Custer camping bump continues through Labor Day weekend - KOTA Territory News

Custer camping bump continues through Labor Day weekend

The Labor Day weekend is seen by a lot of Americans as a farewell to summer and as a last chance to travel.
 
A spike in gas prices has drivers feeling a little more pain at the pump, but it's not bringing down the number of people coming in and out of South Dakota's state parks.

In fact, Custer State Park campgrounds are packed.
 
"I think campers just like to camp," said Lee Branson of Chadron, Neb. "If summer comes, they're going to go."

Branson is among them. He ignored the drought, gas prices, the fires.
 
"A lot of people got a lot of money invested in campers and equipment," he said, "and you just got to go anyway."
 
Branson's also had these plans for some time. He made reservations back in January.

And it's a good thing he did.
 
"We've been full all weekend," Matt Snyder, Custer State Park's superintendent, said, adding it's continuing a trend the park saw pretty much all summer.

He said camping is up 6 percent through July.
 
"Earlier this summer, gas prices were a little bit down," said Snyder. "They started creeping up again, but I think that shock of the gas pump is a little bit behind us."
 
Which means all of Custer's 300-plus campsites and 50 cabins are booked up.
 
"If a campsite opens up, by evening they're filled back up again," Snyder said.
 
For example, 17 of them turned over Saturday, and all had campers again by nightfall.
 
"I didn't see any vacancies last night when we took a walk around the campsite after about 9 o'clock or so," confirmed Branson.
 
And while Labor Day is the unofficial end to summer, South Dakota parks could stay full for a while.
 
"We have good reservation numbers going into September now as well," said Snyder, "so if the weather holds like it should, we should keep seeing campers coming out."
 
That includes Branson -- if he can find a spot.
 
"We looked at coming to the Black Hills somewhere when the leaves turn," he said. "Especially this place is still fairly full, even into October."

Snyder said South Dakota as a whole is seeing a much bigger camping boost than just in Custer.

He said 18 percent more campers have been flocking to parks throughout the state, despite widespread bans on campfires.