julietsnook

On our way from seven devils to grand Teton, we wanted to stop at craters of the moon and this was the most convenient park. Check in was easy, but weird, at the gas station across the street. Site 7 was a nice size, back in, almost no shade. It backs up to the highway, with a berm for sound abatement. To the front is a large sheep ranch, which is kind of nice. My main issue is that I had originally selected site 6, which had a fire pit, but was moved to site 7 a few weeks before arrival. I was then told at check in that site 6 was the camp host. Well, that site was a pig sty of empty propane tanks, pallets, dog toys, and tall grass. The host let their two dogs run off leash and never even looked our way to wave or say hi. The dump station layout was pretty inconvenient, as well, we basically had to leave the park and re-enter to go in. Leaving the dump station was awkward, too, as you have to hope there is an empty pull through site to exit, otherwise you are backing up. There is a pretty park in Arco I would try next time.

After reading reviews, I had reserved a KOA patio back in site. Check in was quick and friendly and I really appreciated the policy of having staff escort us to our site to make sure were found it ok. Our escort helped us back in and returned with firewood. The site was spacious and the patio was awesome, with a table and chairs, along with extra chairs and a table by the fire pit. We were on the far side from the highway, but next to the industrial park road. It got busy in the morning. Not really camping, but a pleasant stay in a well run park for a fraction of a hotel stay.

The sites are grassy and have ruts and potholes, so you have to be really careful where and how you place your rig if you ever want to get it level. There is no sewer hook up, the electric looks sketchy, with black tape covering the unused breakers. The water connection is just a pipe sticking out of the ground, with a cheap ball valve. Really basic for the price. Communication with the host was difficult, it takes him days to call back, and he wasn’t on site when we arrived, and didn’t answer his phone. We weren’t sure which site to take, and the breakers were finicky. When the host finally responded a few hours later, we were told we were not in the right spot, but he’d LET us stay. He was very little help getting the electric to actually work, but we finally got it going on our own. The dump station is literally a hole in the ground. There are no fire rings, and not enough picnic tables to have one for each site. What a joke. Which is sad, because the location is pretty - right next to the spring river and a very nice city park with a paved walking path and fishing dock. Oh, yeah, the train. Every hour during the night. No matter what site you pick, you are less than 200 yards from the crossing. I didn’t use the bath house, but the outside wasn’t really inviting.

Level pull through full hookup sites for a very reasonable price. Grass is mowed, campground is clean, nice facilities, nice host. My only two complaints are that you are packed in like sardines and the narrow, hilly gravel road to get in. There was barely room to walk between our camper and the neighbors with both sides out

I really want to give this campground a 5 star review -it really tugged at my heart strings. Older campground, but really nice. Convenient location just off the highway, but quiet. Quick and friendly check in with an escort to the site. The escort even helped back us in, which could be a marriage saver! The campground was not full, so they offered Pull through site for the same price, but we were fine with backing in. Mature trees, level sites, and privacy here. Nice laundry room. The only reason I don’t give 5 stars is that the campground is close to a big cattle feedlot and a shooting range, so constant gunshots until dark and cows mooing all night were a bit of a bummer. Buffalo is a really cute town and going to the Occidental saloon for drinks and appetizers is a must-do. I would definitely come back.

We stayed two nights at site 17 and wished we could stay longer! The location cannot be beat, with the Little Salmon River just steps from your camper. We slept so well listening to the River at night. I never heard the highway on the other side of the campground. Check in was busy, with 3 campers arriving at the same time, but the hosts are very nice and it all went smoothly. We walked to town and shopped at a cute gift store. We also walked to a nearby shop that cures jerky and brats. Otherwise, we relaxed by the creek. Be advised - getting into and out of the campground can be nerve wracking, with steep narrow driveways. Also, some spots are pretty close to each other. Finally, the owner is fussy about the grass and landscaping and waters frequently, so there are puddles.

Perfect base for exploring the Black Hills and Custer SP. It’s at the beginning of Needles highway, but before any of the tunnels, so big rig friendly. Well spaced sites with fire rings and picnic tables. Nice office. There are tent sites and cabins, too. We did have a little trouble with the hook ups, as the placement didn’t allow us to hook water/sewer/electric at the same time without either longer hoses or extension cords. Plus the site was a pretty tight fit for our tow vehicle. But the reason to stay here is the scenery and quiet. I didn’t see a better campground anywhere.

Don’t let any of the reviews fool you-this park is near the freeway and highway noise is very noticeable. Not like staying at a rest area, but certainly not a quiet getaway. The campground is heavily wooded and clean, but hasn’t been updated recently. The host was great, friendly and quickly dealt with any issues we had. We use our own bathroom in our camper, but the shower house looked clean and functional. The dump station is pretty basic. We liked site 45, it backed to the woods and was extra wide thanks to the nearby trail head. Paved, but not level, either side to side or front to back. Big rigs might have trouble with the curvy road and trees.

We stayed 2 nights in loop L, spot 488. Check in was great, they greet you at your camper and go over everything there. Directions to the site were easy to follow. The weather was forecast to be below freezing and possible snow during our stay, and they even went over tips and tricks to avoid freeze ups. Getting in the site was tight - lots of big rigs and trees - you can see where campers have hit the trees - so you want to be confident of your driving! Our site was level, but I saw others that weren’t so level. It’s a bummer that there are no campfires, especially when you could see the tent sites just a few yards away with blazing fires. It is a great base for exploring the Tetons, and we loved taking multiple walks a day to the beach area to look at the lake and the mountains. If you have slides, be sure to take a ladder and broom because you will have a lot of pine needles to move.

Very scenic, with nice well marked trails. The swimming beach looked awesome, but we were there off-season. The small campground was very family friendly and spaced out nicely. Larger RVs will have trouble, our 24ft camper and crew cab were about as big as I’d want to try to fit in the sites. The big trees could pose a backing challenge, only one site is pull through. We didn’t have room to fully open our awning. Lots of mosquitoes. Friendly staff and neighbors made it a great weekend getaway