South Dakota Road Trip

[jacob.]

Me and my wife will be taking a "honeymoon" of sorts in our 1985 vanagon. We're planning on spending most of our time in South Dakota and the 10,000 lakes region of northern minnesota. I'm looking for some recommendations for great vanagon camping spots, preferably remote, but not necessary. We like long hikes with the dog and swimming spots. Beautiful, winding roads are a plus as well.

Thanks guys.
_________________

[djkeev]

Beautiful Winding roads in South Dakota?!?!?!

Maybe West around Rushmore....... most of the State is flat with roads designed by engineers with long straight rulers!

And the Wind! OMG......there are times that I fight furiously for every West bound foot.

Minnesota however? Lots of pretty country.
But..... I've no specific camping info for you, just chuckled about the winding roads......

Have a great trip!

Dave
_________________
Stop Dead Photo Links how to post photos

Ghia
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=392473

Vanagon
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?p=6315537#6315537

Beetle
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=482968&highlight=74+super+vert

[danfromsyr]

I haven't been out there YET. but is is in our (hopeful) plans for 2017 as well
so I have a few stars on MY MAPS.

Sage Creek campground near Badlands is established but primitive..
and appears like you could have Bison wandering about the campsites.
https://goo.gl/maps/wAJVRHgNY4z

twisty roads
Rt87 and 16A by Wind cave & Custer state parks SW of Rushmore I have bullet points on my map as well. so I don't miss them.


goto Street and or satellite view on the links below.

360* turns.
https://goo.gl/maps/PsL9hkJNmMF2

Needles EYE tunnel
https://goo.gl/maps/5fVZDSYWFHw

Tunnel Spiral Bridge
https://goo.gl/maps/EyAtKwGKJwJ2
_________________

[greebly]

Laura Ingalls Wilde homestead, The little house on the prairie. Signs everywhere for Wall Drugs. Some 15,000 square foot drug store that passes as a tourist attraction in South Dakota, I think they will give you free ice though if I remember correctly. Mount Rushmore and the Black Hills. And finally Sturgis, in August the Harley Davidson gathering. I went to none of these. But I was in the state during Sturgis. It was interesting in a diverse way. On Interstate 90 I saw very rich people trailoring their bikes in custom trailers, some driving $1,000,000 RVs and guys riding beat up bikes that appeared they had not washed in a week or two. I would suggest avoiding SD in the middle of August.

[jkallo]

My wife and I LOVE SD. From Chicago, it's the closest destination to get into western landscape. We have been known to drive to Rapid City for the weekend to soak up some western skies and to load up on frozen Hatch green chiles.

Anyway, stuff to see. I assume you're coming from MN, so in order (reverse it if you're coming from the west)

1. The Badlands NP is awesome of course. Don't miss it. It's going to be HOT during the day obvs, so plan around that.
2. Rapid City. If you're a brewery type, Firehouse brewing is great.
3. Devil's Tower WY is really a hop skip and jump from the other stuff in this area, and it's amazing. Consider popping over there before heading to
4. Spearfish is a great town. Crow Peak brewing is one of our favs. Good food, good place to load up before heading into the Black Hills.
5. US-14 out of Spearfish is gorgeous. And VERY winding Dave Some fantastic fly fishing in Spearfish Creek and tribs. Don't miss Bridal Veil falls. LOTS of hiking around in this area, so do some research. Our fav hike is to the top of what used to be known as Harney Peak, now Black Elk peak. Tallest point in SD. It's only 7k ft, but the lack of any competition makes it feel MUCH taller. There's an old CCC fire lookout on top that seriously looks like it belongs in the Lord of the Rings. Seriously, google it up. You finish the hike by climbing up into it. So cool. 7mi or so round trip, lots of elevation obviously.
6. Obviously since you're there, might as well see Mt. Rushmore and Crazy Horse.
7. As you're meandering back around enjoying those mountain roads, check out Moonshine Gulch Saloon in Rochford. If you hit it right, you'll catch a massive Old Time music jam. Deadwood has lots of touristy stuff surrounding the TV show and a massive pit mine. Hill City has some touristing opps too.

That should get you started. Can't overstate the opportunity for hiking all over the Black Hills. Tons of trails.

And if you stop at Crow Peak in Spearfish for a beer, raise one for me -- I miss that place.

Joe
_________________
I'm Joe
The bus is Gus, the 1982 Westy Diesel 1.6na

[jkallo]

[jimf909]

SD is a beautiful place to visit. I-90 can/should be avoided. The Black Hills, Custer State park and the Badlands are highlights. As has been said, avoid August unless if Hog culture is your thing.

You may want to check out this blog. It's written by a woman who's an RV full-timer (17' Casita trailer) and spends a bit of time working and boondocking in SD. Good info on boondocking in the grasslands, etc. Plus, she has a good travel spirit:

http://www.interstellarorchard.com/

Enjoy!
_________________
- Jim

[termuehlen]

Drive Needles Highway at Custer State Park. Hike up to Harney Peak. Visit Mt Rushmore for the evening show. Visit the town of Lead, it sits on the edge of a 1000 foot deep open cut mine which has always been a jarring viewing experience for me.
_________________
1988 Westfalia automatic Subaru OBD1
1986 syncro tintop wbx

[84Cabby82Westy]

Wind Cave National Park is a nice place to visit - especially on a hot day. Has a nice quiet campground, too. If you're into history Wounded Knee is worth a stop, as is the area around the Badlands and the Pine Ridge Reservation. You can even climb into a missile silo east of Rapid City on I-90 to escape the heat.

Driving through the area a few summers ago (right after Sturgis ended), I had 2 pleasant encounters with the biker set - one was full of questions about what equipment was in my Westy and the other wanted to buy it (his bike was on a trailer behind one of those RVs that costs 5X more than my house, so it was fun to say no).

[MV2]

As a 60 year resident of the Black Hills, I can tell you that yes, the roads can be winding, and no, the wind really doesn't blow that often. Lots of things to do here, and my friend from Chicago and others named several of them. Do you like to fish? Spearfish Creek in the Canyon and Rapid Creek below Pactola are outstanding trout streams. Golf? There are a bunch of really cool golf courses in the Hills - my favorite is Tomahawk on HWY. 385.

Visit the Forest Service site for campground info. There are several small, very nice campgrounds that you'll really enjoy.

One can do the tourist thing, which is fun. If you want to avoid that, stop at the local Forest Service office and ask how you get to Devil's Bathtub (off Spearfish Canyon) and the Hippy Hole (near Rockerville). As already mentioned - climb Harney Peak, which is awesome. Devil's Tower isn't far away, and is magnificent.

If it's hot, the Badlands will be baking and there's not a lot of shade. Probably not a great spot to stay, but well worth visiting.

A lot of people that live here take their vacations during the motorcycle rally. There really aren't many problems with that crowd, but there's a lot of traffic and a lot of noise for a couple of weeks.

Best time to go? I'd say September. Most of the tourists will be gone, and you'll pretty much have the place to yourself. Sorry if I sound like I'm from the Chamber of Commerce, but I've done a lot of traveling, and this is a great place to live. Good luck!

[TKentT]

I'm not a Minnesota native or current resident, but I lived there for four years quite a while back. Since you are travelling through I'd suggest you focus on Voyageurs National Park (near International Falls) and the area around Ely MN, one of the gateways into the Boundary Waters National Primitive Area. You can't camp in your van in the midst of all the lakes - the Primitive area has no roads and all motorized transport (snowmobile, boat, ATV, etc.) is prohibited. Voyageurs National Park borders the West end of the Boundary Waters and has no such restrictions. (The best vacation I've ever had was camping on a island in the middle of one of the lakes in Voyageurs. It could be hours before you'd see or hear another boat.) In a nutshell, the Boundary Waters is canoe only in the interior, and lakes around the periphery can have motorboats (used by outfitters), while Voyageurs has no such restrictions.

It is out of your way, unless you want to go up to Canada and around the Great Lakes, but my favorite area is the Gunflint Trail west of Grand Marais (almost up to Canada on the shore of Lake Superior). From the end of the Gunflint, you can actually cross over into Canada on a motorboat and explore almost another million acres of the Quetico Provincial Park - which also doesn't have motor restrictions.

Hopefully someone else will chime in with more specifics...
_________________
1952 MG TD Replica, 69 VW IRS pan, 1679cc with 40 HPMXs -- Most fun for the money out there...

1986 Doka Transporter, 14" Syncro w/dual lockers -- 60,000km Swedish firetruck...
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=682322

30+ VWs before them...

[jkallo]

[Robw_z]

Eastern and western SD are very different worlds. There is plenty to see in SW South Dakota, but east of the Missouri you have to get creative and ready to appreciate subtle beauty. The only reason I think you may be going eastern is it is near Minnesota.

-Rob

[jacob.]

From the looks of my google searching, a lot of really great suggestions. Thanks a lot guys, and feel free to keep em' coming if you have them.

Thanks,
Jacob.
_________________

[Steve M.]

Don't know when your going, but the Solar eclipse is happening on the 21st Aug. Swing south if you can!
_________________
This free advice is worth exactly what you paid for it.

There are seven days in a week. Someday is not one of them.

[dhaavers]

I second the SD suggestions above...Black Hills sights & camping, Wind Cave,
Badlands...all good, all worthwhile.

I also second the warning about summer in SD...here's one day of 90+ degree
heat and nearly equal humidity in July a few years back:

With the window AC on full we managed to keep the van interior temp just in the mid 70's,
but it was still miserable. FWIW, this was a city campground in Wessington Springs, SD
which at the time was free/donation and included swimming pool on site...
...great for the kids as mom was nursing a migraine for a couple days...

[Chichy]

I find it works pretty slick to scout Google satellite for off-grip campout spots, I have many 'starred' on my Google account but I have not yet figured out how to share the link. GPS coordinates would be easy, however.

Where do you live? Your starting point and general route plan would assist with specifics, and that I can certainly help with.

This is my first post so I will try to remember to check back

Safe travels
_________________
1985 Vanagon GL 1.9 (4 spd, AC) - 1972 BMW 2002 (Agave, sunroof) - 1989 Volvo 740 GL Wagon (5 spd) - Several bikes and an Uncle Wiggley Argyle
Of yore:
1971 VW Transporter (Westy-fied) - 1973 BMW 2002 (Verona, rustified) - 1963 Toyota Landcruiser FJ40 - 1982 Volvo 240 DL Wagon - 1984 Saab 900T/1989 Saab SPG

Safe and happy motoring, good people.

[jkallo]

[jimf909]

^^^ You only get pie after 75 miles.
_________________
- Jim

[MV2]

One last thing..... If you like to bike, the Mickelson Trail is on an old railroad grade that runs about 100 miles (North/South) through the middle of the Hills. As a much younger man, I rode the section from Englewood to Hill City, and it was very enjoyable. It's not technical at all. Just an enjoyable ride that goes over railroad bridges, through tunnels, etc.

Best bet is to arrange a shuttle so that you can ride in one direction.