I am planning a cross country trip this summer with my family. on the way, we want to stop for a few days in the Black Hills area. we are camping (tent, no need for hookups, although water would be nice). I'm considering custer State park, but would like some input, please, as to which of the campgrouds in the park are the best for tent campers (privacy prefered). we hope to stay about 3 or 4 days (at this point itinerary is flexible)... then on our way to Yellowstone. I see from other posts that 3 days may be the right timeframe, particularly since we'll see Devils peak on the way to yellowstone, and don't count it as part of THIS stop. we will of course see the Mt Rushmore, Crazy horse and other local attractions, but any "off the beaten path" places we should be sure to check out?

thanks.

We really enjoyed Custer State Park the first time we went there back in the mid 1980's but when we went again in the 1990's we found it a lot more crowded. It think that anywhere in the area is going to be more crowded now. Many of the campgrounds in Custer take reservations now. You can still find first come first serve campgrounds.

http://www.custerstatepark.info/maps.htm

It is a beautiful area and I would still stay there.

I take it you meant Devil's Tower National Monument and it is well worth seeing. It's has a nice campground.

Utahtea

The Mammoth Site museum in Hot Springs, just south of Custer State Park, is well worth a visit. See their web site - http://www.mammothsite.com/ for more information.

oooh, change of plan....

I just found the website for the National forest Service campgrounds (dang it, I forgot about them... thought the Park Service covered it all!)

anyhow, sounds like "horsethief lake' may be a better campground, and a better central location for site-seeing in the area (closer to everything except hot springs, and we'd want to spend a whole day there anyhow). any suggestions? other forest service campgrounds that might be better? this one appealed to me because of the lake, but perhaps others are prettier or better in some other way?

I was going to recommend Horsethief Lake NFS campground before I even saw your second post.
We will stay there again. It is in a lovely setting and very close to M.R.

We drove through Custer and were surpised by how few campsites they had and found them to be full--cost us bit to find that out too. In Yellowstone, they post availability of campgrounds at the gate so you know before paying to get in. Not so at Custer at that time.

We did really enjoy a drive from the east side of Custer toward M.R. If you look closely, as you go through several tunnels, the monument is centered in your view.

Another suggestion,

In much earlier posts/replies, people spoke highly of THE ROOST RESORT. I have reserved at that campground for July 2003. It is just outside Custer State Park (west of). Privately run.

www.blackhills.com/roost/rates.html

We are also heading to Black Hills area and don't think 5 days is going to be enough for us there. We are doing a wild cave tour in both Wind and Jewel Cave. We have done this in Carlsbad and in Mammoth and found them to be very good. You must make reservations for this.