If you are traveling with eight people and you would rather not split the group across town, the Mickelson Trail Suite is the unit to ask about. It is the biggest single lodging option on our property, built to hold a party of eight under one roof, and it is what we point people toward when two households are sharing a vacation or three generations are on the same trip. Our nine other cabins are sized smaller, at four to five guests each, so once you get past five people the suite is usually the simplest answer.
Can a group of eight actually be comfortable in one unit?
That depends on how your group travels. Eight adults who all want quiet and privacy will feel closer together than eight people who are out on the George S. Mickelson Trail from breakfast until dinner and only come back to sleep. Most families who book the suite are in the second category. They are riding the trail, driving out to Mount Rushmore, or spending a day at Custer State Park, and the unit is a home base with a kitchen area, real bathrooms and somewhere to hang wet swimsuits. If your crew includes teenagers who want their own space, read the next section.
What if we would rather have two units side by side?
Booking two of our smaller cabins is a good alternative, and some groups prefer it. Each one has a full bathroom and kitchenette, so the grandparents get their own coffee pot and nobody trips over anybody at 6 a.m. Another combination that works well here: one cabin for the people who want a bed, plus one of our 46 full-hookup RV sites for the family member who brought the camper. With 20/30/50-amp power, water and sewer at each site, that rig can sit ten steps from the cabin door and the group still eats dinner at the same picnic table.
Does tent camping work for a big group?
It can. We have nine tent sites, and a mixed setup — a cabin for the little kids and older folks, tents for everyone else — is common in June through September. Our shower houses are lockable and cleaned regularly, which matters more to a tent family than almost anything else. Just keep in mind that nights in the Black Hills cool off fast, even in July, so pack more sleeping layers than you think you need.
How far ahead should we reserve for a group?
Earlier than you would for a single RV site. There is only one suite, and the weeks that fill first are summer weekends, the Sturgis motorcycle rally stretch in August, and the fall color window in late September and early October. If your dates are fixed, call us as soon as you know them. If your dates are flexible, shoulder season is easier to book and usually cheaper, and the trail is at its best when the aspens turn.
What can a group of eight do without getting back in the car?
More than you would guess. Downtown Hill City is about a five-minute walk along the trail, so shops, restaurants and ice cream are within reach for everyone, including kids who have had enough of the back seat. The 1880 Train depot is four blocks away. Spring Creek runs through the property with brown and rainbow trout in it, and the occasional brook trout, so somebody can fish while the rest of the group naps. We also rent e-bikes, which is the usual fix when half a group wants to ride 20 miles of the Mickelson Trail and the other half has never ridden a hill in their life.
Mount Rushmore is about ten miles out if you want the evening Lighting Ceremony, and Crazy Horse Memorial is close in the other direction. Call or book online, and tell us the size of your group — we will tell you honestly which setup fits.