Camden State park - June 19-22

Camden's 30e

Camden State park

June 19-22

30e

30e

47 Electrical sites

15.8 miles of Hiking Trails
Dump Station in park

Lower Campground

Camden has two campgrounds in the park.  Lower campground sites are open for all to see, where the  Upper campground has trees openings for each site.  Both have electrical sites available. We stated at the Lower campground at site 30e, which is at the end on the outside of the loop.  Small walk to the shower house from our site.  

Lower Campground

The Lower campground is right from the main entrance and up over the train tracks.  And yes, you are close to the train going by during the night.  I slept through the night even with all the noise.  While our stay there wasn't many campers.  

North Picnic Area Restrooms 

Dump station is on the road exiting the park.  This is were the clean water is too.  

Restrooms South Picnic Area

A number of the building in the park were created by the Veterans' Conservation Corps during the Great Depression.  In Marshall MN 205 men arrived in 1934 to set up camp and build permanent camp.  These men worked with National Park Service staff in develop the building that still stand today through the park.  

Swimming Beach

The swimming area was excavated by hand and creating cascading feed from a spring creek for water.  

cascading rocks

Company 2713 left Camden in 1936 to work at Fort Ridgely State Park.  

North Picnic Shelter

Hiking trails
We took a couple of hikes in the park.  One along the blue bird trail.  About a 3 mile loop from the south picnic area.  Second trail was to the north panic area and then to the Redwood Lodge Guest House.

Redwood Lodge

 This is the oldest building in the park.  The Third trail we took was the Jones Mill Ruins, which was not well marked.  And there wasn't much left of the ruins either.  The trail was very buggy.  

Jones Mill Historic Site

Brawner Lake, which is a man made lake is closed due to the dam structure leaks.  The lake has dried up.  We hiked the trail to see the lake and what was left of it.  

Brawner Lake

The funnest thing we saw was a raccoon in the fire pit.  

Lac Qui Parie State Park - June 16-19

Lac Qui Parie State Park                

June 16-19

L16e

37 Upper and 21 Lower - Electrical

7 miles of Hiking Trails

We stayed at the Lower Campground, 16e.  I WOULD NOT SUGGEST STAYING AT THIS LOCATION.  Look at the open field at the Upper campground.  The mosquitoes are so bad at the lower campground you will be kept hostage in your camper.  

Our camp site was 55 feet long with lot of room on both sides.

  Each site has a table and fire pit but I would not use them with that many very hungry mosquitoes.  

We visited the state park office to get a year pass and saw the exhibits.  A number of stuffed animals and capibliers in the process of becoming butterflies.  We also saw the Fort Renville site and Lac Qui Parle Mission with all of it's history.   

The upper camping is an old farm's field so there are only a couple of small trees.  The back loop overlook the Lac qui Parle Lake.  There are a couple of double spot if you are traveling with family or friends and have to campers.  There are a couple of sites with full hook up.  The best site we like was site U39e.

 We decided to dump at the Upper campground rather than get eaten up alive.  The upper campground dump station is much nicer.  The funny thing was the lower campers either didn't stay around or asked to be moved to the upper campground.  We never thought that was an option.

Sylvan Lake Custer State Park

Sylvan Lake Custer State Park       

May 25-28

SL02E

sites are small and not level.  This park is designed for smaller RVs.  
For $25 a night you can get a electrical site vs a non for $21 a night.  

From this location you are close to a number of places.

Needles Highway with tunnels 

Mount Rushmore

Crazy Horse

Hwy 87 -tunnels

Cathedral Spires Trail

Sylvan Lake Shore Trail

Sunday Gulch Trail

Harney Peak Trail

Little Devil's Tower Trail

One who chooses this park should remember there is one route in due to the tunnels in the mountains.  
Highway 89 starts just east of Custer City.

Each site has a fire pit with grate and a picnic table.

For more on our Cougar RV, please click here

Sylvan Lake Resort is a little drive from the campground on Hwy 89.

The drive takes you up onto of the mountain where the Resort is located.

Sylvan Lake Resort

Sylvan's Camper Cabins are located just to the left of the resort,

Game Lodge Custer State Park

Game Lodge Custer State Park       

May 22-25

Best Campground for being so close to the Buffaloes. 

Two dump stations within a short distance.  One in the park and the other is just around the corner on the game loop.

via iPhone

Located on 16A, so you hear everyone driving on the road.

GL02E - but we were moved to group camp ground

Best Campground for being so close to the Buffaloes. 

Cattle Gate to keep Buffalo from licking your head as you sleep in your tent.

Due to re surfacing the roads inside the Game Campground we were moved to the Group Campground.

Game Lodge Campground has two bathroom facilities with shower rooms.

It also has a laundromat on site. 

$25 per night with electric and $21 per night without electric sites.

We were moved to the Calvin Coolidge Group Camping Area where it had 4 large camping site.  

These site were not paved but were gravel spots.  

Calvin Coolidge Group Camping Area

 Two spots as you enter the group camp

Two spots on the group camp loop.

via iPhone -this was our spot

For more on our RV please click here

Game Campground site are all smooth to quickly level your RV easier.  

Pull throw site

Lots of room from one row to the next for tents.  But sites are still close.

Small lake with fresh water stream and a small park within the Campground.

 Camper Cabins

28E is our favorite site because of the length of the site.
Location to restroom but not being too close to hearing the door open and close throughout the night.
This site is on the end so no campers are parked behind you or to the left side.
This site is 35' long with power.
27E is right next to this site is also a good site too.

32E is right across from this site and offers much of the same.  

Because of how the back is angled you are not pointed at your neighbors  RV.

This site is 50' long.

Bacon Ginder Burger

Babes Music Bar 

and 

Joes’s Sport Cafe

Bacon Ginder Burger