Staycation Directory

Staycation in South Dakota’s Angostura Recreation Area

March 5th, 2010

Angostura Reservoir is a water-lover’s haven in the southern Black Hills. With plenty of room for boating, fishing and swimming, this recreation area attracts visitors to its clear waters and natural sand beaches. The dam was built in 1949 by the Bureau of Reclamation across the Cheyenne River for irrigation purposes but paved the way for recreation. The word “angostura” is Spanish for “narrows.”
Places to stay

Angostura Resort Management provides concessionaire services to the park through a marina with 3 locations and 155 boat slips, a beach club, six rental lodges with outdoor pool and a full service floating convenience store in the marina. The facility is privately operated under agreement with the Division of Parks and Recreation. Contact by phone: (800) 364-8831.

Four campgrounds offer a variety of camping opportunities along the reservoir’s shores. Cascade CG (in the north unit) and Horsehead (in the south unit) are the larger of the four. Cheyenne CG (in the north unit) and Hat Creek CG (in the south unit) are the smaller of the four. Eight cabins overlook the reservoir.

Angostura is one of the few large reservoirs in western South Dakota. The lake’s crystal waters and strong fishery make it a popular vacation area. The average depth is 29 feet and the deepest portion of the pool is 75 feet deep when full. The lake’s average summer temperature is 66 degrees F. The reservoir has 36 miles of shoreline and some of the finest sandy beaches in the state. This is a major attraction for many visitors.
Educational Activities
Angostura Recreation Area hosts an array of interpretive and educational activities during the summer season. Each program is geared for families with young children and will expose participants to the various natural and cultural features of the Southern Black Hills. All of the programs are free for the general public; however, a valid park entrance license is required on all vehicles entering the recreation area.

Cascade and Horsehead Campgrounds are the featured locations for most of the programs. The program times are
9 a.m. and 11 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday through late August. A few special events are also planned at nearby shelter houses for visitors wishing to participate in a mid-week activity or an evening program. For more specific information, please review the planned activity descriptions listed below.

Camping
For kids ages 7-12 with an interest in the outdoors, Angostura Recreation Area has something special for you. Nature Day Camps are offered once each month during the summer season and consist of several programs and hands-on activities. Their purpose is to enhance the learning opportunities for younger park visitors.
Angostura Recreation Area
13157 N. Angostura Rd.
Hot Springs, SD 57747
(605) 745-6996

StaycationDirectory

Staycation Definition and History
A staycation (also spelled stay-cation, stacation, or staykation) is a neologism for a period of time in which an individual or family stays at home and relaxes at home or takes day trips from their home to area attractions. Staycations have achieved high popularity in the US during the financial crisis of 2007–2009 in which unemployment levels and gas prices were high.Staycations also became a popular phenomenon in the UK in 2009 as a weak pound made overseas holidays significantly more expensive.The term was added to the 2009 version of the Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary. Common activities of a staycation include use of the backyard pool, visits to local parks and museums, and attendance at local festivals. Some staycationers also like to follow a set of rules, such as setting a start and end date, planning ahead, and avoiding routine, with the goal of creating the feel of a traditional vacation.
Benefits of a staycation
Staycations are far less costly than a vacation involving traveling. There are no lodging costs and travel expenses are minimal. Costs may include transportation for local trips, dining, and local attractions. “The American Automobile Association said the average North American vacation will cost $244 per day for two people for lodging and meals… Add some kids and airfare, and a 10-day vacation could top $10,000″. Staycations do not have the stress associated with travel, such as packing, long drives, or waits at airports. Staycations may be of economic benefit to some local businesses, who get customers from the area providing them with business. In 2008, the tourism bureaus of many U.S. cities also began promoting staycations for their residents to help replace the tourism dollars lost from a drop in out-of-town visitors.