Blue Bell Campground
Custer State Park
Write a Review Lame Johhny Rd. Custer, SD 57730 605-255-4515 Reservations: 800-710-2267 Official WebsiteGPS: 43.7169, -103.4822
Overview of Blue Bell Campground
Last Price Paid: $40
Reported by Steve cook on 10/2/2024
Longest RV Reported: 41 feet (Class A)
Reported by Richard on 9/27/2021
Number of Sites 31
Pad Type asphalt
Reservations yes
Open Seasonally May - October
Elevation 4,855 ft / 1,479 m
Max Stay 14
Tent Camping Yes
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Q&A - Ask the Community about Blue Bell Campground
To ask questions of the owner or manager please contact the campground directly. 605-255-4515
Dave asked on 4/21/2021
Where do you park your tow vehicle. My RV is 30 ft. and the site is 35ft. and says no tow vehicle parking.
Reviews of Blue Bell Campground 39 people have reviewed this location.
Cell Phone Coverage
Confirmed by 23 Users
Last reported 10/2/2024
Confirmed by 15 Users
Last reported 6/3/2022
Confirmed by 7 Users
Last reported 9/15/2022
“Nice state campground inside Custer State Park”
Reviewed 8/15/2020
| Nightly rate: | $30 |
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| Days stayed: | 3 |
| Site Number: | 32E |
| RV Length: | 31' (Travel Trailer) |
Overall Rating
Relatively quiet campground inside the park, but watch the route coming to the campground. One suggestion given to us by a young person at the visitor's center in Rapid City was to come down Needles Hwy to Route 87. ABSOLUTELY do NOT do that route with any kind of rig -- there are several extremely narrow tunnels that could barely acco... more
Relatively quiet campground inside the park, but watch the route coming to the campground. One suggestion given to us by a young person at the visitor's center in Rapid City was to come down Needles Hwy to Route 87. ABSOLUTELY do NOT do that route with any kind of rig -- there are several extremely narrow tunnels that could barely accommodate our pickup truck with the mirrors pulled in, tight road, and hairpin turns. We would also NOT recommend the Wildlife Loop Road -- after driving on it with just our pickup truck, we were happy to have come from Rapid City on 16A then take 87 south to the campground. We had a nice level site near the bathroom/showers. Electric only at the site, but there is a water spigot near the showers to fill water. There is no dump station at this campground, but we used the dump station at the Game Lodge Campground on our way out -- easy in and out. Camp hosts were nice.
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T-Mobile 4G
RivetingJourney would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Best campground in Custer”
Reviewed 7/18/2020
| Nightly rate: | $25 |
|---|---|
| Days stayed: | 6 |
| Site Number: | 19 |
| RV Length: | 32' (Class A) |
Overall Rating
We spent 6 nights in Custer SP at Blue Bell Campground and would have gladly stayed more, but our tanks were full and it was time to go to our next adventure. Site 19 was listed as a 30 foot site, but seemed like it could hold a 35 foot MH without problem. It was gravel, mostly level, and 50 amp electric. There is potable water ... more
We spent 6 nights in Custer SP at Blue Bell Campground and would have gladly stayed more, but our tanks were full and it was time to go to our next adventure.
Site 19 was listed as a 30 foot site, but seemed like it could hold a 35 foot MH without problem. It was gravel, mostly level, and 50 amp electric. There is potable water available in the campground, but no dump close by. We almost never use campground bathrooms, but did on occasion here so we wouldn't have to leave to dump. The bathhouses were clean and spacious. The space surrounding the site was equally spacious, even more than some of the ones that backed to the woods. I saw no great benefit to backing to the woods.
The camp hosts rode through the sites frequently and were willing to offer information and trail maps, etc. They were very friendly.
We looked at almost all the other campgrounds and Blue Bell was the prettiest. It was also probably the quietest because the others were closer to the road. Our second choice would be Legion Lake CG if you couldn't get into Blue Bell.
There is a small store with all the necessities and some souvenirs and even a gas pump right at the entrance to the CG. There are horse stables for trail rides located there and the lodge with the chuckwagon hayrides is across the street. Dining in the lodge was closed due to Covid, but everything else was operating.
There is a gravel road (4) by the horse stables that leads to the horse camp and ends on the wildlife loop. There were quite a few bison along that road and most of the time we were the only ones there looking at them. The road is very well maintained.
The roads in and around Custer State Park are windy and hilly.
Verizon coverage was decent for checking email, etc., but upload speeds were terrible even with a booster. Other areas in Custer State Park have better and worse coverage.
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Verizon 4G
tacksonthedeck would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Nice, remote”
Reviewed 7/7/2020
Overall Rating
Adding cell stats
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AT&T 4G
Verizon 4G
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Nice clean campground with great staff”
Reviewed 6/28/2020
| Days stayed: | 5 |
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| Site Number: | 14 |
Overall Rating
The site was level and easy to get in and out of with a 30' travel trailer. I do wish they had water hookups at the site, there is potable water at the campground. Also, there is no dump station at this campground. The only one for the park is by the East entrance, right off 16A on the Wildlife Loop. So if you have to drain your tan... more
The site was level and easy to get in and out of with a 30' travel trailer. I do wish they had water hookups at the site, there is potable water at the campground. Also, there is no dump station at this campground. The only one for the park is by the East entrance, right off 16A on the Wildlife Loop. So if you have to drain your tanks, do it before you get the campground, it will save you from driving back and forth like we did. The fire pits are in weird spots, they put them too close to the other sites. There is a general store that sells decent wood that isn't too expensive.
The bathrooms were decent, the showers were nice, no temperature controls, just push a button and get a preset time of water. The temperature seemed fine to me though.
Verizon seemed to always have service for us, but it must of got bottled necked, because data was very slow at peak times.
I think I would try and book 18 or 20 if I went again. They had a decent view of the bluff behind the campground and I heard a rumor that somebody spotted sheep back there.
The campground hosts and groundskeepers were super nice and always made sure we were doing good.
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Verizon 4G
niknak would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Beautiful campground. ”
Reviewed 5/8/2020
| Nightly rate: | $33 |
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| Days stayed: | 6 |
| Site Number: | BB14E |
| RV Length: | 38' (Toy Hauler Fifth Wheel) |
Overall Rating
This campground is luscious, green, and wooded. There's a creek that goes through the back of the campground and it was really quiet (early season and COVID-19 related, I'm sure). The campground has sites for all types of campers, from Class A rigs to tent campers, and even those looking for primitive cabins in the woods. Most of th... more
This campground is luscious, green, and wooded. There's a creek that goes through the back of the campground and it was really quiet (early season and COVID-19 related, I'm sure). The campground has sites for all types of campers, from Class A rigs to tent campers, and even those looking for primitive cabins in the woods. Most of the RV sites are electric only (only the camp host is set up with full hookups), but there are a couple of water spigots throughout the campground and there are a couple of sites that do have water spigots, but not many. There is not a dump station at the campground, but there is on the other side of the park (a 12-mile drive, but approximately a 30-45 minute drive depending on traffic). We were told by the current camp hosts that a couple of years ago, the campground was redone to level out sites and provide more access for bigger rigs. We had no problem maneuvering and leveling our 38 foot fifth wheel toy hauler in the campground. Because the sites aren't pull-throughs, getting the toy out of the garage required taking up another site, but the campground wasn't full at the time and we were lucky to have the site across from us empty.
We would absolutely stay here again. In fact, we tried to make reservations for later season (in September) and it is fully reserved at this time. Overall access to the nearby cities, hiking trails, and monuments makes this campground a no-brainer for anyone looking to spend some time in this area. South Dakota is incredibly beautiful and this campground does not disappoint. In fact, we were going to spend half our time at the Legion Lake campground and we decided (after a drive through of the other site) that we just wanted to stay where we were (much more wooded and so pretty).
Regarding cell service, we had the following results: Verizon = 2-3.5 Mbps down and AT&T = 5-8 Mbps.
14E specific site information: Access is easy, directly across from bathrooms/showers and camp hosts. Large wooded area behind site with no other campers.
18E is a fantastic site - in our opinion, maybe the best site in the campground. This site had incredible views off the backside with only one neighbor. Backed to a view of the creek and wooded area.
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AT&T 4G
Verizon 4G
Crash would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Solid. Beautiful. Quiet.”
Reviewed 5/4/2020
| Nightly rate: | $25 |
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| Days stayed: | 3 |
| Site Number: | 18 |
| RV Length: | 30' (Fifth Wheel) |
Overall Rating
We stayed in site 18 with amazing views and decent privacy for being a well populated campground. No one was in the cabins so it was even quieter. We stayed before they officially opened and they had water on. If the campground were full it would be a lot louder and the privacy might be limited but if you're traveling in at an off-time... more
We stayed in site 18 with amazing views and decent privacy for being a well populated campground. No one was in the cabins so it was even quieter. We stayed before they officially opened and they had water on. If the campground were full it would be a lot louder and the privacy might be limited but if you're traveling in at an off-time, you should be okay.
T-Mobile service on and iPhone 6 and iPhone 11 both had one bar but LTE at our site and better service if you drove around. I ran video calls streaming off my phone to my laptop with no problem. If you’ve got a booster you’d probably be fine.
We had no problems getting level.
Nicely grated spot with a clean picnic table.
They are also waiving park fees right now so it was very affordable.
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T-Mobile 4G
Working Adventure would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Central to Everything ”
Reviewed 9/13/2019
| Nightly rate: | $31 |
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| Days stayed: | 2 |
| Site Number: | 22 |
Overall Rating
The other reviewers described the campground perfectly! We loved it for those reasons and for the fact that it’s central to the sites around the State Park. We drove from our spot up through the Needles highway and all the tunnels (in our toad - Chevy Spark). Then continued on to Mt Rushmore and around and down Iron Mountain Rd. Contin... more
The other reviewers described the campground perfectly! We loved it for those reasons and for the fact that it’s central to the sites around the State Park. We drove from our spot up through the Needles highway and all the tunnels (in our toad - Chevy Spark). Then continued on to Mt Rushmore and around and down Iron Mountain Rd. Continued along Wildlife Loop Rd and finally got into a buffalo jam!
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Verizon 4G
Louisa would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Great Campground in the Forest”
Reviewed 8/27/2019
| Nightly rate: | $25 |
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| Days stayed: | 7 |
| Site Number: | 31E |
Overall Rating
This campground was one of the best we have ever stayed. The sites are far apart and interspaced among the trees. At night, it is VERY quiet. We saw deer and wild turkeys roaming through the site in the mornings. There was only electric hookup, but the showers and bathroom facility were close by and very clean. The camp hosts were exce... more
This campground was one of the best we have ever stayed. The sites are far apart and interspaced among the trees. At night, it is VERY quiet. We saw deer and wild turkeys roaming through the site in the mornings. There was only electric hookup, but the showers and bathroom facility were close by and very clean. The camp hosts were exceptional! They stopped by from time-to-time to check on us and to make sure we were pleased with our stay. One thing to note is that there is no dump site in the area. The closest one is about 12 miles away. Verizon signal was good and we were able to stream video. Overall, we'd stay here again in a heartbeat.
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Verizon 4G
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Such a beautiful campground!”
Reviewed 7/30/2019
| Nightly rate: | $34 |
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| Days stayed: | 1 |
| Site Number: | 05 |
| RV Length: | 23' (Travel Trailer) |
Overall Rating
Such a beautiful campground! This was our second campsite at Custer State Park, and we really loved it! Sites were spacious, beautiful scenery and off of the main artery through the park. Restaurant and little store within walking distance.
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MJ would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Best campground ever? Quite possibly. ”
Reviewed 7/21/2019
| Nightly rate: | $30 |
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| Days stayed: | 2 |
| Site Number: | 31E |
Overall Rating
I loved it here. Our site (31E) was really spacious with no one on one side, because we were first on the loop. Clean, large bathhouse with hot, push button showers. Friendly CG hosts. Lots of trees with mowed grass underfoot. Paved road with gravel parking site. We didn’t have much trouble leveling our 21 foot trailer. Price... more
I loved it here. Our site (31E) was really spacious with no one on one side, because we were first on the loop.
Clean, large bathhouse with hot, push button showers.
Friendly CG hosts.
Lots of trees with mowed grass underfoot. Paved road with gravel parking site.
We didn’t have much trouble leveling our 21 foot trailer.
Price listed includes fees. Also must pay park registration of $20.00, good for any South Dakota State Park for 7 days.
One mile from Wildlife Loop Road (we only saw one bison).
Dump station at other end of state park near visitors center.
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AT&T 4G
Momonaroadtrip would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
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44 reviews
Blue Bell Campground - Our Life...Crazy. Blessed. Adventurous. Good.
Date of Travel: August 21-23, 2017 Total Cost Per Night: $30 (+$25 weekly park pass) Address: Lame Johhny Rd, Custer, SD 57730 Phone Number: (605) 255-4515 Website: travel.campsd.com/Reserve-A-Cam...
36 reviews
Sock Monkey Trekkers: Mt. Rushmore Trip - Part 3 - Custer State Park, South Dakota
Our Campsite at Blue Bell Campground, Custer State Park, South Dakota.French Creek near our campsite. Our plan in South Dakota was to stay in Custer State Park in the Blue Bell Campground and explore...
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Amenities
Hookups
- 50 Amp
- 30 Amp
- 20 Amp
- water
- dry camping
- Partial Hookups
Recreation
- fishing
- recreation trail
Site Amenities
- big rig
- fire ring
- picnic table
Facilities
- cabins
- firewood
- general store
- horse corral
- laundry
- restaurant
- restrooms: flush
- showers
- trash
- water available
Pets
- pets
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