Wind Caves NP, Custer and Mammoth Site , South Dakota

Wind Caves National Park , Custer and Mammoth Site South Dakota

 Leaving Rocky Mountain National Park early Monday morning, we drove back East, out through the foothills to I 25 and headed North. We had 300 miles to go through Colorado, into Wyoming, past Cheyenne and then East into South Dakota to just outside Custer, SD and Commanche Park Campground in the National Forest. We had booked two nights in the NF to use as a base to explore the area and specifically Wind Caves National Park.

First, we had to get the RV into the site. We made it, but again I was glad Winnie is 32 ft and no longer. Cindy provided direction to avoid crunching things on the sizable rocks bordering the site as well as the large Ponderosa Pines standing guard. But, we did get in place and got setup in a beautiful location.

one of our favorite sites - Commanche Park National Forest SD

After dinner, I took Cooper and CJ for a walk around the campground (about 1/2 mile loop) and met a nice young family from Vermont. They were seeing the area in a truck camper and able to really take advantage of the camping opportunities a rig like that can offer. Their 4yr old daughter was very interested in talking to Cooper and CJ!

That night we drove in to the town of Custer, cruised the main street and saw that they have a fiberglass Bison thing going on! Painted quite creatively. the 1/4 scale Bison were placed along the main street and probably numbered 10 or more. Boyertown, PA has a similar motif with Bears.

fiberglass Bison - pretty cool

Then, I just had to stop at a local establishment for a piece of apple pie. (always looking for the best piece of apple pie). It was good and the coffee washed it down nicely. While there I noticed that one  of the Harley Davidsons  in the parking area had PA plates on it! Then back to camp and settle in for the night.

eye catching eatery in Custer SD - good apple pie

The next morning we were out by 7:30 AM and heading down to Wind Caves National Park. This is one of the oldest National Parks and quite interesting. On the surface, you see the rolling Plains with Bison, Pronghorn, Deer and Prairie Dogs. However, starting at the Visitor Center, you can take a guided tour into caverns, 200 ft beneath the surface, that even to today have only been minimally explored. The tour was interesting and the Box Work on the ceilings is quite cool. The tour takes about 1 1/2 hours and is not difficult.  With the bright sun and minimal shade, Cindy and I took separate tours so the dogs could be looked after. I took Cooper and CJ for a hike near the Visitor Center while Cindy took her tour. Then we switched.

inside Wind Caves NP

After completing our tours, we drove through more of the Park and then headed down to the town of Hot Springs. Known for the natural hot springs in the area, the town was once a spa destination. Today it is more of a tourist stop while people are in the area to see Mount Rushmore (nearby) and the National Park. We did stop at a nice dog friendly café and enjoyed a tasty panni (ham and cheese for me, turkey and cheddar for Cindy).  Then, one of those little known gems surfaced. I had seen a dot on the atlas named Mammoth Site. I thought, Ok someone found a mammoth and there is a maker or some fossilized remains. WOW!!! What you have is a mound, the approximate dimension of a basketball court, that when a bulldozer went to level it off back in the 1970's, discovered a ancient sink hole full of Mammoth bones!!! So far, after only uncovering approx. 1/3 of the depth, they have found 60+ Mammoths!!!!! WAY, way cool. Stop there if you get in the area, an hour very well spent.

Mammoth bones! - lots and lots of them!!

The Afternoon sun was intense and we stopped at DQ for their version of a slushy, then a quick stop at the local library to update our devices on their WiFi and we were heading back to camp.

This was a nice visit and we saw some cool stuff. We had seen Mount Rushmore on a previous trip, so we did not venture over that way. If you are interested, three to four nights in the area would allow you to see it all! (Sturgis and Deadwood are also nearby).

pleasant country

We packed up early the next morning, squeaked out of our campsite and were headed northward by 8AM. More to see and experience!

until then take care!


Cooper and CJ