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.
Anyone who has camped at Sylvan Lake campground in South Dakota’s Custer State Park knows that Black Hills camping doesn’t get much better than this. Sylvan Lake Campground is one of eight designated campgrounds in Custer State Park, and one of the best public land destinations for camping in the Black Hills of southwest South Dakota. The region’s expanse of dense forests, rolling prairies and granite mountain peaks (the very same peaks that were used to form Mount Rushmore) offer photo-snapping tourists and laced-up explorers alike a chance to dive into the ecology of the American West.
For campers looking for a comfortable and convenient basecamp for diving into the region’s scenery and activities, Sylvan Lake campground is the place to be for many reasons. First, the 40-site campground offers access to the popular swimming spot of Sylvan Lake, where campers might feel inclined to spend their entire stay on the rocky beach of this scenic body of water. There’s also access to multiple hiking trails, suitable for all skill levels, including a trail that takes you to the curious and beautiful Black Elk Peak, the highest summit-able point east of the Rocky Mountains. Both a family-friendly spot and a hardcore adventurer’s playground, Sylvan Lake is Black Hills camping for everyone.
This campground is nestled in the pine trees along the south shore of Pactola Reservoir, offering guests lake views and access to a multitude of recreational opportunities both on land and water. Pactola Visitor Center is located in close proximity to the campground, providing opportunities for conservation education and information to visitors.
Black Hills National Forest offers recreational opportunities for all ages. Visitors can take advantage of opportunities for hiking, fishing, horseback riding, mountain biking, and riding off-highway vehicles (OHVs) on moderate terrain. From Pactola Reservoir, hikers can access the 2.2-mile Osprey Trail which includes two loop trails and a spur trail to an overlook. The trail is named for the ospreys that are often seen in the area. Pactola Reservoir is an ideal spot for fishing and boating. The reservoir is stocked with rainbow, lake and brown trout as well as largemouth and rock bass, kokanee salmon and yellow perch. Record lake trout are caught here annually, and large brown trout find habitat in Rapid Creek above and below the reservoir.
Black Hills National Forest offers recreational opportunities for all ages. Visitors can take advantage of opportunities for hiking, fishing, horseback riding, mountain biking, and riding off-highway vehicles (OHVs) on moderate terrain. From Pactola Reservoir, hikers can access the 2.2-mile Osprey Trail which includes two loop trails and a spur trail to an overlook. The trail is named for the ospreys that are often seen in the area. Pactola Reservoir is an ideal spot for fishing and boating. The reservoir is stocked with rainbow, lake and brown trout as well as largemouth and rock bass, kokanee salmon and yellow perch. Record lake trout are caught here annually, and large brown trout find habitat in Rapid Creek above and below the reservoir.
Located in western South Dakota and northeastern Wyoming, Black Hills National Forest encompasses nearly 1.25 million acres of rugged rock formations, canyons and gulches, open grassland parks, tumbling streams, deep blue lakes, and unique caves. Derived from the Lakota language, the words "Paha Sapa," meaning "hills that are black," honor the dark, pine-covered hills rising several thousand feet above the surrounding prairie. Pactola Reservoir is the largest and deepest reservoir in the Black Hills, boasting 14 miles of shoreline and 150 foot depths on 800 acres. The Bureau of Reclamation manages the dam and water. Wildlife in the area abounds. Bighorn sheep navigate mountainous terrain, while elk, deer and pronghorn gather in forests and prairies. Bald eagles, hawks, osprey, peregrine falcon, and hundreds of other bird species can be found in the forest, especially along streams, lakes and rivers.
For facility specific information, please call (605) 574-4402.
Nearby Jewel Cave is the second longest cave in the world at 159.29 miles. It features sparkling calcite crystals and other rare formations, as well as some of the largest concentrations of passageways in the world. Other possible day trips include Mount Rushmore National Memorial, Custer State Park, Crazy Horse Monument, Devils Tower National Monument and Wind Cave National Park.
No refunds wil be given for weather or related events.
$28 - $34 / night
$20 / night
We offer an assortment of sites, ranging from Tent Sites, Tent Sites with Electricity, Elecrtric & Water Sites and 30 or 50 AMP Full service sites with Electeric, Water and Sewer, which can accomodate any Rigs Big or Small up to 45 Feet. Don't feel like roughing it, enjoy one of our Sleeping cabins, we have several cabins to accomodate
Located on the scenic Norbeck Byway away from the areas busy highways yet just one mile North of the historic city of Custer as you enter the heart of the Black Hills. Your adventure begins the minute you leave our gates.
Just minutes from Crazy Horse, Sylvan Lake, The Needles, Jewel Cave, and Custer State Park. Easy access to Mt. Rushmore, Deadwood, Sturgis, and all the Black Hills Area attractions.
100 unique sites situated in the tall, cool pines that make camping in the Black Hills an experience not soon forgotten. Sites range from full service to rustic and from private to group and family friendly, so that everyone can have the camping or RV experience they desire. All the amenities with the cozy feeling of camping in a National Forest campground.
You should see the Hills from here! Custer/Mt. Rushmore KOA is your central location for visiting all of the Black Hills. We are in the center of all five major Black Hills attractions: Mt. Rushmore National Monument, Crazy Horse Memorial, Jewel Cave National Monument, Wind Cave National Park, and Custer State Park, within 6 to 23 miles of the campground. You can arrange tours with a local tour company that picks you up at your site. After a day of sightseeing, unwind at our tranquil campground among the ponderosa pines, just 3 miles west of Custer. Eat breakfast or dinner at the Buffalo Cafe, located inside the store.The kids will love our jumping pillow and playground. Seasonal activities (Memorial Day to Labor Day) include a heated pool (weather permitting). We offer 1 and 2-room camping cabins (No Air Conditioning), a Fully equipped deluxe cabin, 30 & 50-amp pull-thru and back-in sites, deluxe patio sites, and several types of tent sites, from primitive to upgraded. Free Wi-Fi, clean restrooms, an on-site store, laundry ($), dump station, firewood ($), picnic tables, and propane ($) are available. Rates are higher on June 30-July 7 and August 6-15 (Sturgis Motorcycle Rally and Custer Cruisin' dates). No television service is provided; some sites can receive satellite reception.
$60 - $100 / night
Heritage Village Campground, in Custer South Dakota, offers great views of Crazy Horse Memorial. Enjoy all that the Black Hills has to offer, from Mount Rushmore to museums and family fun attractions, during your time with them.
$16 / night
Located 4 miles south of Hill City, South Dakota, Oreville Campground is a delightful setting for guests seeking recreation and relaxation in Black Hills National Forest. The sites are nestled on a hillside among aspen groves, towering ponderosa pines, and grassy areas. Many of the campsites are spacious, offering guests a sense of privacy. The campground is centrally located along Highway 16/385 just north of Crazy Horse Monument with easy access to most Black Hills attractions.
The forest offers recreation opportunities for all ages and abilities. Guests can take advantage of opportunities for hiking, fishing, horseback riding, mountain biking, and riding off-highway vehicles (OHVs) on moderate terrain. Hundreds of miles of trails and roads offer a variety of terrain for mountain bikers. Hikers and bikers can access the nearby George S. Mickelson Trail, which traverses over 100 miles through the heart of the Black Hills. The majority of the trail follows an abandoned railroad branch line and includes 4 tunnels, over 100 converted railroad bridges, and 15 established trailheads. The trail surface is packed gravel, traversing mountain, meadow, and forest terrain. The trail is named in honor of the former South Dakota governor who crusaded for the trail. For those seeking higher elevations, a day-long trek to the summit of nearby Black Elk Peak is worth the effort. Black Elk Peak is the highest natural point in the United States east of the Rocky Mountains. Most of the summit is bare granite and offers expansive views of the surrounding area. An old stone tower at the top(Harney Lookout Tower), once used as a fire lookout, is still open to hikers.
The forest offers recreation opportunities for all ages and abilities. Guests can take advantage of opportunities for hiking, fishing, horseback riding, mountain biking, and riding off-highway vehicles (OHVs) on moderate terrain. Hundreds of miles of trails and roads offer a variety of terrain for mountain bikers. Hikers and bikers can access the nearby George S. Mickelson Trail, which traverses over 100 miles through the heart of the Black Hills. The majority of the trail follows an abandoned railroad branch line and includes 4 tunnels, over 100 converted railroad bridges, and 15 established trailheads. The trail surface is packed gravel, traversing mountain, meadow, and forest terrain. The trail is named in honor of the former South Dakota governor who crusaded for the trail. For those seeking higher elevations, a day-long trek to the summit of nearby Black Elk Peak is worth the effort. Black Elk Peak is the highest natural point in the United States east of the Rocky Mountains. Most of the summit is bare granite and offers expansive views of the surrounding area. An old stone tower at the top(Harney Lookout Tower), once used as a fire lookout, is still open to hikers.
Located in western South Dakota and northeastern Wyoming, Black Hills National Forest encompasses nearly 1.25 million acres of rugged rock formations, canyons and gulches, open grassland parks, tumbling streams, deep blue lakes, and unique caves. Derived from the Lakota language, the words "Paha Sapa," meaning "hills that are black," honor the dark, pine-covered hills rising several thousand feet above the surrounding prairie. Wildlife in the area abounds. Bighorn sheep navigate mountainous terrain, while elk, deer and pronghorn gather in forests and prairies. Bald eagles, hawks, osprey, peregrine falcon, and hundreds of other bird species can be found in the forest, especially along streams, lakes and rivers.
Nearby Jewel Cave is the second longest cave in the world at 159.29 miles. It features sparkling calcite crystals and other rare formations, as well as some of the largest concentrations of passageways in the world. Other possible day trips include Mount Rushmore National Memorial, Custer State Park, Crazy Horse Monument and Wind Cave National Park.
For facility specific information, please call (605) 574-4402.
No refunds will be given for weather or related events.
$24 / night
Great camping friendly staff .
Great campsite nestled in the hills. Conveniently located near Crazy Horse monument (literally, you can see Crazy Horse from the campground; see attached photos), and less than 20 miles from Mount Rushmore. You can access Mickelson Bike Trail from the property. Also, has many hiking and walking trails for your use. Fresh artesian water. The water was delicious! We were tenting and the ground was perfect for setup. Echo Valley campground has the option for dry site, water site, electric site, or water and electric site, for all travelers whether tent, RV, or camper. Has a shower house with bathrooms, and washer/dryer setup. Washer/dryer were out of order when we were there. Shower house has antiquated controls. We think owner is working on updating everything because bathrooms had new sinks and toilets (at least the women’s did; men’s had new sinks). Assuming it was the owner who checked us in, on a Friday late afternoon. He was humorous, gregarious, and welcoming. Welcoming to pets. During our two night stay almost every other camper had pets. Our only complaint was we couldn’t have a fire because the whole area was on an extreme fire danger risk. Not the sites fault, but that was our only real complaint
On a final note: if you want to stay at a modern site, with all the amenities and distractions, Echo Valley is not for you. This campsite was serene, beautiful, peaceful. There was enough access to the local environment, you didn’t need to go see the local sites to remain engaged and entertained.
Was not sure driving in but old mate running the show was funny and friendly. Showers were interesting but all plumbing in US is weird and inconsistent about how you operate it. Laundry was out of action. I think this guy running the show is trying very hard, he’s too cheap ($45) so always chasing his tail. Real close to crazy horse so nothing really to complain about. Wish him the best.
This is a nice campground very close to Custer State Park and Wind Cave National Park. The hosts are accommodating and friendly. The sites are basic with full hookups and will fit any size rig, they have clean water and perfect power. The location is less windy than most parks in the area and even though it's next to the highway we haven't heard any vehicle noise. Just a few blocks to beautiful downtown Custer. We had a fantastic stay and know you will too.
Amazing place to visit foe camping. Thank you for reminding the great trip to this beautiful place. Teen Patti World
Very nice campground with excellent amenities. The WiFi was very slow.
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Very nice host. Campsite extremely close to road with traffic noise. Worst smelling bathrooms I’ve come across and the smell drifted across the campsites.
We will be back. We stayed in a wooded lot up top in the park. The bathrooms were well maintained. We really enjoyed the location to all the area attractions.
We arrived on Labor Day and were very disappointed that the pool was closed. Despite what there website states the pool closes on Labor Day. Management did make it right by us though and we got to enjoy a local pool in close proximity.
All and all we will be back to the area and we will plan to stay here again.
Stayed for one night. The tent site was great came with shelter, table, grill, and power connection. Close to Bathrooms and Showers which were clean. Is close to road though still feels remote. Very peaceful and quite area.
We stayed here for 2 nights and had a great time. Everything is clean and the site we stayed at was located under trees with lots of distance to the next neighbors. On the site you can hear some of the traffic from the highway but that is still acceptable. We would always come back here again.
This Park is kept very clean. Laundry room and machines are organized and in great operating condition. Bathrooms and showers are cleaned very often. RV spots are level. HRV spot has a picnic bench water and electric. And there are also quite a few with sewer as well. One downfall is the highway and the train. It's not a very busy part of the highway and the train only comes by once or twice a day nothing at night. No train horns and the trains are quite short. The staff are very friendly. I was extremely pleased with the RV park and everything about it.
Nice layout. FHU at $32 + tax is reasonable for area. 3 or 4 miles north of Custer SD
Laundry available Showers also - probably for tent sites
Fairly close to highway-but by sleep time there was not much activity
Did not use facilities. Did not use their WiFi nor deploy Starlink as Verizon coverage is excellent
Came in here last night and the water point in the sites are extremely low for campers and you’ll have issues hooking up your water purifier and other gadgets. The pool is dirty as well. We woke up this morning and we don’t have water at our campsite. The lady at the front desk said they hit a water main and unknown when it’ll come back online. We were in the middle of a shower and washing dishes so we can leave as we’re on a time schedule.
Friendly reception and fair price for showers and restrooms, stay, and more. Easy in and out.
Great location for Custer and surrounding area and good value. Site was a little small with fire pit set on a bank so not ideal to sit around. Not a problem for us as we spent most of the time touring the area. Picnic table was rotten so we were unable to use it, again not a problem for us. We took a bike ride down into the valley, it is very beautiful.
Very nice KOA. Great staff. Nice sites under pine trees. Pool, cafe, and laundry facilities are well maintained. Will stay here again.
Tim and Kelly are great hosts. The sites are spacious and shaded, but not very private. Toilets were very clean. If you are planing on visiting Devils Tower, this is far enough away from the crowds, but close enough to visit. If we come back this way we will camp here again.
Friendly staff. Very clean bathrooms and showers. Sites well maintained. Lots of amenities. Only complaint are sites a little close.
I loved this spot as I only plan a day at a time while traveling. I was able to snag a spot at this campground and here are the tips: -Reservations for this campground open at 6AM mountain time. -Making a profile for their site feels like doing taxes so plan ahead and get your account set up the day before. Skip the app. It’s just a window to their online portal. -Get your first night online. It’ll be your site fee plus $7 reservation fee. -There is no service at the campground but they do have a reservation phone. -On your first day & before 8pm, call the reservation line on the land phone provided and extend your stay for a second night. They will only charge you for the site and not another reservation fee. BOOM! Your site will be secured for as many days as you need so long as you keep extending.
Nice remote campground. Pit toilets, community water spigots, no hookups. There is a hot shower located at the lake up the road.
Small and large sites. Close to all major attractions. Beautiful little park.
Small campground with small sites. Water on site no dump station.
The grounds are well maintained and groomed. It has a heated pool and hot tub, we didn’t use because a cold front came through the week we were there. If you have kids there is a big field where kids were running sound having fun next to a nice playground. The laundry room was super clean and machines all in working order.
The hosts here are very friendly and helpful sharing information about the area as a whole and everything you need to know about the campsite. They were very accommodating and gave us ideas on how to navigate the campsite roads to best park our large rig, tow dolly, and tow vehicle. Some spots are right along the highway but it was surprisingly quiet in the evening. Bathrooms are cleaned daily but there are no showers onsite. You cannot fill up your water tank here but can fill up small amounts of water. Firewood was $7 per bundle. Shaded spot and our starlink worked surprisingly well here given the trees.
This is a restaurant with a nyt wordle lot of delicious dishes and especially the service quality of this restaurant is very good. I have visited this restaurant a few times and am very satisfied with their quality and service.
This is an unbelievable place. Very nice pull through sights, two pools, hot tub, laundry and nice bathrooms. They pay attention to details such as clean fire pits and no trash anywhere. Extremely safe for a family or a Solo Traveler. Wonderful playgrounds for children. Would definitely stay here again because there are so many ways to camp. Including teepees, cabins and glamping sites. This really is a true Resort.
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
Which is the most popular glamping campsite near Black Hills National Forest?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular glamping campground near Black Hills National Forest is Sylvan Lake Campground — Custer State Park with a 4.7-star rating from 38 reviews.
What is the best site to find glamping camping near Black Hills National Forest?
TheDyrt.com has all 46 glamping camping locations near Black Hills National Forest, with real photos and reviews from campers.
