Camping in South Dakota may not seem like a fancy vacation, so why do so many crazy parents take their fussy-but-lovable kids on family road trips to that destination every year? It could be that while South Dakota campgrounds aren’t exactly like sleeping on the beaches of Maui, there are enjoyable family experiences tucked away snugly in the Black Hills where you least expect them. Trust me, grab your kids, make sure they have their portable DVD players, and promise them, no swearing, that they’ll have a great time on your family vacation.
Hidden Valley Campground is a particularly notable example of the plethora of popular campgrounds near Deadwood, South Dakota, the area famous for the Black Hills, Devil’s Tower, Badlands National Park, and (drumroll) Mount Rushmore. For a family-focused experience, it’s worth bringing the kids, as they’ll love playing on the playground equipment, getting lost in the arcade games, or sitting by the creek while listening to their iPods, with a popsicle snuggly in hand.
In the meantime, you’ll enjoy the peace and quiet of your tent or RV as you put your feet up and watch the stress of your hectic life just float away on the gentle Midwestern breeze. When you’ve had enough of that, you can rub shoulders with some of the other campers at the 55-lot campgrounds and enjoy a beer or two while singing upbeat camp songs around a roaring fire while the kids lick the goo off their little faces. happy. , the residue of the delicious campfire s’mores devoured earlier that night.
Once you’ve settled comfortably into the campgrounds, there’s no need to take the kids to area attractions as Hidden Valley Campground has that part taken care of for you with ATV access to the Black Hills National Forest and daily tours. to Deadwood, Mount Rushmore, Devil’s Tower, Badland National Park and even the famous Wall Drug.
Speaking of Wall Drug, your kids will see signs saturating the area as you drive to the campgrounds; and these colorful and attractive western-style signs will refer to how many miles you have to get to Wall Drug. You might be wondering why all the fuss is made about a humble old drugstore, but let me tell you, it’s an impeccably unique Western drugstore experience, complete with hot fresh donuts, tourist shopping, and even video games. Let’s just say the kids will probably decide Wall Drug was the highlight of their entire trip and reflect, 20 years later, on how much fun it was to eat candy and play realistic life-size video games while you stood there looking at new fishing tackle, jewelry made locally, a gift for camp owners, or maybe even a great Wall Drug sign to hang over your living room couch.
After days of enjoyable driving, you’ll probably wonder about other South Dakota campgrounds and decide you’d like to make an annual event by sampling the plethora of camping possibilities in the area. Maybe next year you’ll swing through the Black Hills National Forest campgrounds by spending a few days at one of their out-of-the-way campgrounds, like the places found in Redback Springs, a serene setting where your family can really get away from it all. Your kids, thanking you for keeping your pinky swear, will be begging for more fun times and jumping up and down when you tell them you’ll be back next year. Enjoy!
