"People in tents are the soft tacos of the bear world."
~ Unknown ~
(But that's hilarious!)
https://www.hrresort.org/
If you've followed along up to this point, you know what we prefer is off-the-path camping, boondocking, and basically things more remote. But, if you ever grow weary of obsessively checking your various sensor displays for levels of water, gray water, battery level, and poop, a full-hookup resort like Hart Ranch is an amazing oasis. If you tire of saying, "Make sure you shower fast," or "Turn that light off!" Hart Ranch is gold. Details to follow.
When we were "planning" our little excursion to South Dakota and its various attractions, where and how we'd park our big rig once we got to the Black Hills was a topic of discussion. We were bringing our "toad," of course, but even remote camping in this tourist-infested jungle is expensive. Sure there are inexpensive options, but in general, the Black Hills is not an inexpensive place to camp, especially for full hookups.
Enter our lovely neighbor who presented us with a TryUsOutForOnly99DollarsAndAllYouHaveToDoIsListenToOurSalesPitch card. To make a long story even longer, our neighbor has been a member of Hart Ranch for over 20 years and they visit several times each year. As members, they can invite people to try the place out. The trial is 3 nights for $99. The usual per night cost of Hart Ranch, for non-members during peak season, is $100 per night!
You and I have both been to Time Share places where you stay for 3 nights and listen to a pitch that includes pressure to buy you wouldn't feel while considering entering nuclear launch codes. They're horrible. I hate 'em. And we've all done them. I assumed this would be the same, but we needed a central location for touring the Black Hills and we knew full hookups, by this leg of the trip, would reduce the stress of worrying about the rig and pets while we shook hands with Crazy Horse. I was wrong. Dead wrong. Here's what we loved about Hart Ranch RV Resort, in no particular order.
1. The sales tour took place as soon as we registered and before we even hooked up. It included a full tour of the entire place and was absolutely pressure-free. Their pitch goes like this, "These are your membership options. This is what we have for amenities. This is how much it costs. The place sells itself. Enjoy your stay and let us know if you have any questions."
**Boom! Made me want to buy just because I didn't feel pressured. As a side note, this place used to be run like a Time Share. It's now run by a board of directors made up entirely of resort members.**
2. The facilities are immaculate. The grass is green and lush, there's no trash, the pads are concrete and level, and the views are amazing.
3. They have tons of extra-curricular stuff during peak season, such as free concerts, etc.
4. They have a dog park. Not only does that really help with your pooches getting to stretch their legs (state and national parks require a 6 foot leash), but it's a great social venue. I met and talked to several people while the dogs played at the park. And I asked every single one of them what they thought of being members of Hart Ranch. 100% said they loved it for a 100 different reasons.
5. They have a giant pool and two hot tubs. One for adults only.
6. They have onsite laundry, showers, and restaurant.
7. There are at least two mobile RV techs living on the premises.
8. The security is tight. Maybe too tight. Gate check-in, sometimes gate check-OUT, and someone is always patrolling the grounds. Kids roamed freely throughout the park on bikes, etc. It was like Mayberry only with campers and in color.
9. We were short drives to almost every attraction. Reptile Gardens, Bear Country, Mount Rushmore, Crazy Horse, Custer State Park, Wind Cave National Park, etc were all less than an hour away. In most cases, much closer.
Things we didn't like about Hart Ranch:
1. Nothing
Again, staying at Hart Ranch is pricey if you're a non-member. Assuming you can even get a site, it's $100 plus per night. Members pay $20 per night and reservations are required. Memberships vary from 5-Year to Lifetime and prices for those are $1,000 and up, one-time, then maintenance fees (think HOA fees) paid annually. But if you liked staying there every year for 3 weeks or more, it's worth it. And......AND, you can add RPI which gives you discounts at resorts nation-wide.
We didn't buy. Why? One reason, and one reason only. We aren't ready to spend that much time in one place yet. We have thousands of places around the country we'd like to visit, and we just aren't "StayInOnePlaceForWeeksAtATimeEveryYear" people...yet. But when we are (and everyone gets there eventually because of age, health, or money), we will most definitely consider Hart Ranch. Hell, they even have work/camp arrangements and like everyone else, they are hiring!
Hope this gives you a little insight into this amazing place. Please comment about your experiences. Safe travels and happy camping!
Namaste,
Matt and Gina
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