When Is Check in at Blue Bell Campground

Hi there!

South Dakota state park camping cabins are basically minimalist shelters without a whole lot of amenities inside the cabin.

You can think of it as a simple place to sleep without having to go through the effort of putting up a tent yourself!

And, it's possible to find these South Dakota state park camping cabins in Custer State Park!

Custer State Park is a rather big state park, and there are 8 regular campgrounds at Custer State Park.

There are campgrounds for tent camping and RV camping.

And the way it works for the camping cabins is that they are located at the Custer State Park campgrounds.

Not all of the Custer State Park campgrounds have camping cabins, but some of them do!

And, one of the campgrounds that you can find Custer State Park camping cabins is at the Blue Bell campground!

👆 Driving to Blue Bell campground in Custer State Park in the Black Hills of South Dakota. Blue Bell Campground is 5 minutes away!

Also to note, near the Blue Bell campground, there are the Blue Bell Lodge "resort cabins."

The Blue Bell Lodge cabins are more of the "luxury" cabins in Custer State Park, and these are different from the Blue Bell camping cabins.

So the Blue Bell Lodge cabins are not the same thing as the Blue Bell Campground cabins!

👆 The Blue Bell Lodge cabins: There are resort cabins right next to the Blue Bell campground. These are NOT the Blue Bell camping cabins! If you reserve a Blue Bell camping cabin, you will want to enter the Blue Bell campground to get to your cabin. Not that I first went towards the resort cabins in search of my camping cabin… 😜

When staying at a Blue Bell camping cabin, you will be staying at the Blue Bell campground alongside tent campers and RV campers.

And as a minimalist cabin without many amenities, you will be using the same Blue Bell campground amenities as the campers who are tent camping and RV camping.

The 3 regular campgrounds in Custer State Park with camping cabins:

• Blue Bell Campground
• Game Lodge Campground
• Stockade Lake South Campground

If you are horse camping in South Dakota, then the French Creek Horse Camp is another Custer State Park campground with camping cabins!

More below of what's inside a camping cabin at Blue Bell campground!

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Now…

A bit more about the Blue Bell camping cabins!

My cabin trip to the Blue Bell campground was in August 2021. Some things may change, but this can start to give you an idea of what the Blue Bell cabins can be like!

1. The Blue Bell campground is on the southern side of Custer State Park.

The location of the Blue Bell campground made it a perfect stop as part of my South Dakota camping trip.

It was actually part of a larger Dakotas camping trip.

I was driving from one of the Theodore Roosevelt National Park campgrounds in North Dakota to the Wind Cave National Park campground.

Both of these campgrounds don't have showers, and Custer State Park made for a good overnight stop on the way to Wind Cave National Park, especially because Custer State Park has campgrounds with showers!

And even better, it had extra comfort with the camping cabins compared to my usual tent camping! So it felt like a little bit of luxury!

The Blue Bell campground can also be a good location if you're planning on making day trips from Custer State Park to places like Wind Cave National Park, Jewel Cave National Monument, and the Mammoth Site.

2. The Blue Bell camping cabins are located at the back of the Blue Bell campground.

Blue Bell Campground is on google maps. (map)

So once you are in Custer State Park, you will follow the signs for Blue Bell Lodge.

The Blue Bell Lodge is right next to the Blue Bell Campground.

👆 You can look for the Blue Bell Lodge as a landmark. The Blue Bell Lodge is near the Blue Bell Campground.

And then once you see the entrance sign for Blue Bell campground, you'll turn on to that road, and then you basically will follow that road all the way back and it will take you to the camping cabins!

You will first pass by the tent campers and RV campers, and then you'll start to see the camping cabins.

3. The Blue Bell Stables are near the Blue Bell Campground entrance

Another thing you can look out for to know where to go is the Blue Bell Stables.

This is located right near the campground entrance.

And yes, you can go for guided horseback rides from the Blue Bell Campground too!

👆 There is a horse trail that goes right behind the Blue Bell camping cabins.

4. The Blue Bell General Store is near the Blue Bell Campground entrance

And another thing you can look out for as a "landmark" is the Blue Bell General Store.

👆 Blue Bell General Store: Kindly leave horses outside 🐎

5. Once you have made it to the loop of the Blue Bell camping cabins, you will look for your cabin number!

There won't be any campground office that you check into before you go to your cabin.

You can go straight to your cabin. (A little bit more about camping cabin "check-in" procedures later below!)

You will look for the specific cabin you reserved!

You'll look for the sign post with the number on it.

👆 Welcome to Blue Bell Campground and Custer State Park! Check the board to see what's going on around Custer State Park!

6. There are beds and mattresses inside the camping cabins. But there is no bedding of any kind!

The exact layout will vary based on the camping cabin you reserve. When you make your booking, you can see how many people the cabin will sleep.

The beds are set up bunk bed style.

All you get is a mattress. No bedding of any kind is included, so you'll need to bring all of that on your own. This can include things like a sleeping bag and a pillow.

What you see is what you get!

7. There is a small table inside the camping cabins with a little bit of space to put a few things.

It's not a whole lot of space, but there is a small table inside the cabin.

There is also a spot to place a few things for convenience.

8. There is a picnic table outside the cabin.

The more convenient place to eat will be outside!

You can eat at the picnic table that's located just outside your cabin.

9. The camping cabins have electricity, AC, and heat!

There is electricity inside the cabin, so you'll get lighting inside… and outside!

This also includes many outlets around the inside of the cabin.

There is also AC in the camping cabins.

You can also get heat in the camping cabins!

You can also use electricity outside of your cabin. There is an outlet outside.

10. There is no running water inside the cabin. Instead, you will use the water faucets that can be found around the Blue Bell Campground.

There are faucets around the campground for drinking water (and cooking water) that you can use to fill up your water jug.

11. There is no bathroom inside the camping cabin. Instead, you will use the Blue Bell Campground bathroom.

The type of bathroom you use will depend on where your cabin is located and how far you're willing to walk!

There are regular bathrooms and toilets at the Blue Bell Campground.

There are also basic no-flush toilets that might be a shorter walk from your cabin.

12. There is no shower inside the camping cabin. Instead, you will use the Blue Bell Campground showers.

The bathroom near the Blue Bell camping cabins is also the "bath house" or where you will go to take a shower at the Blue Bell campground.

And these regular bathrooms that are near the Blue Bell camping cabins are like you get your own individual room for a shower! (And to go to the bathroom.) This is actually rather fancy for a campground shower. 😜 (I did not see this at the other Custer State Park campgrounds I went to.)

On the downside, with a combined bathroom and shower, it also means you might have to wait longer just to go to the bathroom if someone is taking a shower.

13. There is a small trash can inside the camping cabin.

There's also a trash dumpster at the Blue Bell campground. Similar to tent camping or RV camping, it would be good to take the trash bag from your cabin to the dumpster!

Try to leave the cabin as you found it. There is minimal housekeeping with the camping cabins.

14. There is a fire extinguisher inside the camping cabin.

Know how to use a fire extinguisher! PASS: pull, aim, squeeze, sweep! Watch the video!

A small portable fire extinguisher is also a good thing to add to your Custer State Park camping packing list! You can find them at Walmart.

15. Apparently animals are a thing at the Blue Bell campground! Keep your windows closed when you're out for the day!

Side note: Different type of animals, but buffalo are a thing in front of the Game Lodge camping cabins!

How to check in for your Blue Bell campground camping cabin

Once again, there is no campground office that you need to check-in to.

There is no formal check-in process.

What you DO need to do (or should) before you arrive at Custer State Park during business hours is call the South Dakota state parks office. There will be instructions in the cabin reservation email for how to access your cabin! So DO be sure to read that email completely!

It tells you to call the South Dakota state parks office (which is only open during regular business hours) to find out how to get your key.

BUT… if you don't read that email and you're traveling during the regular camping season, chances are the Blue Bell campground host can take care of your cabin access.

When I was at the Blue Bell Campground, it seemed like the campground host was in charge of the basics of the camping cabins, including key access.

And in fact, it might even turn out that the way to access your cabin is through the campground host.

Or, the cabin might already be unlocked and the key might be inside.

At some point, the Blue Bell campground host will probably come and talk to you about the basics.

So actually, I didn't read fully read the camping cabin reservation email until about an hour before getting to Custer State Park. 😜 By that time, it was too late. The South Dakota state parks office was closed. (I think it might have even been a weekend.)

So after arriving at the Blue Bell campground, I asked some people who were sitting outside of their camping cabin how they got their key. They said their door was unlocked and the key was inside. And they had also mentioned how they even called, got the code for the keypad, but that code didn't work. And that's when they tried the door and it opened.

And similarly for me, the cabin door was unlocked with the key inside on the table.

But, cabin entry processes can change, so it can be a good idea to follow the directions you're given in the email!

How to make camping cabin reservations for Custer State Park

You will make your camping reservation for Blue Bell Campground and any other Custer State Park campgrounds through the South Dakota state park camping reservation website, which is go outdoors south dakota.

Cost of camping cabins in Custer State Park

The cost in 2021 for Custer State Park camping cabins was $66 a night, and that includes taxes and the out-of-state resident fee. The base price was $55 per night for a camping cabin in Custer State Park.

You separately also do need to buy the Custer State Park pass or the annual South Dakota state park pass.

In 2021, it was $20 for a 7-day pass (same if you're only one day in Custer State Park) and $36 for an annual pass.

You can buy either pass when you get to Custer State Park. See current fees.

Custer State Park camping dates to keep in mind

In early August there is the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally.

There are reports that this event has attracted nearly half a million people to the region.

Many of these people also go camping, and they also stay at camping cabins! This means that cabins could get booked up more quickly.

This especially affects the areas surrounding Sturgis SD, and that notably includes Custer State Park, even though it's an hour away.

As the people at South Dakota state parks say, either join them or avoid them!

In 2022, the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally is August 5 to 14.

At the end of September there is the buffalo round-up within Custer State Park.

Once again, this will create crowds, and you can choose to go to it because you want to see the buffalo rounded up, or you can choose to avoid this time!

In 2022, the Custer State Park buffalo roundup is September 29 to October 1.

And that's a bit about staying at a cabin at the Blue Bell Campground!

If you'll be driving along I-90 in South Dakota to/from the east, you can stay in a South Dakota state park camping cabin in eastern South Dakota too! This can make for a perfect overnight stop!

Plan more for your trip to Custer State Park, the Black Hills, and beyond:

• Things to do in Custer State Park
• Best hikes in Custer State Park
• Easy lake hikes in Custer State Park
• Best campgrounds in South Dakota
• Campgrounds in Badlands National Park
• Best places to visit in South Dakota
• Things to do in Mount Rushmore National Memorial
• Driving from Mount Rushmore to Devils Tower
• Things to do in Devils Tower National Monument
• Things to do in Badlands National Park
• What is up with Wall Drug in South Dakota?

HAPPY STAYING AT A BLUE BELL CAMPING CABIN IN CUSTER STATE PARK!

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Source: https://www.flashpackingamerica.com/south-dakota-travel/blue-bell-campground-camping-cabins-custer-state-park/

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