Dear Moldie/MCSer/CIRS sufferer,
Please check out these camping places for yourself. Environments change, as we know. Campgrounds change owners. Stuff happens. But maybe this at least gives you a place to start. You can call and ask questions. Many campground owners are happy to help. At the time, the only one of these that used herbicides was the Game Lodge Campground.
One note: I have never, ever reacted to water in the Hills, but I think many others have, sometimes really severely. I do not know if the area is free of cyanobacteria or such, or if I am just 0% reactive, but I have been in or near many lakes, rivers, and springs here with no problem at all. I usually feel better after a dip. Several of these campgrounds are near water.
Also some people who did not do well in the Hills may have had MCAS, which I do not have.
This is a long post, but I wanted to give all the info. at once to be handy. Feel free to ask questions. My “comment” website thingie doesn’t seem to be working, so you can email me directly at: steveandchrista@yahoo.com.
Each link will be followed by a photo of ours (if we have one) and my notes.
Game Lodge Campground
I stayed in the Game Lodge Campground in one of the cabins in July 2011, October 2011, November 2011, February 2012, January 2015, and in our RV October 2012. The Game Lodge campground was the only campground in Custer State Park where I did not react to outdoor mold in July. (I did not test in the fall, and I assume winter is fine regarding mold, but Game Lodge was the only one open in the winter.)
The window a/c unit was moldy, so I did not use it. But, most nights here, the temps drop about 30 degrees. This means that even on 100 degree days, it will get down to 70 or so at night. Last night (August 6, 2018), it got down around 55. 😊
They spray herbicides for leafy spurge by the river, I think in early spring, but I did not react by July. They also spray herbicides on the field nearby, but I was there even in April and was fine. Maybe they had not sprayed yet, or maybe the “wind tunnel” of the highway carries things away.
They spray for pine beetles, but they said that was in the deep woods areas where tourists would not go.
In July, I had a lot of trouble with campfire smoke so had to keep cabin windows closed until after midnight. (Hello, free sauna. Remember the a/c was moldy.)
By January 2015 my MCS was super, super bad, presumably because I could not stay away from chemicals enough to get above the power curve for my body. So, I almost felt like–in the cold air which keeps things closer to the ground–I was negatively affected by the oil refinery 50 miles almost due west, because I felt similar to when I was closer to the refinery. But I could be misinterpreting.
Echo Valley Park
http://www.echovalleypark.com/
This place was one of my favorites. We did stay there during a burn ban (very dry so no campfires) and off-season (September). But I was even able to have lunch in one of the campers they rent out, which a friend was renting. No herbicides at the time, great area, more secluded and pretty than some campgrounds.
Wheels West
This little campground is right on Hwy. 16, which has a good breeze which I think helps air quality. We stayed on the west end to hopefully be on the upwind side of propane and campfires. At that time, they did not use herbicides and purposefully let the wonderful dandelions grow! 🙂 (The bees thank them, too.) At that time, they were not keen on children long-term (like weeks or a month), but there is not much space and nothing to do right there, so I cannot blame them. 🙂 But I enjoyed the air while I was there.
Heritage Village
http://www.rvparkreviews.com/regions/south-dakota/custer/heritage-village-campground-2570
This one is high on a beautiful hill, lovely air. He sometimes sprays his trees in spring, but I did great by July (3 months later). Lots of wind and frequent summer thunderstorms are a little rougher here in tents, since it is up high and not many trees. He uses fly pesticide in the attics of his cabins, but I even went inside one for a few minutes, and it wasn’t that bad, so I am thinking it can hardly affect outside, if at all.
Fort Welikit (We Like It)
https://www.blackhillsrv.com/ (Fort Welikit)
Here, I reacted to outdoor mold in March and April enough that I could not stay. (And in February I reacted I think to propane and probably new wood varnish in the cabin where we stayed.) By June it was pretty good and July was great. Plus, I do think that many moldies would be able to tolerate that outdoor mold. I am just very sensitive. It makes my heart beat funny.
We used the Laundromat without too much trouble, although this was before my MCS was super, super bad. The old owners and I think the new ones also use more natural laundry products themselves. I even survived standing INSIDE the Laundromat for an hour during a tornado watch. 🙂
They have a really nice playground for kids.
Wind Cave National Park
https://www.nps.gov/wica/planyourvisit/campgrounds.htm (campground at Wind Cave National Park)
This campground has no electricity at the campsites. The trouble with this is that RVers get out their generators. At the time, I was very sensitive to exhaust, but I was able to stay in one of the tent sites up higher on the hill.
I think there is about zero mold in the whole Wind Cave Park. LOL Well, I am sure that is not true, but it is one of the places where I said to Steve, “Ok, just put a blanket on the ground RIGHT HERE, and I will stay here forever.” 🙂
Kemo Sabay Campground
https://www.kemosabaycampground.com/
I just think again, basically zero mold. Herbicides on the highway nearby, but I did really well here June and parts of July. They have one cabin where I stayed for a couple hours during a huge storm. 🙂 They were very nice to offer for us to go in. I think I might have even been able to sleep in there, with a few modifications (piling bedding in a closet or something?) But I think the biggest thing was my MCS–the cabin did not seem moldy.
Allen Ranch
http://www.gwtc.net/~allenranch/
UPDATE: A couple years ago, they used flame retardants on a fire across the highway from here. I do not know if it has affected the air quality. I don’t seem to react to FRAT though I’m not sure.
I loved this place because in April and August there were few other campers (a big deal because of my MCS and campfire intolerance), I LOVED floating in the river, and I loved the sheep. In late August, though, I lost tolerance for the area. I think pollution blowing down the nearby highway, possibly a new chemical used by the car repair shop close by?? (something smelled funny), possibly a loss of tolerance to the sewer treatment plant. It was not a mold reaction, but it could have been bacteria, not sure. The river was still fine for me, just not the area and the highway, all the way out to 89.
“Dispersed Camping,” Black Hills National Forest (free)
https://www.fs.usda.gov/activity/blackhills/recreation/camping-cabins/?recid=25823&actid=34 (Camping on National Forest land)
They can give you a map of where dispersed camping is allowed, but CALL to make sure about specific locations!!! I was SO EMBARRASSED to end up on some guy’s private land because the Forest Service had sold off portions and not updated the map. Good thing the guy was gracious. We showed him the map.
Our favorite spot is a little section off Song Dog Road. Peaceful. A guy came every Sunday to do some target practice nearby, 🙂 but it did not bother me at all. This is where we would go on holidays (too many campers in campgrounds) etc. Solar cooking came in handy.
We also camped at least 2 other places in National Forest, and at least 6 places of private land, 2 of which were disasters. The one ended up having herbicide next door, and the other I got sprayed with herbicides by a helicopter spraying railroad tracks for weeds. I was actually never the same after that. Before that, great air would make an almost immediate difference in my energy. After, it didn’t. Boy, I was sad to lose that. But, God is helping me improve over time.
Many other campgrounds we eliminated because of herbicide use or they were in forested areas we knew had more outdoor mold. Others we were surprised to find had too much outdoor mold for me especially in rainy springs. The Hot Springs KOA just had too many other campers sort of all trapped in by trees for me, making me very (scary) sick in less than 2 hours, from others’ propane, scent, etc. However, I have known other moldies to do fine both there and the Custer KOA.
Contact me personally if you want to know which buildings in Hot Springs have “HT.” steveandchrista@yahoo.com One of the worst appears to be the Courthouse, which hopefully you will not need. 😀
Christa Upton Black Hills Picture Books (outside of LOL) Edgemont, SD 57735
