Summit Ridge Lookout Cabin, Custer, SD

Summit Ridge Lookout Cabin is located in the Hell Canyon Ranger District, Black Hills National Forest (1 hr 50 min west of Rapid City, SD) with an elevation of 6,094 feet. The site is open all year. There is a fee of $35.00 per night. Activities include biking, hiking trails.

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Campsite Reviews (38)

4.1 out of 5

5 star		45%
4 star		37%
3 star		11%
2 star		3%
1 star		5%

@AddisonM45A042 · Camped on Nov 8, 2024 at Campsite #1

Lovely location and so peaceful!

@AnthonyF294780 · Camped on Nov 3, 2024 at Campsite #1

A quiet place before deer season opens, then the traffic picks up a bit. Rustic but good cabin.

@NatalieB6E2F60 · Camped on Aug 7, 2024 at Campsite #1

I took my Girl Scout troop here and they loved it. It was very quiet while we were there and the cabin was comfortable.

@ScottW5600178 · Camped on Jun 25, 2024 at Campsite #1

The location was great, we really enjoyed the solitude and beautiful setting. We came prepared, but some things to know that might otherwise ruin your trip:1.) The bed frames do NOT have bedding including mattresses, you need to bring your own air mattress, or plan on sleeping on plywood.2.) There is NO water anywhere nearby. There is no well, there are no streams, or even ponds. The nearest water is in Newcastle, WY, a half hour drive away. Consider that you will want water for more than just drinking; for things like washing, cooking, etc.3.) There are flies, bring bug spray, citronella candles, etc.4.) Basically, this place is camping in a wooden cabin/tent, you need to bring everything. We've stayed in 7 prior forest service cabins, this was the least equiped but for $45 a night, it was great!

@HeatherT982964 · Camped on Feb 18, 2024 at Campsite #1

Amazing little cabin, bring what you need because there is minimal things at the cabin. We stayed in winter and it was plenty warm with the fire place. We brought a propane bottle to use the over and gas stove. We will be back! Also make sure to clean up after yourself, there is no house keeping.

@CarolS5914427 · Camped on Jan 30, 2024 at Campsite #1

Awesime

@DavidM1864120 · Camped on Jan 1, 2024 at Campsite #1

Wonderful place for a night in the woods! The cabin is well maintained and we enjoyed out stay!

@AlyssaL9813433 · Camped on Jun 30, 2023 at Campsite #1

The cabin is amazing and remote! After camping at Custer State Park it was nice to have some quiet space to relax. Even though there was no running water, electricity, and barely a cell signal, the kids had the best time there. We will definitely be back.

@JosephN5057493 · Camped on Apr 22, 2023 at Campsite #1

Overall, the place is very good. I have stayed there 4 times and loved the experience each time!

@CoreyJ8103177 · Camped on Nov 30, 2022 at Campsite #1

Enjoyed the stay. The batteries for the solar system only held about an hour's worth of light (we only used one light). Probably need to be changed out to hold a little more charge. Minor issue, though. We had lanterns.

@MichaelW725874 · Camped on Oct 11, 2022 at Campsite #1

I stayed in two different cabins in two different states during a recent roadtrip. Summit Ridge was the cleanest of both! It was very clean and well-kept. I only spent the night in Summit Ridge and left before sunrise due to time constraints, not the facilities. They mean it when they say the site has no supplies. There aren't even chairs in the cabin (there is one small table). Bring camping chairs! There was TP, though (but bring your own, just in case). The beds are solid wood, which is harder than sleeping on the ground. Bring extra bedding. There are two roads labeled 265 in Google Maps and they don't connect. Be sure to follow the directions provided on the site. They are accurate, at least if you're coming from Newcastle direction. Take your time on Boles Canyon Road. It is very rippled in some places and may rattle your tooth-fillings out!

@MerissaA130850 · Camped on Oct 6, 2022 at Campsite #1

We've loved the cabins that we've stayed at so far from the Forest Service and we were happy with how developed the site was. However the cabin was very dirty when we arrived which was disappointing. Not the fault of the forest service but of other campers. We had also wished that the description was a little clearer. One part of it said there was beds, another that you needed to bring all bedding. There are no mattresses and although we brought sleeping bags we ended up having to sleep on the hard plywood. It's a nice place but has a lot of room for improvement, especially compared to other places we've stayed.

@DakotaB8740188 · Camped on May 7, 2022 at Campsite #1

Cabin was wonderful! We will be back —

@AlP8077497 · Camped on Apr 8, 2022 at Campsite #1

The 6 of us had a great time chasing turkeys in the snow.

@KatieF5720380 · Camped on Apr 2, 2022 at Campsite #1

We loved our stay at this cabin. I gave it a 4-star review because I feel like there was some missing information about what we needed to bring. For example, we did bring propane, but we didn't bring the right size (bring your propane from your outdoor grill). There were also some repair issues with the cabin like flooring that needs a little TLC. However, our stay was wonderful. The wood stove kept us nice and warm, and there was plenty of space to hang out with our kids. We enjoyed walking around the woods to explore. The roads were in better condition than I expected, but I'm still glad we brought an AWD SUV as they could be a little slushy or rough in spots. The cabin was easy to find. Make your reservation expecting a very rustic cabin in one of the most peaceful places I've been in the Black Hills. It may be busier in the summer but it was a quiet place to stay in the spring. I would definitely come back for a couple's weekend or with my kids.

@JessicaC246083 · Camped on Mar 18, 2022 at Campsite #1

Beautiful cabin. No firewood provided. Road access was good with a 4WD in late March on a low snow year.

@KyokoC6967699 · Camped on Jan 14, 2022 at Campsite #1

Was very quiet and out of the way. The experience was memorable and would love to do again soon.

@KyokoC736 · Camped on Jan 14, 2022 at Campsite #1

Was very quiet and out of the way. The experience was memorable and would love to do again soon.

@ThomasW484 · Camped on Dec 10, 2021 at Campsite #1

Drove through 10 inches of snow to get there. But it was a perfect gift to my mom for her birthday! Loved it and most likely will do it again next year

@ThomasW1659833 · Camped on Dec 10, 2021 at Campsite #1

Drove through 10 inches of snow to get there. But it was a perfect gift to my mom for her birthday! Loved it and most likely will do it again next year

@RebeccaP599017 · Camped on Nov 29, 2021 at Campsite #1

The only downside was that I found out after getting there that the propane stove doesn’t accept 1 gallon tanks, but we had enough firewood that we were able to cook outside with no issues.

@RebeccaP255 · Camped on Nov 29, 2021 at Campsite #1

The only downside was that I found out after getting there that the propane stove doesn’t accept 1 gallon tanks, but we had enough firewood that we were able to cook outside with no issues.

@MonteS962 · Camped on Sep 26, 2021 at Campsite #1

We were very pleased to see how clean the cabin was and that the additional area where the beds in the garage were was also cleaned up. Two years ago that area was unusable, and the cabin had been taken over by mice. Somebody took the time to thoroughly clean all of the sleeping areas up, including the kitchen area. We also remembered to bring the right tools to hook up the propane because the connection has been stripped over by previous users. It was a great experience, had great weather, and really enjoyed our stay. Hopefully they can preserve the fire tour, if for no other reason, the historical nature of it. Make sure you bring cleaning supplies, a saw or hatchet for firewood, plenty of water, toilet paper, and a vice grips so you can tighten your propane connection. Maybe some Raid for the bees outside (as they didn't get in the cabin). Also, a lantern or flashlight, as you are reliant on the sun to charge the lights in the cabin. We enjoyed Elk Mountain Lookout (you can drive to the fire tower), Little Devil Tower hiking trail, and the Flume Trail (just be prepared to either cross their narrow bridges or walk through the water). We had beautiful nights sitting under the stars (and they were magnificent). This cabin is the best way to stay and enjoy Black Hills.

@TylerM899 · Camped on Sep 19, 2021 at Campsite #1

Rented the cabin for a night on our anniversary vacation. When we finally got to the cabin there were other people thete just "chillin" in the front yard and parked in front of the outhouse. They said they didn't have a reservation when I asked them if we were double booked. They didn't seem to want to leave after 3 hours of me waiting so finally I just left. I called the parks services to see if we were double booked before talking to the squatters and got no awnser. I've called multiple times through the week to tell the parks services and get a refund with no response back. ALSO: THIER IS NO LOOKOUT ANYMORE SO THAT WAS A BIG DISAPPOINTMENT ON TOP OF IT ALL.

@LindaC991 · Camped on Sep 9, 2021 at Campsite #1

We loved the peace and quiet. We wished there were mattresses like they have in other camping cabins; even though we brought foam pads, the beds were hard! We would definitely go again!

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