Rafter J Bar Ranch

We couldn’t have been happier! Large sites, no neighbors on either side added to the spacious feel. The ranch is immaculately kept and a great place to walk around with the dogs. Seeing the sunrise (despite the smoke haze from the west coast) in the large open field In the middle with the beautiful mountain backdrop is a must! Another small but important detail: their fire wood is dry and aged - too many times we buy wood from the camp store only to realize it’s too wet to burn. Happy to pay $6/bundle for it. May want to have an extension sewage hose with you as the drain was toward the entry of our site and would limit your trailer positioning flexibility without hose extension (depending on where ones sewage tank drains). Sad to leave... internet was spotty. Both ATT and Verizon Mifi hotspots struggled to get beyond 2 bars...

We had stayed here a couple of times, maybe 10-15 years ago in a tent but recently stayed in our RV. We had reserved a spot in The Island sites. We had a large back-in spot with more than enough room to accommodate our 30ft trailer plus truck. These spots in The Island would comfortably accommodate a 35ft+ trailer with plenty space for your tow vehicle.

One of the things that always stood out to me about this campground from our tent visits was how spacious the sites were and how much privacy that gave you. Same comment for this visit after all these years. Lots of space, lots or privacy and very quiet sites even when busy.

The campground has great facilities for children, a well stocked camping store with necessities and a big outdoor pool.

One downside, at least for our site was how un-level it was. It took several attempts to get level and even when we did our Anderson Levellers were as far back as they could go. Other sites looked a lot more level though. A minor gripe; if you like WIFI at your campsite, you wouldn't be happy here. The WIFI is only available in the Office and at the Base Camp sites. Verizon signal was good enough though. Will definitely stop here when in the Black Hills again.

Rafter J Bar is perfectly located amongst the top attractions of the Black Hills and Custer State Park. RV sites are large and lots of grass between them. Large field in the center of the park which was outstanding. Pool was large and great lounge chairs. If you want wooded spots, the Island or Ranch Camp sections are the best. For a wider open feel and unobstructed satellite access, the Line Camp is perfect. Base camp was a little tight. Best view of the mountains was in Lower Ranch Camp. Only negative was the loud highway noise but it was less at night. We’ll be back!

This place was top-notch. Huge open areas and sites. Very near to Mount Rushmore and Crazyhorse. Full hook ups, with a swimming pool and all amenities. Downfall was the Wi-Fi as it is only at the clubhouse and add a few close by sites. This site is huge so the chance of having Wi-Fi is very slim. Biggest negative here is that even though there is a ton of sites open they clumped everyone together in tight groups. The other negative would be the high price for what it is. We recommend it as it is a great park.

We loved it here! Spotless site and bathrooms, with good pressure showers and hot water. This time of year, we were limited to the main camp loop, but had a site in a heavily pined area backing up to a hill and a great view of Black Hills. 15 minutes to Rushmore, 15 minutes to Crazy Horse, 20 minutes to Custer. Plus the beginning of the Needles Highway and the Michelson Bike Trail are right in front of the entrance. We took some fabulous bike rides. Our site was clean and mostly level. Heated bathrooms.

We have stayed here before and love the location. You will be close to Custer State Park, Mt Rushmore, Wind Cave NP, Jewel Cave NM, and Rapid City. There is a TON to do within the Black Hills, much more than we expected.

This RV park is awesome. We stayed in the Ranch Camp section, which made it feel like you were in a state or USFS campground. It was far from the office and pool, which may be a drawback if you want to be close to those items. However, I would recommend staying in Ranch Camp if you want to feel like you are far from everything. Very cool place.

Custer State Park has some great state park campground options, too.

For being here during the Sturgis Bike rally the sites are very quiet. We had full hook ups with no cable. Cable is available in the loop closest to the office if that is one of your factors. Wifi is only available near the office. They have a heated pool and hot tub. Electric service was good always between 116 and 120 volts, but then again we did not use AC during our stay as the temps were very reasonable. Water pressure was sometimes low but manageable. Sites in the Island Loop were large and semi private. Would stay here again if in the area.

Loved our stay. The location is perfect for Rushmore, Crazy Horse, Custer State Park, Hill City, etc. The sites are good and there is plenty of open space. It also backs onto (I believe) Forestry Service land, so you can walk for miles if you choose.

We had 4 bars of Verizon LTE at one of the sites and 2 bars at another. The WiFi is only in the office, so ok for emergencies. Hill City is only a few miles down the road and has decent Verizon so we took our mifi with us to lunch/dinner. Rapid city has T-Mobile, but most of the rest of the area has calling with T-Mobile, but no data.

We will definitely go back on our next trip to the area.