I’ve got a lot of catching up to do about our summer spent in the Black Hills, South Dakota. Randy’s work camping gig has ended and we’re currently exploring Utah. I have a few posts coming about all about the wonderful things to do in the Black Hills and how we spent our summer hiking and seeing the amazing sights. But first, I thought I’d give an overview of our first work camp experience.

Those who may have missed my last post, work camping in RV life terms means working a certain number of hours in exchange for a free RV site. Some jobs may have additional pay on top of that and the hours worked and tasks vary from place to place. Randy accepted a work camp job at Black Elk Resort, which is a property nestled in the Black Hills that has 12 cabin rentals, 9 RV sites and an on-site Taproom, where they serve local craft beer and wine. 

The season began in May and ended September 30th. We got a slip for the RV for no-charge in exchange for Randy working 25 hours a week. His tasks were mostly working in the taproom, either for the breakfast shift or the 2-9pm shift. Outside of that, he collected the property trash and managed the hot tub at the largest cabin on a daily basis. He was also the go-to guy for making small maintenance repairs in the cabins as they were needed. During peak season (June through August) there were 3 other work campers, a couple who stayed about a month and then another guy after them who stayed a couple months. Randy also filled in where needed, cutting grass, weed eating and even helping to cycle the sheets and towels during especially busy times. Randy was also trusted to to do the beer ordering for the taproom and being the main go-to guy while the owner was away a few different times throughout the summer.

While Randy did his daily tasks and scheduled hours, I sewed most of the summer. I’ve been selling handmade bags and accessories on Etsy for about a year and half and recently launched my own website. What started out as a hobby became a part-time side hustle. I’ve really enjoyed sewing and will continue to do so as long as it remains fun for me. Outside of Randy working and my sewing, we spent a great amount of time hiking. This area is amazing for hiking and I plan to post more on those spectacular hikes soon.

We were pumped about getting to spend an extended time here because there is so much to see and do. There’s Custer State Park, which in my mind is every bit as spectacular as any national park. Other things to do and see are: Mount Rushmore, Crazy Horse Memorial, The Badlands, Deadwood, Spearfish Canyon, Sturgis, Wind Cave National Park, Jewel Cave National Monument and Devils Tower National Monument in Wyoming is a 3 hour drive from here. We were able to see most of these and I will be posting on those later.

While here, we also had a few visitors. My sister and nephew came for a week in July and right after that our son, Corey visited. It was so fun having them visit and showing them what gem of the place the Black Hills are.

Outside of the sight seeing and hiking, we enjoyed small town life in Hill City. Hill City is a quaint little town nestled in the mountains. It has a great grocery store, post office and library as well as great shops, breweries and wineries. Since we love craft beer, we frequented Lost Cabin Brewery and the newly opened Cohort Brewery. We also spent a great deal of time on the Michelson Trail, which is an 108.8 mile bike and walking trail that runs from Edgemont to Deadwood. There’s a trailhead in Hill City and we’d visit at least 2 times per week with Sophie in her stroller to run or walk and spot deer and other wildlife.

Randy and I both thoroughly enjoyed spending summer in South Dakota. We joked that it was our nicest and coolest summer yet after spending 9 years in Florida in the summer and trying to beat the heat cruising north on the sailboat. We so enjoyed being able to spend so much time outdoors especially hiking. Randy enjoyed work camping as well. It was a great balance to his day-to-day to be needed and have purpose but still have time for hiking and exploring. The resort owners, Ashley and Justin, were super nice and laid back and the resort was a great atmosphere for work camping. If you’re looking for a place to stay in the Black Hills, we highly recommend Black Elk Resort. It’s a family-owned establishment with a friendly feel. The taproom is a great place to meet other travelers as well as the nightly bonfires.

Stay tuned for more to come on all the amazing things to do and see in the Black Hills!