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The Longhorn Ranch Lodge & RV Resort

46 RV Sites, 7 Tent Sites, 5 Lodges

In Dubois, Wyoming—at the eastern gateway of the Wind River Canyon where US Highway 26/287 threads through the Absaroka Range and the painted badlands of the Dubois basin before climbing to Togwotee Pass and the descent toward Grand Teton National Park—Longhorn Ranch Lodge & RV Resort sits with the Painted Hills' vermillion and ochre badlands to the north and Whiskey Mountain in the Wind River Range rising to the south, offering full hookup RV sites, lodge accommodations, a hot tub and sauna, horse pens for equestrian travelers, bike rentals, and a setting of raw Wyoming landscape beauty that makes Dubois itself a destination rather than simply a waypoint on the Yellowstone circuit. For travelers who want the Wind River country's extraordinary geology, wildlife, and mountain environment without the crowds of the national parks, Longhorn Ranch delivers. Full hookup RV sites with big-rig accommodations sit alongside the lodge's guest rooms in a property with a creek or stream on the grounds that creates the natural soundscape of the high Wyoming valley. Horse pens serve the equestrian community that uses the Dubois area as a base for backcountry trail riding in the Shoshone National Forest and the Fitzpatrick Wilderness, and the bike rentals support the cycling guests who want to explore the Wind River Canyon's dramatic highway corridor on two wheels. A laundry, clean bathrooms and showers, a playground, dog park, and general store provide the practical amenity infrastructure, and the hot tub and sauna offer the restorative option that the Wyoming mountain climate makes particularly welcome. Dubois sits at 6,917 feet in Fremont County at the confluence of the Wind River and Horse Creek, in the high desert basin where the geology tells one of Wyoming's most visible stories—the badlands north of town expose the same volcanic and sedimentary strata that color the landscape at Bryce Canyon and the Painted Desert, creating the pink, red, white, and yellow banding in the cliffs that gives the Painted Hills their name. The town's character as a working Western ranching and outfitting community, combined with its position on the Yellowstone-Teton circuit, creates the authentic Wyoming atmosphere that distinguishes Dubois from the resort-town alternatives in the region. Yellowstone National Park's east entrance at Sylvan Pass is approximately 65 miles west via Togwotee Pass, a mountain route that crosses the Continental Divide at 9,658 feet through spectacular alpine scenery and is consistently ranked among Wyoming's most beautiful highways. Grand Teton National Park and Jackson Hole lie approximately 85 miles southwest, with the Tetons visible from Togwotee Pass on clear days in the dramatic silhouette that makes the approach from the east one of the finest introductions to a mountain landscape in the American West. The National Bighorn Sheep Center in Dubois—the interpretive museum dedicated to the Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep that winter on Whiskey Mountain in the largest concentration of bighorns in the lower 48 states—provides the wildlife education that contextualizes the sheep viewing opportunities immediately adjacent to town. Longhorn Ranch operates seasonally in Dubois's high-altitude Wyoming climate, with the summer and early fall season from June through October the primary operating window when the mountain passes are open and the national park circuit is accessible. The Whiskey Mountain bighorn sheep viewing in late fall and winter is exceptional and occasionally extends the Dubois season for wildlife-focused visitors willing to navigate the mountain roads. Reserve your site or lodge room at Longhorn Ranch and let Dubois's painted badlands, the Wind River Range, and the Wyoming landscape between Yellowstone and the Tetons show you what most travelers miss by driving through without stopping.

from $30/night

Yellowstone Hot Springs Resort

39 RV Sites, 4 Cabins, 18 Tent Sites, 5 Hotel Rooms

Yellowstone Hot Springs Resort in Gardiner, Montana, offers 39 RV sites, nine cabin and hotel-room units, and 18 tent sites eight miles north of Yellowstone's North Entrance, with 20, 30, and 50-amp service and rigs accepted to 40 feet behind a gated entrance. Three mineral spring pools of graduated temperature are the reason to book. Thirty-nine sites run in full-hookup and electric-only categories carrying 20, 30, and 50-amp, sized to 40 feet, with fire pits, picnic tables, and site WiFi. The electric-only option suits self-contained rigs at a lower rate. Nine cabins and hotel rooms and 18 tent sites round out the accommodations. A laundry, dump station, restrooms, showers, and firewood handle the practical side, with a gated entrance controlling access. The hot springs define the property. Three mineral pools of graduated temperature — a cold plunge, a 100-degree pool, and a 106-degree pool — are fed continuously by water drawn straight from the earth, chemical-free. An outdoor pool, fitness center, clubhouse, and pavilion round out the amenities, with hiking, biking, birding, and picnicking from the area and skiing and a golf course nearby. Pets are welcome. Gardiner sits at the south end of Paradise Valley where the Yellowstone River emerges from the mountains with the Absaroka Range rising on both flanks — one of the most strategically positioned properties in the greater Yellowstone ecosystem, eight miles from the park's only year-round entrance. Summer is decisively the season, with the springs drawing guests year-round. Reserve well ahead for June through September.

from $29/night

Elkhorn Ridge RV Resort & Cabins

100 RV Sites

Elkhorn Ridge RV Resort and Cabins in Spearfish, South Dakota, offers 100 full-hookup RV sites on the historic Frawley Ranch, with 20, 30, and 50-amp service, cable TV, and rigs accepted up to 140 feet on a big-rig-friendly layout. Back-in and pull-through categories join an outdoor pool, hot tub, disc golf course, and tennis at the northern gateway to the Black Hills. One hundred sites run in back-in and pull-through categories, both carrying water, sewer, and electric on 20, 30, and 50-amp with cable TV and site WiFi, sized to 140 feet. One hundred forty feet is among the most generous length allowances anywhere and accommodates anything on the road — worth knowing if you tow a trailer behind a long coach. The paved, level pads back up the resort's reputation. A general store, laundry, propane fills, showers, and on-site dining handle the practical side. An outdoor pool and hot tub and sauna anchor the property, with a disc golf course, sports courts, tennis, pickleball, volleyball, basketball, horseshoes, golf cart rentals, walking trails, biking, a playground, and dog park filling the rest. Planned activities run through the season, and a golf course is nearby. The Frawley Ranch carries more than 140 years of pioneering heritage and National Historic Registry status, which gives the grounds a genuine western character that most resorts manufacture. Spearfish Canyon, Deadwood, Mount Rushmore, and Devils Tower are all within reach. Summer is the short, intense Black Hills season, and the Sturgis rally fills the entire region. Reserve as early as you can for August.

from $55 $48/night

Sturgis View Campground

Sturgis View Campground offers full-hookup RV sites with water, sewer, and electric, plus cabins, on a hillside 1.5 miles from Sturgis's Main Street, with 360-degree views of the Black Hills. An outdoor pool, hot tub, bar, and on-site dining have served motorcycle rally attendees since 2004. Full-hookup back-in sites carry water, sewer, and electric with fire pits, picnic tables, and site WiFi. Cabins round out the accommodations. A general store, dump station, restrooms, showers, and a pavilion handle the practical side, with on-site dining and a bar for evenings. The property also serves as a wedding venue and includes a barn. An outdoor pool and hot tub anchor the property, with walking trails, hiking, picnicking, and swimming from the grounds and stargazing across the open Hills sky. Planned activities run through the season. Wine tasting is nearby. Pets are welcome. The hillside position is the whole idea. Elevated and set back just enough to catch a breeze and some perspective, the campground puts riders close to the rally without being swallowed by it — which is why it has held a loyal following since 2004. Downtown Sturgis is 1.5 miles away, with Mount Rushmore, Devils Tower, Badlands National Park, Crazy Horse Memorial, and Bear Butte State Park all within day-trip range. The August Sturgis Motorcycle Rally is the defining event and books out far in advance at premium rates — if your stay falls anywhere near rally week, reserve as early as you possibly can. The rest of the Black Hills summer runs busy on park traffic.

from $15/night

Beaver Lake Campground

75 RV Sites, 9 Cabins, 6 Tent Sites

Beaver Lake Campground in Custer, South Dakota, offers 68 RV sites, nine cabins, and six tent sites at 5,300 feet in the Black Hills, with 30 and 50-amp service and rigs accepted to 45 feet. Full-hookup and water-and-electric categories at both amperages join back-in and pull-through tiers, with a water park, outdoor pool, and recreation center. Sixty-eight sites span back-in water-and-electric 30-amp, back-in water-and-electric 50-amp, back-in full-hookup 30-amp, back-in full-hookup 50-amp, pull-thru water-and-electric 30-amp, and pull-thru full-hookup categories, carrying water, sewer, and electric where noted with site WiFi, sized to 45 feet, with fire pits and picnic tables. Check your tier before booking — the water-and-electric categories do not carry sewer at the site. Nine cabins and six tent sites round out the lodging. A general store, laundry, propane fills, dump station, restrooms, showers, and firewood handle the practical side. Registered guests are responsible for the conduct of everyone at their site. A water park and outdoor pool anchor the summer, with a recreation center, volleyball, basketball, horseshoes, a playground, and dog park filling the grounds. Pets are welcome. The elevation delivers reliably cool summer temperatures when the plains swelter, and Mount Rushmore, Custer State Park, Crazy Horse, and the Needles Highway are all within easy striking distance of camp. Julian and Kachina Starr own and operate it. Summer is the short, intense season in the Black Hills, with the Sturgis rally week tightening the whole region. Reserve well ahead.

from $6/night

Black Hills Station

36 RV Sites

Black Hills Station in Piedmont, South Dakota, offers 36 full-hookup RV sites just off Interstate 90 between Rapid City and Sturgis, with 30 and 50-amp service and rigs accepted to 40 feet, open all year. An outdoor pool, clubhouse, and cabins sit at the entry point to the Black Hills. Thirty-six sites run in 30-amp back-in, standard back-in, and pull-through categories, all carrying water, sewer, and electric on 30 and 50-amp, sized to 40 feet. Note the 40-foot cap before booking a larger rig. Cabins serve guests without a rig. A dump station, restrooms, showers, and WiFi handle the practical side, and the campground stays open year-round. An outdoor pool anchors the summer, with inflatable water toys, a clubhouse, billiards, corn hole, and walking trails filling the grounds. Off-roading and a casino are nearby. The amenity set is practical rather than elaborate, which suits a property where guests spend their days out. The position is the real asset. From this single address, Mount Rushmore, Crazy Horse Memorial, Custer State Park, Badlands National Park, Spearfish Canyon, and Deadwood are all reachable as day trips — a lineup that would otherwise constitute a full two-week South Dakota itinerary with multiple relocations. Summer is peak across the Black Hills. The August Sturgis rally is the sharpest constraint, given the park sits directly between Rapid City and Sturgis — if your stay falls anywhere near rally week, reserve as early as possible and expect premium rates.

from $36/night