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The Belle Fourche Dam is a dam on Owl Creek in Butte County, South Dakota, approximately eight miles east of Belle Fourche, South Dakota. Its construction created the Belle Fourche Reservoir, the Belle Fourche National Wildlife Refuge, and the Rocky Point Recreation Area.
The reservoir has approximately eight thousand acres of water surface, 6,700 acres of land, and 58 miles of shoreline. It's stocked with walleye, catfish, and white bass. Average depth is twenty-five feet, but it has areas as deep as sixty feet at full capacity. Common activities at Belle Fourche Reservoir include boating, fishing, ice fishing, ice skating, camping, cooking out, and water skiing.
At its 1911 completion by the Bureau of Reclamation, Belle Fourche Dam was the largest earthen dam in the world. The dam is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. In 1989 it was listed among the approximately 250 Historic Civil Engineering Landmarks.
Managed by the South Dakota Department of Game, Fish and Parks, 3305 W. South St., Rapid City, SD 57702; (605) 394-2391. Eight miles east of Belle Fourche. Public-use area, swimming, boating, and fishing. Available fish species include walleye, catfish, and white bass. Open year-round.
Setting up your own campsite away from developed fee sites, also known as dispersed camping, is allowed on most of the Forest for a maximum of 14 days in any 60-day period. However, around developed reservoirs and campgrounds, camping is allowed only in designated areas. Check with the closest Forest Service office for specific information.
General rules:
Camp 100 feet away from any creek or stream and 1/2 mile away from developed recreation sites, including campgrounds and picnic areas. Motorized vehicles allowed 300 feet off of roads as shown on the Motor Vehicle Use Map (dots) for dispersed camping on the Black Hills National Forest. Around developed reservoirs and campgrounds, camping is allowed only in designated campsites. Can camp for a maximum of 14 days in any 60-day period. No open campfires in South Dakota portions of the national forest. Open campfires are permitted in Wyoming portions of the national forest, unless a special order prohibiting such is in effect.
The Newcastle Field Office is responsible for the public lands, and interest in lands, administered by the BLM in Crook, Weston and Niobrara counties in northeast Wyoming, as well as the public lands that remain in Nebraska.
Surface acreage administered by this office includes approximately 292,000 acres in Wyoming and 6,600 acres in Nebraska. "Interest in lands" refers to the federal mineral estate that has been severed from the surface estate (split estate). The Office oversees approximately 1.6 million acres of split estate in the three Wyoming counties and 240,000 acres within the state of Nebraska.
Major programs managed by the Newcastle Field Office include oil and gas exploration & development, livestock grazing, and lands and realty.
Setting up your own campsite away from developed fee sites, also known as dispersed camping, is allowed on most of the Forest for a maximum of 14 days in any 60-day period. However, around developed reservoirs and campgrounds, camping is allowed only in designated areas. Check with the closest Forest Service office for specific information.
General rules:
Camp 100 feet away from any creek or stream and 1/2 mile away from developed recreation sites, including campgrounds and picnic areas. Motorized vehicles allowed 300 feet off of roads as shown on the Motor Vehicle Use Map (dots) for dispersed camping on the Black Hills National Forest. Around developed reservoirs and campgrounds, camping is allowed only in designated campsites. Can camp for a maximum of 14 days in any 60-day period. No open campfires in South Dakota portions of the national forest. Open campfires are permitted in Wyoming portions of the national forest, unless a special order prohibiting such is in effect. Check with the closest Forest Service office for more specific information about dispersed camping.
Traveler
Rolled in late night. Woke up to a beautiful sunrise next to the reservoir. Plenty of sites to choose from with vault toilet close enough to walk between sites.
Traveler
This was a great spot to spend a night near Devil's Tower. The road getting there was rough but we were the only ones there. We even had a few free range horses and a donkey pass by in the evening.
Traveler
Temps on 90 were in the 90s but up here a great breeze and cool. So peaceful! Our second year here and loving being back!
Guide
Decent spot veside the road. There are several boondocking spots between here and Cook Lake Outhouse is nearby this site on main road Cows are all over this site
RangerA heap of broken if I would have known about the road before traveling up it I would never have taken my 29 ft trailer to the top. However I did make it. It's a beautiful place away from everything very quiet. I will add more to this review after I spend the night or two.
Traveler
We were hauling a 20 ft camper looking to find the pull through spot we saw on the maps. The gravel road was accessible and pretty easy with the camper. We got to our spot just before sunset and only had one neighbor, though we passed a few tenters going up the road. Our spot was nice and a short walk to a vault toilet and trailhead. The trail led to a cool tower that we climbed to watch the sunset. Overall great spot and we’ll worth the short drive of the highway.
ScoutI just needed a place to stop and car camp. I was going to stay at a campground I. Belle Fourch but after a little exploring I found a great private spot in Free Dispersed area but the site were furnished with a fire ring and table and a great view of a beautiful lake. Slept like a baby!
Guidestruck out on any camping close to devils tower, so we ended up coming here. fun little dirt road coming up the mountain to the sight. really only like 2 spots. lower spot is medium sized and we saw someone else there in a jeep. friends and i took the top spot which was big enough for a truck, a large suv, and sedan.
very quiet secluded area. got cold at night in august, but very beautiful views.
in the dark we kept seeing a tuxedo cat randomly watching us, not sure if it’s a stray or an outside cat from one of the nearby farms, didn’t come over when we enticed it and ran when we shone the light but cute little campsite friend i guess.
Legend
Initial road in is seriously corrugated- just drive slowly until you turn off to side road.
Different roads if loop provided easy access. We bought out 30” 5th in without problems, and our (distant) neighbors were a class A with trailer
Random pit-toilets, but not much else
Lake is low, shore is mud
Nice with breeze most days we were there
Guide
There are 4 different sites in the area, with each accommodating multiple vehicles. Access to the local creek. Sort of difficult to find a level spot but we made it work. We fit comfortably in a truck camper but I wouldn't go too much bigger here. Good Verizon service!
GuideWe visited the area in July 2024, it was the holiday week so it was busy, but still had some open spots. If you can't find a spot on the main peninsula there are still lots of other choices.
We did a campsite video review and if you want the direct link https://youtu.be/5cFjZbQstU4
GuideI stayed for just one night and it was perfect for that. I had no issue finding a spot, as there are so many around the reservoir! They are spaced out, but not many trees for privacy. The “beach” is very muddy so you can’t really get in the water. The bugs were bad in the evenings, but nothing I couldn’t handle. The sunset was gorgeous on the water.
TravelerThere were multiple pull off dispersed camping areas all along the Mt. Roosevelt road. The road is easy to drive if coming off the CanAm Hwy side of the mountain. Walking distance to the Roosevelt Friendship Tower hike which is highly recommended. Tons of bees in the wildflowers but they never bothered us. Pack in and pack out! Some traffic driving along the road but never overwhelming and quiet at night. Great base to visit Deadwood, Lead, Spearfish Canyon, and Devils Tower
GuideWe drove out without the RV to scope out the area and are glad we did. The road was a washboard for a long way, and we decided that the potential damage it might cause our rig was not worth the savings from dispersed camping. We headed back to our previous site in a developed campground. Pretty though! Lots of wildlife and beautiful open surroundings. Very few trees of any kind.
Guide
The first pull of recommended was too steep for our van. We pulled off at a treat spot about 1/4 mile down the road with awesome views. Close to town but quiet
GuideStayed here one night but definitely could have done more. Our spot was a pull out on the side of the road with an amazing view. There’s a bathroom at the entrance. Only maybe 6 spots before the road gets bad so pick one of those BEFORE you come to a fork in the road. If you go right on the fork the road gets bad. We had good service for Verizon and okay for T-Mobile. Spots are spread out so you have privacy. Pretty quiet area.
GuideWas looking for somewhere to stay the night after visiting the black hills, and so glad we picked this one. The water is absolutely beautiful. There’s two bathrooms on each side. The sites are spread out so you have privacy and a pretty sure each one had a metal fire pit (ours did). The first spot we picked (farther back) we couldn’t get service on our Verizon jet pack or t-mobile phones but we moved to one 3 spots away and had great service. The water is muddy close to the shore, so not perfect swimming conditions but you could. We saw some people swimming. Place wasn’t crowded mid July. There were bugs but nothing crazy. If I could handle them, you could too. I’d definitely come back!
Scout
Tranquil spot to escape it all
GuideIt rained the last two days but I was able to get up the hill in an overloaded AWD. There were some pretty hefty ruts so choose your lines carefully. I rolled up pretty late, maybe 7p. There was only one other person here and of course they took the spot. The lower spot was a big mud pit and the upper field is overgrown. It looks like a fire came through here maybe last year so the grass has bounced back really well in some spots. Seems pretty quiet human-wise with lots of birds and big noises, which I prefer. Not too far from Devil’s Tower and a great spot for me to stop over for the night. If I stayed longer, I’d nab that good spot. LOL.
RangerLoved this spot! The dirt road right off the highway is pristine, not even washboardy. Once you branch right for the last mile or so, there are a few small rocks and ruts but still smooth. At the top of the hill, there’s a left turn that splits - if you go right, you’ll go across a big flat meadow and at the end find a beautiful site with a great view of Devil’s Tower. We were surprised only one other car was here on a Saturday night. We experienced intense wind overnight, but still loved the locatiob
RangerDrive in on a Saturday and found several empty campsites. Coming from Yellowstone, the lower altitude came with warmer Temps. Very pleasant camping experience.
GuideNice and quiet spot !
Guide.. says the sign when entering the final road to the campground. But we were lucky, no rain before and got in without any issues towing small teardrop trailer. Upper area is flat with grass. A bit exposed to the wind but we were able to set up the trailer to protect it from the gusts of wind. The plateau is pretty large, especially when empty. Our Neighbour’s took the prime spot with a view to the Devils Tower. We enjoyed the place for a night nevertheless, especially when lots of other camp places are still closed for the season.
TravelerI would have loved to have stayed here. Unfortunately, about 2 miles from the coordinates listed here, the road was blocked and stated no wheeled vehicles. I was looking forward to seeing Devil's Tower the following day, but just lost interest. I'll go back another time to see it up close.
ScoutDrove up in a class c 30ft pulling a jeep no problems erwin rd was dry would not attempt that road when unless 4wd
ScoutGreat place to camp for the night when in the area. Easy access can make it in any vehicle.
ScoutI stayed here 1 night and felt comfortable, so I came back the second night earlier for a better spot. If you can get a spot for the sunset, Its worthit.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular dispersed campsite near Belle Fourche, SD?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular dispersed campground near Belle Fourche, SD is Belle Fourche Reservoir Dispersed Camping with a 4.7-star rating from 9 reviews.
What is the best site to find dispersed camping near Belle Fourche, SD?
TheDyrt.com has all 16 dispersed camping locations near Belle Fourche, SD, with real photos and reviews from campers.
