Thanks to the recent "bomb cyclone" snowstorm, our stay was an adventure to remember from the first turn onto Rocky Road. We were thankful for our recent purchase of a 4x4 SUV as we drove the snowy (which later in the week turned muddy) trail to the cabin. The location does not disappoint! It was a wonderful, quiet space to serve as home each night after exploring the Black Hills through the day. We briefly met Dave on the road, which was our only human interaction during out stay, and are sorry we never got to meet Deb. Molly the bulldog, however, visited us every day, morning and evening, which was great since we were traveling without our own pooches.
Custer, in genera,l was a great home base for our 5 day stay. We stopped daily at the local grocery store to grab basics for our breakfast and evening meal needs. We enjoyed a lunch at Burger & Bun (delicious) and coffee and conversation at Calamity Jane's, both downtown on the main drag and open year round. We loved being close to Custer State Park and had a great day of hiking near Sylvan Lake even with the snow/ice cover. Visiting the Black Hills in the off-season does limit options a bit in terms of local attractions/shops/restaurants, but we enjoyed the slower pace and lack of crowds during our outings. We definitely didn't have any trouble filling our days with beautiful drives, hikes, attraction visits, and delicious foods, and met several other families from around the country also spending their spring break in the Black Hills. (We highly recommend a stop the Miner Brewery near Hill City for great atmosphere and delicious brews!) Our trip was the first for our teen daughters to the Black Hills and they have already asked when we can return.
The cabin is a comfortable size, clean, and provided all the basic necessities for our family during out stay. Our daughters enjoyed having their own space up in the loft for our stay. We wish the weather would have been a little warmer so we could have taken advantage of the beautiful front deck and fire pit, but knew the weather in SD in March can be a bit unpredictable. Our only con for the cabin would be the beds. The linens and pillows were fine, but the mattresses themselves were less than comfortable and would be the ONLY reason we may consider booking a different cabin for our next visit to the Black Hills.