Red Shale Campground

Custer National park has three campgrounds that are free of charge, one being Red Shale. Continuing on 212 we found this lovely place, inhibited by no one, and we were free to pick any site we wanted, there was only one with a view like we had. I was so excited to find a place that was free in a National Park and made me even more excited to visit Montana!! I found Red Shale on visitmt.com, I would say the best 'state' site I have found...thank you Montana. We turned into the campground stopping to read the billboard posted with information about rattlesnakes, ticks, firewood, safety, the land, etc. then went to find a campsite, that was it, no registration, nobody to talk to, just a free camp spot for the night. Love It!!! The hottest day we have experienced on our trip reaching 105 degrees, the wind a blissful blessing, we put the canopy up for much needed shade!! It is heavy to load and takes up space but man are we glad we brought it...shade is hard to come by out west. Setting up our chairs we sat down to a view overlooking a meadow that turned into mountains, Don't Fence Me In, ringing in my head. We did some reading, and listened to the pure beauty of silence. Evening began to fall and I knew that the deer would be coming out soon, I glanced up from writing in my journal, and there she was with her fawn. I through my journal in the chair and grabbed the binoculars (we use them every day), I watched the white tailed deer walk against the fence as far as they could until they reached the wide open space of the meadow and began to trot with increasing speed across with full awareness, a hint of fear in the mother's eye. I watched a red-headed woodpecker disappear into his hole in the tree, mountain bluebirds feeding, and crickets that made the whole ground jump with every step I took. We built a fire to cook dinner, but it is so dry that it's not as enjoyable, it is a little nerve racking, with every wind. There is no way, with extreme dryness that you can't worry and think about how just a little fuel...just one carried ember could ignite, turning into an uncontrolable wild fire. And the wind out here is so unpredictable. Many places have fire bands. Oh but what a find!!

Red Shale had the best picnic tables and fire pits that we have ever seen at a campsite!! Notice above pictures. We would like one of each:)