A beautiful setting for your getaway, 1 mi to Custer - Beautiful and Private

We stayed at Vickie and David’s home. It is just outside of Custer and so was far enough away for peace and quiet but close enough for easy access to town.

Their home is comfortable and well supplied. You have all the cooking utensils you would need should you choose to cook your own meals. We enjoyed having coffee out on the porch every day. We were visited by turkey and deer as well.

Their lovely home is a perfect home base to explore the entire area.

Vickie and David were a pleasure to speak to and were most helpful with questions. We hope to return again!

The property is certainly in the woods but less than a mile from downtown Custer. Very well maintained with a beautiful yard. We enjoyed the visits by mule deer and turkeys every morning. Sitting outside on the patio on warm late afternoons was a treat.

The house is well equipped with a large kitchen, nice sitting area, dining room, three big bedrooms and two bathrooms. One of the "quirks" of the house is the second bathroom accessed from the garage. "The Outhouse" has it's own door in the garage and is a fully equipped bathroom with a lot of privacy.

The house does have well water, not city water. The water has a very slight tint and is hard (lot's of minerals) like most other well water. Plan on using bottled water for drinking and coffee.

Overall we were very pleased with our stay. The owners provided more than adequate directions about using the house and also had a large binder full of useful information about Custer, Hill City and the Black Hills.

The Black Hills might be the most under-rated destination in the American West. We had driven by the Black Hills or flown over South Dakota for 35 years without ever visiting, until this year. Definitely tour Wind and Jewel Caves, go hiking in the Cathedral Spires, drive the Wildlife Loop in Custer State park (make friends with the wild burros), drive both The Needles Highway and Iron Mountain Roads. Oh, and Mt. Rushmore is there (any trip that Mt. Rushmore is just another activity can't be a bad trip).

Custer and Hill City have many very good restaurants. The State Game Lodge in Custer State park has a great lunch buffet. The bar at the Blue Bell Lodge in Custer State Park is a must; make sure to saddle up at the bar.

We'll be back!

Our small group (three senior couples) of retired teachers chose Grandma’s House in the Woods as our base for a 10 day stay in September to visit the national parks of the Badlands and Black Hills during our annual fall trip. It was a perfect location situated close to all the major parks, landmarks and attractions in the region.

We have been visiting the national parks of the US and Canada since we retired in 2001 and would be remiss if we didn’t mention the owners. Vicki and David were by far the best and most gracious hosts we have ever had the pleasure of dealing with before, during and after our visit making the entire experience smooth and seamless. They maintained constant contact by e-mail or telephone to insure the house met all of our needs. Its obvious that they take great pride in their property and extend themselves to ensure that their guests have a satisfactory experience.

This well-maintained, five-acre rustic farmhouse is located in a lovely setting. The “house in the woods” is quiet and private; yet close to the highway and the shops and restaurants of Custer City. The large farmer’s porch provides ample seating for comfortable relaxation with a large picnic table and gas grill. We especially enjoyed sitting on the porch each morning with a cup of coffee as wildlife, especially a small herd of deer, wandered into the yard.

The spacious kitchen was well-stocked and equipped with everything we needed to prepare meals, as well as many extras like bottled water, paper towels, aluminum foil, Kerrigan cups (single) and coffee filters (pot) as well as a selection of cooking spices. These extras were greatly appreciated.

The downstairs bathroom was large and handicap accessible, which was important as our group are between the ages of +65 - +75 with varying physical limitations including one member who often uses a cane. It had plenty of towels and a washer and dryer to do laundry. If we had one complaint it would be that their was no bathroom on the second floor (They were both downstairs).

We would surely recommend Grandma’s House in the Woods to anyone visiting the area and would certainly stay there again should we visit the Dakotas in the future.

Jill, Les, Pat, Jay, Linda and Dave

We stayed for a week with 4 friends in late August 2018. Very nice property; lovely setting. Well-equipped kitchen for the several meals we prepared. Lots of bathroom linens for a group. Great front porch for sitting and viewing wildlife--deer and birds. Well-located near Custer. We would rent it again.

What a magnificent home to base your adventures of the Black Hills from. Adventure awaits in every direction and in a relatively close proximity. Grandma’s house is perfect for a family, spacious, perfectly furnished, private bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, fully equipped kitchen, plenty of space outdoors, large garage for the vehicles, and plenty of wildlife to entertain you in the mornings and evenings. The only downside to Grandma’s house in the woods is having to leave such a wonderful place at the end of your stay. It is such a wonderful place to stay that you will be planning your next visit before you leave. We have promised ourselves to make this an annual destination, next year will be our third visit and we hope to have many more. David and Vicki Bartz will stay in close communication to insure your stay is everything you hope it would be, we have never been treated so well when renting a property. If your headed anywhere near the Black Hills area and need a place to stay, look no further.