Generators run at any hour at Suzie's Camp — we don't set quiet hours, and nobody will come tell you to shut it down at midnight. What we do ask is that you think about where it sits and which way it points, because a generator parked three feet from your neighbor's tent sounds very different than the same machine set out at the edge of a 100-foot site. On a mowed grass tent row or a full-hookup pull-through, a few minutes of setup is usually the whole difference between background hum and a complaint.
Do I even need a generator at this campground?
Most people don't. Our RV sites are full hookup with 30 and 50 amp service, so if you're in a rig or one of our RV rentals, you can plug in and leave the generator stowed. Where it comes up is tent camping during the Sturgis rally, dry cabin stays, and folks running compressors, tools or a bike lift in the trailer. Our dry cabins have no plumbing or power inside, so some guests bring a small inverter generator for charging phones, running a fan in August heat, or keeping a cooler pump going. That's fine. Just know you may only need it a couple of hours a day, not all night.
Where should I put it on the site?
Use the length you've got. Our RV sites run over 100 feet and our tent sites are 20 by 12 with room around them, so set the unit toward the open end of your space, away from the row of doors and tent flaps. Avoid tucking it under an awning or against the side of a cabin, where sound bounces straight back at the people next to you. A rubber mat or a piece of carpet under the feet kills a surprising amount of the vibration you hear through hard ground, and keeping it level stops the engine from surging.
Which way should the exhaust point?
Away from your neighbors and away from anybody sleeping, including your own group. Point it toward the open ground or the drive, not into the next camp. This matters for more than noise — carbon monoxide is the real risk, and tent walls and cabin windows don't keep it out. Give it distance from where people sleep, and never run one inside a trailer, a toy hauler or a cabin doorway.
What about fuel and fire safety?
The Black Hills get dry by late July and August, and hot exhaust sitting in cured grass is a fire start waiting to happen. Keep the area under and around the unit clear, let it cool before you refuel, and store gas cans out of the sun and away from your grill. We allow propane grills and propane fire pits only, for the same reason — wood fires and wind off the hills don't mix well out here. If you smell gas or see fuel on the ground, move it before you start it.
Anything else that keeps the peace?
Timing helps more than anything. Run it while you're awake and around, shut it down when you head to Main Street or out on a morning loop through Spearfish Canyon, and let it rest when you can. Tell the folks beside you what you're running and why — most people are easy about it once they know. We get riders coming in at 2 a.m. and families with kids in the same loop, and it works because people look out for the camp next to them.
If you're planning a stay with us two miles south of Sturgis off I-90 Exit 34 and you're not sure whether to bring a generator, call and tell us what you're camping in. We'll tell you straight whether you'll need it.