Beaver Lake Campground – Custer.  South Dakota 

• RATING – 4.0 of 5
• WIFI – Yes, Very good but times out at 10 minutes and doesn’t support streaming.
• ATT – Yes, 3 bars, 5 bars with Weboost
• VERIZON – 2 bars, 4 bars with Weboost (but slow)
• OTA TV – Not used
• COORDINATES – 43.7392° N, 103.6570° W
• SERVICES -15/30/50 AMPS, back in and pull through sites
• COST –  $48.00 FHU’S, $44 Electric and Water, Tent Sites, cabins and even a tepee to rent.
• DISCOUNTS – 10% Retired military, 10% Good Sam, 10% Active Military, 10% AAA
• REVIEW – Large back in and pull through sites ours was in excess of 70′ so even 45′ coaches pulling stacker trailers can fit easily. We stayed in site #41 and had room for the coach, tow dolly and car and room left over. Gravel roads through out the campground, staff was great and very helpful. They escort you to your site and guide you in to it. Plenty of grass, fire pits, picnic table the office has a store with the essentials such as toilet paper, paper plates, condiments, some rv sewer parts and gifts. You can also rent DVD’s from them.

Our site was #41 (but if noise bothers you pick another one)

Cottonwood Recreation Area, Yankton, South Dakota

• RATING – 4.5 of 5
• WIFI – No
• ATT – Yes, 2 bars, 4 bars with WeBoost
• VERIZON – Yes, 2 bars, 4 bars with WeBoost
• OTA TV – Not used
• COORDINATES – 42.8595° N, 97.4834° W
• SERVICES – 15/30/50 amp service, dump station about a mile away, showers, bathrooms, mostly level sites, some premium right on Lake Yankton ($1.00 more nightly), no water at the site but spigots located within the campground
• COST – $16 Nightly $8 with National Parks Pass includes power.
• DISCOUNTS – Access Pass
• REVIEW  – Cottonwood recreation area is on a green piece of land between the border of Nebraska and South Dakota. Cottonwood is situated on  the smaller Lake Yankton and on the side of the damn is the much larger, Lewis and Clark Lake–an impounding the Missouri River. Nice park with picnic tables, gravel RV sites and fire pits. Shopping is close by in Yankton. The day use area includes a disc golf park, picnic areas and shelters as well as a playground. Lawns are mowed and the area is well cared for.

Our campsite was #11

Bismark Lake, Custer South Dakota

• RATING – 3.5 of 5
• WIFI – NO
• ATT – Yes, 3 bars, 4 bars with Weboost
• VERIZON – Yes, 4 bars, 5 bars with Weboost
• OTA TV – Not used
• SERVICES – None, Dump station is located in the State Game Lodge Campground about 8 miles away.
• COODINATES – 43.7754° N, 103.5127° W
• COST – $26 nightly $13 with Access Pass + $2.00 a night for dogs
• DISCOUNTS  – Access Pass
• REVIEW – Located five miles east of Custer, Sites are large and some offer views of the lake. There are back in sites as well as pull through sites. each has picnic tables and fire pits. These are improved boondocking sites meaning no electric, water or sewer. Have enough fuel for generator and insure that your fresh water tank is full and your waste water tanks are empty. 

Our site number was #3

Ft. Welikit (We Like It) Family Campground

• RATING – 5 of 5
• WIFI –Yes
• ATT – Yes, 2 bars, 3 bars with Weboost but spotty when there are lots of campers
• VERIZON – Yes, 3 bars, 4 bars with Weboost
• OTA TV – Not used
• CABLE TV – Yes, 72 channels
• SERVICES – 15/30/50 Amp services but not all sites. Water, sewer and electric but not at all sites, covered tent sites, rental cabins, rental teepee’s, fire rings, firewood available, camp store with beer and wine.
• COORDINATES –  43.783195 -103.586006 BUT CALL FOR DIRECTIONS due tunnel length and height restrictions on certain routes.
• COST – 50 AMP site $45-$47 nightly, 30 Amp site – $42 nightly, 30 Amp with water and electric only – $39 Nightly, Covered Tent Site with Electric – $30 Nightly, Uncovered Tent site with no utilities – $25 Nightly
• DISCOUNTS  – 10% for AAA, Good Sam, Veterans and Senior Citizens, 15% for active military and weekly rate is pay for six nights get the seventh night free.
• REVIEW – Located one mile from the town of Custer, Sites vary in size. Some are drive through big enough for a 45′ coach with their toad across the back, others are back in. All sites have a fire ring, and picnic table. The entire park is blanketed with older Ponderosa Pine trees. There are two bathroom/showers on location one at the tent camping loop and one in the RV loops, each have laundries and outside sinks for tenter’s to use for dishes. This is a very quiet campground, quiet time begins at 10 pm and ends 8 am. The owners take great pride in their campground and treat their campers with respect and courtesy. The work campers keep the bathrooms very clean and the showers are clean with plenty of hot water. A new addition to Ft. Welikit this year is the sale of beer and wine on site. Town has several great restaurants and a micro-brewery. Beware of the towns grocery store called “Dakota Mart.” It is at least 25-35% higher in prices than other grocery stores. Stock up before you get here or pay dearly for what you need. This is not a one site fits all campground, there are tight corners, weirdly angled sites and as such is not your cookie cutter campground. Instead you will get the feeling that you are in a National Forest or Corp of Engineers Park. It really is beautiful and very quiet at night. The park also has one other feature that is attractive to families. There is really a small wooden Fort for the kids to play in complete with Teepees and a playground. There is a volley ball net, a pavilion and volley balls, ball gloves available to borrow.

Our site number was #17

Siding 36 RV Park and Motel White Lake South Dakota

• RATING – 4 out of 6
• WIFI – NO
• ATT – No signal available
• VERIZON – Yes, 4 bars, 5 bars with Weboost
• OTA TV – 1 channel
• SERVICES – Full hook ups less cable
• COORDINATES – 43.726660 -98.713970
• COST – $38 Nightly
• DISCOUNTS  – Good Sams
• REVIEW – Nothing special but a great layover spot 36 miles west of Mitchell, South Dakota. It is clean, not much highway noise and it makes a for a good spot to chill for an evening.