RV Park Rating – BJ’s (Lusk, WY)

Before we move onto South Dakota a quick review of the stop-over site we stayed at in Lusk, WY 

This park doesn’t have a dedicated site, but location is here : BJ’s Lusk, WY 

1. Site Quality = 4/5
   The sites here are all excellent. Large, gravel (very level) pull-throughs with full hook-ups, and a well-trimmed green slice with a bench between campers. Only ding is few sites have shade and it can get very hot in the summer day here.
2. Facilities = 5/5
   Very nice facilities here. They’re small, but very quaint. The owner did a nice job of putting colorful paint and cutsie touches in each restroom (pictures, decor) and it’s kept spotlessly clean.
3. Amenities = 2.5/5
   There’s very basic amenities here, but they all work as they should. Laundry and Wi-Fi (free) cover what’s available.
4. Location = 3/5
   Lusk is an odd location. It’s a town located about half-way between Cheyenne and the Black Hills so it gets a lot of through-traffic, but it’s not much of a destination in itself. A 10-block radius covers everything including a grocer, a few bars, a hardware store and other basics. The surrounding area is farmland.
5. Pet Friendliness = 4/5
   The owner is pet-friendly (no breed restrictions), but the campground is located in the middle of the city so not a lot of hiking opportunities. There’s a fairgrounds ~4 blocks from the site which has open space for doggie to run around, plus there’s a few side-roads with not a lot of traffic.

Overall rating = 3.7 

 Summary: This was a stop-over location for us on the road between Cheyenne, WY and the Black Hills in SD. The town is small enough to spit across (only ~10 blocks) and so is the campground covering 2 blocks and housing ~20 RV’s. As a stop-over it worked perfectly. The sites are large and kept very nice, the bathrooms are spotless, the hookups, laundromat and Wi-Fi work as they should and the owner has made an extra effort to put little cute touches to the place. Just don’t expect extra amenities or a hopping town. Not a destination vacation, but perfectly fine as a one-night stop. 

Typical site...large, gravel pull-through with bench

View across one-half (one block) of BJ's

The main office, restroom and laundromat all-in-one

One of the many little cute touch's on the site

SP Campground Rating – Curt Gowdy, WY

Here’s a review of the State Park we stayed at near Cheyenne, WY.

Link to campground here: Curt Gowdy State Park

1. Site Quality = 3/5
   This is a huge park with 2 lakes and hundreds of different campsites so it’s a bit tough to give a general rating. The reservable sites are fairly flat and decent (for example, non-hookups in Camp Russell are curved, dirt pull-throughs which are mostly level, although with not too much view). The non-reservable sites, which are the majority of sites around the two lakes vary significantly in size, level and view. In Crystal Lake the sites tend to be dirt, fairly level and right next to the water. At the back of Granite Lake (the loops furthest away from the entrance) there’s several fairly level, large dirt sites, but towards the entrance many sites are extremely unlevel and wouldn’t suit big-rigs, or the roads leading into the campgrounds are very narrow, pot-holed and steep. So, it’s a big mix! In general, if you have a big rig, for the best views and most level sites I’d suggest Crystal Lake or the far end of Granite Lake. Also, I’d unhook and look around in your toad before choosing to drive the rig down into some of the loops. For smaller trailers and rigs you can try the campgrounds near the entrance of Granite Lake. All sites do have fire-pit and bench.
2. Facilities = 3/5
   The campground only has pit toilets. There is potable water in every loop and a central dump-station which is a bonus. Some loops do have hookups, but the selection is limited and they do tend to book-out. The majority of the lake is dispersed, non-hookup camping.
3. Location = 5/5
   Location is definitely the biggest draw for this campground. Curt Gowdy is a huge park, gorgeously located around 2 lakes with miles of hiking and mountain biking trails in the surrounding area. You’re ~30 miles from Cheyenne so a reasonable distance to “civilization.
4. Pet Friendliness = 4.5/5
   This is a great place for pets. The campsites have lots of green space and there’s miles of hiking trails to walk doggie in the surrounding area. Only slight ding is that the lake is not officially accessible to dogs or swimming.

Overall Rating = 3.9
BONUS ALERT = beautiful lake views and miles of hiking 

Summary: Overall we were very happy with this campground. It’s a favorite with the locals with good traffic in the week-ends, and for good reason. The lake and hiking in the area are both spectacular and we enjoyed many hours of both. The only negative is that it’s quite primitive (only pit toilets) and trying to find a suitable campsite takes a while. The grounds are very varied here. The site we originally reserved was quite close to neighbors and didn’t have much of a view so we drove around and decided on another one further out. Some of the loops are very hard to access with a big-rig, or would be way too unlevel, but if you’re willing to spend some time you can find yourself a really sweet location. If we come back we’ll chose to drive further out from the entrance to the back of Granite Lake (Granite Point or Sherman Hills Loops) or into Crystal Lake which have nicer, mostly level sites close to the water. Overall, though we had a great experience and would definitely come back. 

 Extra Info: Both our AT&T cellphones and our Verizon wireless card worked. Sites cost $10/night, but there’s an extra fee of $7/night for non-residents to enter the park. Limited selection of reservable sites. Central dump and potable water. 

Our site at the top of Silver Crown loop

View out our front window from the site

One of the larger sites at Crystal Lake

View of sites on Granite Point Loop near far end of lake

View along Sherman Hills loop

Smaller sites in South Causeway Loop

One of the reservable, pull-through sites in Camp Russell