Whether you're a tent camper, an RVer, or just passing through, Black Hills National Forest, SD has a lot to offer. Black Hills National Forest is a great camping destination for everyone. There are tons of nearby hikes, adventurous activities, and sights to see. You're sure to find the perfect campground for your Black Hills National Forest camping trip.
"With views of Black Elk Peak, a 30 minute drive to most attractions near Mt Rushmore, you can’t beat it. The kids loves the pool area, splash park, and mini-golf."
"Make the most of your South Dakota vacation by spending it camping. My group tented and had a great time."
"This lake is beautiful, its one of my favorite places inside Custer state park. There are a ton of trails, all within easy walking distance. Make sure you pack plenty of water."
"We had one of the spots that was more out in the open and close to our neighbors, but the sites on the outside of the middle loop were much more private."
"My Son and I stayed here while visiting Mount Rushmore and the surrounding area's other attractions. There's a lot of dispersed spots here but most spots don't have a fire ring that I could see."
"Camping area near Mount Rushmore. I was able to find a camping area without a problem. The road does have some bumps in it but overall you do not need a four-wheel drive."
$28 / night
"A tent-only area, which I appreciate- those tend to be quieter than the RV spots, and the tent area was close to the reservoir. Standard campsite amenities- tables, fire pits, bathrooms."
"A tent-only area, which I appreciate - those tend to be quieter than the RV spots, and the tent area was close to the reservoir. Standard campsite amenities - tables, fire pits, bathrooms."
$28 / night
"We visited the Sheridan Lake Black Hills National Forest on our 2019 family vacation in August & it was awesome!! Stayed at a primitive site with gorgeous views of the forest & lake."
"This campground offers over 90 sites along the shores of a lovely reservoir in the vacation wonderland of the Black Hills of South Dakota."
$30 / night
"Horsethief Lake Campground in Black Hills National Forest was surprisingly peaceful and serene though it is close to Mount Rushmore."
"If you're touring the Black Hills, and hitting all of the outdoor attractions, Horsethief Lake is perfectly placed to access it all."
"We had a beautiful campsite in the “Ranch” section that had lots of trees and was a fair distance away from our neighbors."
"Everything is clean and the site we stayed at was located under trees with lots of distance to the next neighbors."
"It is bordered by the Black Hills Natl. Forest. It has site for tent camper, pop-ups and bigger RV's and cabins. Due to the topography you will have to do some leveling."
"Spacius sites about half and half primitive to full hookups showers available, Amazing views and hiking and lake close by. Horseshoe pits and basketball court. Cabins available to."
"Not much to do if you’re not a climber, but luckily that’s all we came to South Dakota to do. Walking distance to nearby climbing and nice views from the huge boulder in the vicinity."
"Scenic campgrounds with 100s of climbing routes within walking distance. There is no water or electricity and only one latrine."
$30 / night
"Campground Review:
The Stockade Lake North Campground is located just inside the west entrance to Custer State Park in Custer, South Dakota."
"There is a nice walking path that drops down to the lake from the south part of the campground. I literally walked across the road from SN33E and stepped on the trail to walk my dogs."
ScoutOverall great experience, the hosts were sweet and very helpful. Stayed at a non-electric tent site and it was a little on the pricier side in my opinion, but it’s walking distance to a great park with a river and nature trail, and a 5-10 minute drive to Main Street, about 15 minutes to a lot of other main places in town. Lot of noise pollution from the roads+ other campers, but it’s near the city center so what do you expect. Good hot showers and potable water.
ScoutWe stayed here for a week to see the local sights. Resort is large, wooded and has everything from tent sites to large, spacious luxury rv sites. Most of the resort is wooded. Access to some sites is awkward with one-way access. We stayed in a “premium pull-through” on the north end. The premium sites are extremely long and fit any rig. Nice and wide as well. Graveled and easy to keep rig clean. Staff were very helpful and friendly. Resort is surprisingly quiet regardless of the amount of kids running around. Sites are well spaced and not overly dense.
Great events like Friday evening live music, coffee truck on weekends.
Would stay again.
TravelerTucked back off a side road with a perfect couple spots to camp
GuideThis was a really nice campground. Very family friendly, lots of kids running around. Not very much privacy at all between the sites, but what do you expect at a busy place like Custer State Park? The bathrooms were very clean, and had showers with hot water. The showers are free of charge, and each time I used them the water was always plenty hot.
We stayed in site 2E, and it was a nice site. Extremely flat and level. It does have a trail running next to it, so all the visitors will be walking a few feet away from your tent/camper all day and night going to the bathroom.
T-Mobile cell service was pretty much non-existent, with no 5G signal at all, and only a sporadic 1 bar of LTE signal. I was able to make a phone call, but it kept dropping out every 10-15 seconds. Starlink worked great from this site, with a moderately clear view of the sky.
GuideHad an amazing time at this prime free dispersed campsite! Had my tundra equipped with a 5x8 trailer and could easily get to any of the sites. This is not a thru road there is only one entrance off of the CanAm Highway. Roughly about 10 sites depending on set-up. Bathroom close by the entrance/trailhead to Roosevelt Friendship Tower. Overall, great spot, make sure to hit the hike to the tower and overlook!
Please keep the area clean, pick up after yourselves, pack in pack out!
ScoutÀ 10min de Sundance. 2 boucles: la première est pour les réservations, la deuxième est pour premier arrivé premier servi. 1 toilette et de l'eau potable à dispo. Emplacement pour feu avec grille pour BBQ. Vente de bois (8$). Emplacements dans la forêt, très agréable ! 22$ la nuit.
GuideNice place to spend a night or two. The campsites are on a logging road off of the main gravel road. There were spots that were pretty rutted and rough, it was dry and we made it in easily but if it has recently rained I can see it being pretty difficult. Drove a full size truck in pulling a squaredrop camper no problem. There’s a gun range in the national forest somewhere, there were people shooting pretty much all afternoon until it got dark. Didn’t have any issues with wildlife. T-Mobile service was basically non-existent.
Guidethis campsite has to be one of the best i have stayed at in the black hills, it was about 6:30 when we started looking for a spot we found this one right away! the road appears to only have 4 spots on the road but we only saw one other person! although you can see road from both sides very minimal traffic. and let me just say i have never found a camping spot with almost to no bugs! it was crazy i found one tic but that was it, at night we even kept our screen open! very close to wind cave! no service at all unfortunately. someone property line is right along the road unfortunately. can somewhat see some hills inside the trees!
GuideThere are three pull outs along the road where you can camp. There is a pit toilet at each and several places where others have made fire rings out of rocks. The sand creek has plenty of fish to try your luck at.
Camping near Black Hills National Forest, South Dakota, offers a fantastic mix of outdoor adventures and beautiful scenery. Whether you're pitching a tent or rolling in with an RV, there’s something for everyone in this stunning area.
Camping near Black Hills National Forest, South Dakota, is a great way to enjoy nature and create lasting memories. Just remember to plan ahead and enjoy all the beauty this area has to offer!
Frequently Asked Questions
According to TheDyrt.com, Black Hills National Forest offers a wide range of camping options, with 250 campgrounds and RV parks near Black Hills National Forest and 34 free dispersed camping spots.
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular campground near Black Hills National Forest is Mount Rushmore KOA at Palmer Gulch with a 4.2-star rating from 53 reviews.
According to TheDyrt.com, there are 34 free dispersed camping spots near Black Hills National Forest.
According to TheDyrt.com, there are 7 parks near Black Hills National Forest that allow camping, notably Bankhead National Forest and Chugach National Forest.
Keep Exploring
