-lived. When the tin frenzy subsided, the industrial railroad took over and dominated the first half of the emerging century. By the late 1950s, the Black Hills Central Railroad introduced the first passenger steam train on the line, commonly referred to today as the “1880 Train.”

In recent history, the Hill City community has continued to evolve as an archeological, paleontological, and geological hub for Black Hills exploration and discovery. The most complete Tyrannosaurus Rex skeleton in paleontological history was discovered in the Hill City area and named “Sue” after the paleontologist who unearthed her.

1880 Train

The 1880 train is a tourist attraction located in Hill City. The train travels several times daily between Hill City and Keystone for a distance of about 20 miles and takes about an hour each way. Not only is it fun to travel by a steam powered train but you’ll see some gorgeous scenery along the way as well as learn a bit about the history of the area.

Iron Mountain Road

Similar to Needles Highway (although the tunnels are wider on Iron Mountain Road) the area includes numerous granite rock formations and spectacular views. Iron Mountain Road is between Mount Rushmore and the northern edge of Custer State Park.

Two of the three tunnels along Iron Mountain Road have views of Mount Rushmore from the tunnel which is a great opportunity for a good picture. One of the most interesting features of this route are the three pigtail bridges. A pigtail or spiral bridge is a road bridge which loops over its own road, allowing the road to climb rapidly. This is useful in steep terrain, or where the approach road to a bridge would terminate too far from the bridge’s end. The shape of the bridge forms a helix, not a spiral. 

Cecil Gideon designed the bridges in 1932 when many felt they could not be built. Riding on Horseback from his home near the Game Lodge in Custer State Park, Gideon and Senator Norbeck spent long hours laying out the Iron Mountain Road including the tunnels that frame Mount Rushmore and the pigtail bridges.

Custer

After Hill City, Custer is the next nearest town to Mount Rushmore on the west side. Today the town is home to numerous restaurants and shops as well as several museums that tell the story of early life in the area.

Although there were French fur trappers and traders in the Custer area by 1796, there was no town of Custer until August 10, 1875. On that date General George Crook persuaded the miners illegally in the area to leave until the Black Hills became opened to white settlement. Crook allowed the assembled miners to lay out and name a town and allowed seven men to remain in the area to protect their mining claims. Veterans of the Civil War who had served in the Union Army suggested the name of Custer to honor the general who had made a reputation for himself.

The exodus of miners in August of 1875 was short-lived. Many of them returned to the area before it was officially opened to settlement by the government. They had been lured to the area by reports from the 1874 expedition to the Black Hills and Custer’s report of the finding of gold on French Creek. Custer was followed within four months by the Collins-Witcher-Gordon party of pioneers who settled near Custer’s former “permanent” camp. The Gordon Stockade was built by that party and it was the magnet that drew the miners to the area in 1875. The Gordon party was evicted from their stockade in April of 1875.

Park Review – Mount Rushmore KOA Resort at Palmer Gulch

Rating: 
Site Quality / Amenities: The sites are gravel, many are full hookup with 50A service. We had a deluxe patio site so in addition to having a patio we had a table with chairs, a grill, a swing and a fire pit. We were on an end site so we had a bit of extra room although we were near the office and there was a lot of traffic during the day. This is a KOA Resort and as such it had numerous amenities. Unfortunately for us, after Labor Day many of them close down.
Type: Commercial
Access: On SD244 about 3 miles from US385 and about 6 miles from Mount Rushmore. It’s a bit off the beaten path but roads are good and grades along the roads although steep at times are fairly short.
Staff: All staff we encountered were friendly and helpful; offering tips for the local area. Given that the staff was beginning to leave since our last day here is the end of their season, the ones still there were working long hours. Because of that, we were surprised how energetic and cheerful they were.
Cellular/Wi-Fi: I do not believe the park had Wi-Fi and Verizon was almost non-existent – working at times and not at others. Verizon data was very unreliable. AT&T worked decently although it was prone to be intermittent. Speeds were slow.
Restaurants: Bumpin Buffalo Bar and Grill, Hill City – Standard bar and grill fare, the food was good. Alpine Inn, Hill City – We did not get to eat there but it was recommended for steaks by some folks we met in Elephant Butte. Powder House Restaurant, Keystone – Great steaks. Black Hills Burger and Bun, Custer – Great burgers recommended by a friend.
Nearby parks: Crooked Creek Resort – Pretty nice park but it would likely be a bit tight for us to navigate and many sites would be too short. Crooked Creek is definitely not a resort like the KOA is. Rafter J Bar Ranch – At the junction of US385 and SD244, J Bar Ranch would be a good choice for us. It is less of a Resort but had all the amenities we would need whereas the KOA would be better for folks with kids. Sites were pretty large and most were clear of trees so satellite should be no problem. It closed about a week before the end of September.
What we liked: Friendly staff. Many resort activities during the summer season (most close after Labor Day). Convenient to Mount Rushmore, Custer State Park, Custer, the Crazy Horse memorial and Hill City.
What we didn’t like: Our site was at the front of the park and it tended to be a bit busier there with people checking in and out. The sites are short for big rigs forcing everyone to park on the grass. This created a situation where the roads near the sites were crowded and difficult to navigate. Most of the resort amenities including the main restaurant were closed after Labor Day.
Verdict: If we come to the area again, we’ll shoot for Rafter J Bar Ranch first and the KOA second. Families with kids would be happier with the KOA due to many kids activities. If you come after labor day, expect many amenities, restaurants, and other places to be closed for the season. However, that’s when the gorgeous fall colors are present and things are less crowded.