Camping near Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area, SD

This is a one of those secret locations that you look for, the one you don't want to give away but show all your friends pictures of it. If this was a fishing spot you wouldn't tell other anglers about it. If it was a special hunting location you would keep your lips sealed.

Crazy woman canyon gets it's name from a few different legends, but that's not the point of this gem. The tranquility, peace, towering canyon walls that make you feel so small, the freedom of the outdoors and back country quietness, that's what this place should be known for.

We saw wildlife, we relaxed with the sound of the river, this was an unforgettable experience.

Keep in mind there are no facilities here, no toilets, no potable water, no showers, you need to pack in and pack out. This is true back-country camping. The roads are narrow and traffic goes both ways, we had to pass another truck and were just inches from the edge with rushing water below. But this is Wyoming, this is the wild west, one of the great frontiers of the American expansion.

Come here, it's worth it.

Great experience easy to find and given the time we went no one was there.

We dispersed camped north of MeadowLark Lake along FS Road 427 I believe! It was beautiful, and so peaceful. We did get stormed on but our tent held out really well! These dispersed sites are developed and first come first serve. We enjoyed our coffee next to the river!

No water or Toilets so plan accordingly, and check out the Bighorns USDA Website for any burn bans or camping information you may need!

There are bears out in this forest, recommend putting all food in your hard sided truck, Car, or camper! A human fed bear is a dead bear!

Totally agree with person who said this is in top 5 sites. Awesome views, level ground, easy access, lots of room for many. However, it's county road 402 not 403!

Wonderful staff and friendly. Got my laundry done, showers, and lovely shady spot and they have a pool!

Nice little campground for stopover. Staff is super friendly and stayed past closing (7pm) to assist late arrivals. Sites are level and pull thru, although a bit narrow. No dog park but plenty of room to walk them. Cheaper than the KOA down the street

We enjoyed our stay here, many spots to pick from, but a few things to be advised about. 

1. When we arrived it looked like a lot of the locals"dropped" their campers there for storage to avoid paying storage fees. However, while we were there the National Forest staff came in several times and started tagging these RVs and most of them were removed within a week or so. 

2. This place is a haven for SxS and ATV traffic on the weekend so it can get loud and very dusty 

3. Hundreds of free-range cattle, so if you are not comfortable with them walking in and through your campsite you may want to pick another location. 

4. There is only one place in all the area that has cell coverage and turns out we camped on that hill without knowing it so we had traffic all day with people parking in and around our campers to use their phones. 

We did a video review of this spot  if you are interested here is the link https://youtu.be/gpm9THujEow 

We enjoyed our stay even with those items we listed above, would stay here again for sure. Thank you to the National Forest Staff for patrolling this area!!!

So amazing. Peaceful and quiet, even with some other campers here. The cell phone service with Verizon is perfect and the view is to die for. You can also hear the cows across the road, which I love. The road in is so easy, no rigs should have any issues.

This is a great spot. Wide open area for camping so you’re not right on top of anyone. The views were amazing. Pretty windy as others stated, but was nice during the hot days. Nights were a tad chilly. Downside is there’s absolutely no shade and horseflies are in plenty. Thankfully I have a screen tent that provided some shade and relief from the flies. Overall a great spot, not too far from town. Better if you have a camper over a tent.

Beautiful views. Be prepared for tall grass and horse flies. We parked at the end by the private fence and by morning several hikers with dogs came and parked right next to our site. Good Verizon service.

Spectacular views and wildlife. Easy to find a level spot. Wild horses.

By far one of the most beautiful places I’ve camped. The field is in bloom right now (June 15) with purple and yellow flowers. We’re definitely up in elevation and can see lush forests and the snow-capped mountains in the distance. Super lush green field to camp in. Super easy to get to from main road. No road traffic sounds. Chilly at night.

Stayed for just one night. Great sites and a beautiful area with plenty of trails to hike. Had a big bull moose sitting in our site upon arrival and he stayed nearby all day and night so caution with pets is recommended.

The owner was kind, and willing to accommodate us last minute. The spaces are small and tight. People appear to live here year round.

We came in and got a last minute tent site on Memorial Day weekend and were treated very well with good recommendations for ice cream and willingness to help us out when we realized we left things at home. Our spot was a beautiful little tent spot right along the creek.