Beaver Creek Campground

Beaver Creek Campground is a Black Hills Forest Service campground in South Dakota north of Newcastle WY.  A well maintained dirt road leads to Mallo Camp, a private camp with a lodge and cabins plus other camping. The road continues but narrows almost to a single lane snaking along Beaver Creek. 

The campground entrance dives off the main road leading to eight camping pads for tents or smaller RV's. Campground information suggests RV's no larger than 23 ft. We chose an easy parallel site next to the creek. All campsites have a picnic table and fire ring. There is no electricity, no garbage service or cellphone service. The pit toilet was clean and potable water was available from a pump.

An interesting feature in the campground were the white rocks that delineated the campsites and the road keeping people from driving onto the grassy areas near the creek. 

The campground is in a beautiful setting with hiking trails nearby. We hiked along a cross country ski trail after navigating a barbed wire gate. The trail was steep in places and rocky but we didn't have to climb. Violets, arnica, yarrow, wild strawberry, lupine, geranium and several other flowers that I couldn't name were blooming. 

Other than Grey Jays, Robins, Chipping Sparrows and Song Sparrows and a chipmunk, we saw no other wildlife. 

Dave and I enjoyed the view until a chilly wind started the pine pollen blowing so we retired to the trailer and enjoyed the view from Luci's panoramic front window. 

We took a drive in the afternoon along the maze of forest service roads. Good maps helped us to see where we were going or we might still be wandering around the hills. Our truck was covered in fine white dust. 

The next day we packed up and headed back for Laramie stopping at an overlook near the former Cambria salt mines.

The drive home through Newcastle, Lusk and Wheatland was broken up by a lunch stop in the parking lot of the Wheatland Elementary School. It is nice to be hauling around your favorite lunch spot and it can be wherever you happen to stop. 

A final stop at the Orin Junction rest area on Interstate 25. We find out that the Interstate rest areas have dump stations! Another find was that the new 80 mph speed limit signs have gone up along the interstate.  Most folks seem to go that fast anyway whizzing by us RVers. 

Anyway, home again. Bambi Luci got a thorough cleaning and an outside rinse and the Tacoma got the pine pollen and white dust and South Dakota bugs washed off. Now we are ready for the next trip!