Koa Mt Rushmore

Elite '09

91

230

Katie H.

Chicago, IL

8/17/2009

Crapping* in a pubic bathroom is nearly impossible. Not totally impossible (actually it's probably totally possible if you're some kind of weird beard or just generally lack decorum) but yeah.... uncomfortable.

I'm just gonna put that out there.

I'm also gonna put out there that this KOA is enormous and has some lovely SINGLE STALL bathrooms dotted here and there. Can you believe it?

Yeah, this is like the classy grande dame of camping... like the Helen Mirren of camping or as KOA puts it "Kamping". Everything with a "K" is just better. Like that restaurant near my grandma's house called "The Kuntry Kubbard". and that service station called "The Kum 'n Go." Yes.

So they have plenty of klean facilities (including individual room showers with plenty of hot water and a little bench for all your leg hiking needs) and they even had two pools! One with a hot tub!

My best friend, Shoe, and I were elated to discover upon arrival that one of the pools even had adult swim from 8pm-10pm each night. One night this went off without a hitch but another night Shoe and I were forced to be horrible old biddies and go komplain to the desk staff that there were about eight horrible spawn all likely taking turns peeing in the hot tub at about 8:30pm. A timid employee had to ask them to leave twice but eventually it worked. We felt awful afterwards. But hey, rules are rules.

If you do stay here in a tent site as we did, ask for a shady site. Otherwise you will burn alive. South Dakota is not very forgiving during the broad light of day. We politely asked if we could move to a shady spot and they were glad to oblige.

You might feel a little out of place here if you don't have say... twelve screaming ill-behaved children but the amenities here are great and we felt very safe here. No kritters or kreepin weirdos which I appreciate. Just a handful of drunk-ass dads not supervising their kids at the pool. Why doncha go krack another Busch Lite, sir?

And you can't beat the All-You-Kan-Eat Pancake Breakfast for $2.50 every single morning. Start your day off right with "whipped spread" and "maple-flavored syrup"! Yay.

So overall we did quite enjoy ourselves. I can't deny that if I were more of a sturdy girl or had a big old Manly-Man to speak of I wouldn't have preferred to stay in the state campground but if I'm expected to be using a pit toilet I had better at least be gettin' some tent kuddles... which I wasn't. Just Shoe rolling over on my face a few times.

*Thanks for the komfortable krap, KOA.

• Add owner comment
• Bookmark
• Send to a Friend
• Link to This Review

Elite '09

57

179

Lorri E.

Portland, OR

9/1/2008

We visited the KOA Mt. Rushmore, located at the "Palmer Gulch Resort" in South Dakota, while visiting from out of town for a friend's wedding.

When I was a kid, my grandparents used to load us up in the camper (a pull along, bubble shaped trailer) and take us camping.  To a little girl, this was like a Barbie Dream House on wheels--everything was tiny and packed into this small space, with a dinette area/couch/sleeping bed and a little bunk area over the top.  Ahhh...how I miss those simple times of roughing it.   I have very fond memories of camping with Grandma and Grandpa throughout the Midwest.  

The KOA campground...er, Kampground, brings back such a wave of nostalgia for that, I would give them five stars just for that.  But, I need to give a real review, so pulling myself out of memory lane back to the present day, here it is:

We rented a Kabin, and got one of the smaller, ancient ones.  I am fairly sure this same cabin would have been new when my grandparents were young.  It was a real log cabin, and very rustic indeed, with old pine wood floors and a screen door that slams loudly when you let it go.  The entire bathroom is covered (walls and ceiling) in printed floral formica panelling.  I mean, if you're into rustic cabins, this is as cool (and rustic) as it gets.  Our Kabin, #11, looks out onto a broad field of grass with large rock formations of the Black Hills in the distance, so it offers a nice peaceful, scenic view.  There is nothing in this cabin save a bed, and a tiny kitchenette, and rocking chair.  There is no phone, there is no TV, there is nothing but nothingness, something that this city girl is entirely unaccustomed to.  There is no cell phone reception, and no clock.  I spend an entire day sitting alone in the screened in, wood-floored cabin with calico print curtains billowing in the sun, and I rock in the wooden rocking chair all day long, with no clue what time it is, and read a book.  When is the last time I did this much nothingness for an entire day?  I can't remember.  I bask in the glow of being disconnected from the world with only minor side effects of not having my computer.  I go on a hike in the woods behind the cabin and do not encounter another person the whole time: just Midwestern grass fields, trees, and grasshoppers parting before me like the red sea.  Ahhh.

The only thing spoiling the tranquility of the cabin is the constant steam of traffic on the gravel road in front of the cabin.  There is a parade of yellow KOA Kampground trucks driving past all day long.  I think the employees are just bored and drive around in circles on the road all day, as I rarely see anything in the back of their trucks.  Anyway, be advised, the traffic is a bit noisy and can disturb your nostalgic cabin reverie.

The only other complaint I have about the campground is not really a complaint at all, and in fact, if you have children, this is a feature and probably worthy of five stars.  This place is Kid Nirvana.  There are so many kid-friendly amenities at this campground that you could keep your kids busy and happy and worn out easily every day for a solid week.  There are pools, games, a trampoline, mini golf, water slide, horseback riding, and more.  I was trying to relax in the cabin, but got to hear the delighted sounds of kids screaming and hollering at the top of their lungs, day and night.  It was cute and charming for about five minutes.  At 10:30pm when it was still going on, the charm started to wear off for me.

The only other thing wrong with our cabin is rodents and bugs.  Perhaps this is to be expected in a rustic cabin.  But, still..I spent a small fortune on food down at their KOA convenience mart, and when I leave my room to take a hike and come back, I discover something had eaten it's way half through my loaf of expensive bread.  This is kind of creepy to a city girl like myself.  I buy more bread, and this time tie it up in a plastic bag and put it up on a shelf.  The next morning, the bag is eaten through, and both the bread and bag of Doritos are history.  Another $20 in food down the drain.  I begin to suspect this is a money making scheme by the KOA convenience mart--trained rodents come into your room each time you leave, to eat through all your food so you have to buy more.  If you stay here, just save yourself the money and eat in their restaruant.

So, in closing, this is a fabulous campground for nostalgic back-in-time quality when America was simpler, and if you have kids you want to take camping and entertain.  (Looking at Mt. Rushmore sculptures used to be more thrilling, I'll bet, in the days before movie special effects and Disney magic).  I would definitely rent another rustic cabin, but next time I will look for one off the beaten path a bit, since for me, camping should involve a little more solitude.

• Add owner comment
• Bookmark
• Send to a Friend
• Link to This Review