Bismarck Lake, SD - July 4, 2003

I had worried for weeks about not having a reservation for the July 4th weekend so on June 30 I made a reconnaissance run to Bismarck Lake outside of Custer State Park, SD. Most of the campgrounds in Custer State Park were booked but here was the find of the summer and just what I had hoped to find in the area. Just outside of Custer State Park is this small campground with non-reservable sites. It is in the national forest and therefore 1/2 price. WOW!

Settled in here and stayed for two weeks. It was a great place from which to make day trips. How could anyone expect to find a place more serene? This was the main destination for my summer trip north and I was enthralled.





On my first day of fishing I caught a rainbow trout and a black bass on a caddis fly. I was delighted. I had broken my regular rod and resorted to fly fishing. Then I located the crappie and they were starving for minnows, so my little foam streamer worked nicely.






I paddled all over the lake and around each bend there was another postcard scene awaiting me.






Sunsets were awesome on the lake and the peaceful calm mornings were a wonderful time to paddle to the far end.

The Custer, SD area is at a higher elevation and there is more water, hence I traded grasslands for forests.

The marmots in the campground liked to sun on the rocks.

While fishing it was fun to watch the ospreys swoop down and catch fish also. You can see the nest in top of the pine and one of the birds watching from the limb. When hiking one day I got too close and did they let me know!