Mount Rushmore KOA at Palmer Gulch
Reviewed Jul. 8, 2021

Nice KOA but be prepared for NO cell and useless Wi-Fi

The Mount Rushmore KOA at Palmer Gulch was our first experience at KOA and really set the bar for activities and organization. From what I can tell, this is a very large KOA with a wide variety of sites. 

Upon arrival, you can tell right away that they operate the campground well. We were directed to a staging area while we checked in. The buildings are all well maintained, and there is plenty of staff on hand throughout the campground.

One recommendation is to look for the horses when they are brought to the corral in the morning (usually between 6:10 and 6:30 am) and then returned to where they bed down for the night (usually around 6:30 pm). It's quite the site to see roughly 30 horses running free and being guided by two people on horseback!

The only issue that we had was with our connectivity to the outside world. We had NO cell connectivity anywhere in the campground (Verizon) and their Wi-Fi was essentially useless unless you were right next to the bathrooms. Even at the main building, there was no connectivity through Wi-Fi. Trying to connect to work was impossible, and we ended up leaving a day early because of it.

Clearly, if you can be disconnected for your time there or are fine with trekking to Grapes & Grinds in nearby Keystone, then this is a fabulous campground. 

3 stars only because of the Wi-Fi (cell coverage is out of their control) and only until Starlink goes live for us RVers.

Site346 - Fabulous open area behind our site
Month of VisitJune
  • Review photo of Mount Rushmore KOA at Palmer Gulch by Neil M., July 8, 2021
  • Review photo of Mount Rushmore KOA at Palmer Gulch by Neil M., July 8, 2021