Weekend Trip to Cheyenne River BottomMy brother and I spent 3 nights tent camping in one of the gravel pits here and it was quite nice! The land was quite expansive so there was a lot to explore, it was really pretty, and there was a decent amount of wildlife (deer, vultures, etc.). There are also a lot of trees/cover to provide shade. The local amenities like gas, food, etc. were also nice to have despite being in such a rural spot too. Last but not least, the access to the national/state parks nearby was unbeatable. I also liked having a super chill host who was very flexible and accommodating to our needs!
I'm a stargazer and the night skies were incredibly dark; I could easily spot the Andromeda galaxy with the naked eye, let alone the milky way (in late August)! Looking through any telescope of any size yielded many ooos and ahhs. This is easily a bortle 1, maybe a low 2 if you're pessimistic. Unfortunately the weather didn't cooperate as it is very unpredictable in this part of the country. We were offered another night to increase our chances of good weather though, which was much appreciated.
The only real downside of the site were that as it is often used as cattle ranchland, and also being by a river, there were flies. A LOT of flies. Mosquitoes too. Of course, that's not really anyone's fault, but bring your best bug mitigation tools if you camp here. Also, a few more signs to designate where the campsites are would have been useful.
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