The Black Hills Travel Blog

Campers: Memorial Day is not far away

By • Feb 27th, 2012 • Category: Outdoor Adventure

Camping 623

Although winter is still upon us — in fact, more snow is headed our way this week — it’s not too early to start thinking about summer. The South Dakota Department of Game, Fish & Parks announced that you can now reserve a campsite for Memorial Day Weekend, which starts May 25 this year year.

The reservation window opened on Saturday for all campsites, lodges and recreation areas over Memorial Day Weekend. All parks except Custer State Park require a three-night stay during holiday weekends.

Custer State Park, just east of Custer, is South Dakota’s most famous state park. But you can also find Black Hills camping at state campgrounds at Angostura State Park south of Hot Springs, Bear Butte State Park near Sturgis and Rocky Point Recreation Area on Belle Fourche Reservoir (Orman Dam) near Belle Fourche.

Out-of-state residents must pay a non-refundable $7.70 per site reservation fee, which is waived for state residents. To make a reservation, visit www.campsd.com or call 1-800-710-2267 between 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. CT daily. You can also get a cell phone reminder about reservations by sending the text “SDGFP ROD” to 368638.

About the Author

is an on-again, off-again Black Hills resident since 1978. The Aberdeen native hit the road after high school, building houses in Boulder, working oil rigs on Colorado's Western Slope, delivering cars in California. In Wyoming and Idaho, he worked as a newspaper journalist. But the Black Hills kept luring him back. For 18 years, he wrote for the Rapid City Journal. The job gave him a chance to see the Hills from atop Mount Rushmore and the bottom of the Homestake Mine. Whenever possible, Dan grabs his dog Kody and heads to the Hills. These days, he's perfecting the art of low-impact backpacking: hike two hours to a scenic spot, break out the wine, cook up the pasta, watch the sunset and fall asleep under the stars.
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