If you're looking for a place to pitch your tent near Black Hills National Forest, look no further. Find the best information on tent campgrounds near Black Hills National Forest, including sites, reviews, and tips. Each tent site offers quick access to one or more of Black Hills National Forest, South Dakota's most popular destinations.
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
Very family oriented campground. They have RV and tent sites. Also have cabins. The people working are very friendly and willing to help you any way they can. Gave us lots of information and directions for the Black Hills area. Had a cafe but we did not go there. Our site backed up Black Hills National Forest. Small grass and gravel sites. If you are in the RV sites that backup to the National Forest you can’t have a campfire. Lots of tent campers. Mini golf course Campground sites were clean and neat.
Legend
This is a nice little campground to get away from the hussle of the city. The tent sites are level and great for tent camping. The is a little creek in the park and at the time we were there it was flowing big. Nice area, would go back.
Traveler
We tent camped here for a night. All tent sites are given out on a first come first serve basis. We got a quiet spot along the Spearfish River for $25/night. This campground has an awesome bathroom and shower which require a code to access. Definitely will stay here again.
Legend
This place was one our favorites on our western US tour last summer. The Black Hills National Forest is a beautiful area with stunning peaks and lakes. We stayed at Custer Trail campground for one night on the way to Wyoming. The site is a bit of a long drive around the lake and through some neighboring cattle ranches to drive down to the site. It can be reach by trailers and no problem for our Sprinter Van. You park in a line of about 5 or 6 sites next to each other with self checkin. The lake is great for swimming, kayaking, and fishing. The fishing from the shoreline north of the site was particularly good. We shared the site with one other group and appreciated the peace and quite. I would definitely recommend this one. They also have a few tent sites as well. Beautiful setting. We could have stayed longer.
Traveler
Overall the campground was great. Showers, washing machines, places for kids to play, pool area, kind neighbors. We did run into a couple problems when it came to tent camping here. The bathroom closest to us had 2 toilets and 2 showers which were nearly always full and we had to walk across the campground to another bathroom. Another thing, some of the tent sites are slanted. The blood was either rushing to my head or I was sliding down the bottom of the tent. It is a little bit awkward and not ideal. Having a campfire was a nice plus though (they even had water to put it out with).
RangerVery friendly staff. All the amenities needed. Clean bathrooms and showers. Ample laundry facilities! Don’t forget your roll of quarters! (They have change too) We tent camped in 106 (closest to bathhouse so you can hear air hand dryer but quickest bathroom access). All the tent sites appeared to be very nice. They are drive up! Surrounded by mountains and deer walk right through campground. Location was perfect and within miles of all attractions! We saw some of the other campgrounds in the area and are more than pleased we chose this one! RV sites in the front appeared a little more crowded than those towards the back. Also, had some small cabins and there was ample room for the tent in front of it. We would choose this campground at our next visit! Kids loved the on-site “gold mining” activity!
Scout
Beautiful camp sites. They are mostly gravel so pack a nice sleeping pad or blow up mattress. The pit toilets were very clean and the water spouts were plentiful. Many of the sites have natural rock formations as natural boundaries of the site. Many tent camp sites have raised platforms to pitch your tent. There is a small trail around the lake that was lovely in the evenings. The lake is very quiet and great for fishing or kayaking.
Guide
I absolutely LOVE the Bulldog Creek Campground! Nestled against the Black Hills National Forest, it is scenic, relatively quiet, peaceful and entertaining! First, the Rates...$40-50 per night with full, 50a hookups,$30 for 30a full hookup,$10 for tent camping, if you're just going to stay a night or two. If you just want a safe, quiet place to dry camp overnight, it's$20.
Now the really good part; if you want a base camp for a month or more and enjoy exploring the Black Hills, Sturgis and Rapid City, you can get 50a full hookup, pull-through site for just$550 per month plus electric! That's a bargain in this area. I was at the Ellsworth AFB famcamp who had just raised their rates to a whopping$54 per day, with no discounts available for long-term stays.
The campground is just off I-90, but set back farther than most, so not a distraction. There is an active rail line along the highway, but so far, I've not seen more than two trains in a day, and none at night. So even if it's for just a week or two, and not a month.. call Aaron, the owner. I'm sure he'll work the numbers a bit, just to have your business!
And as for entertainment, on my first night here, there was a heard of at least 2 dozen deer grazing through the campground. Several of them came within a few feet of my door as I talked to them! This mornings sunrise, accompanied by a hot cup of coffee, was exceptional. You just have to come visit!
Guide
We camped here two nights to do a couple of things in the Black Hills before heading west across Wyoming.
Everyone who worked here was very friendly and helpful. The facilities were great and the showers were the cleanest I've used at any campground. For those tent camping, there were no designated pads that I saw at any site. We have a larger tent, and our site was smaller and sloping away from a short rise, so we weren't able to situate our tent as well as usual. This wasn't a big issue, but it did storm both nights we were there, and after the first night we did have some water between our tent floor and the footprint that had ran down from the rise.
The fire pit was very sunken, to the point that they provided an above ground iron bowl for fires, however we did not make a fire during our stay. Our site was to the rear of the campground adjacent to the national forest boundary, so the Wifi was poor and often was better to rely on the 1-2 bars we had on Verizon LTE. But it did mean that this part of the campground was very peaceful. There was an opening in the fence along the boundary near our site with a trail leading to the expansive network of trails throughout the Black Hills National Forest.
Overall, this is a very good campground in a great location in the Black Hills, but it does seem that the majority of the sites throughout the campground are definitely better suited for RVs than tents.
*Quick note for Dyrt Pros: They do not provide a 10% discount as advertised on the Dyrt site. I checked at the time of making my reservation as well as upon arriving and was told the only discount they currently offer is to retired and current military members.
Traveler
Small but quiet and set among the Black Hills of South Dakota, this RV and Tent camping site has clean bathrooms with showers, WiFi, a great cafe, lots of shade, and friendly service. We stayed at the KOA first, but wish our first night had been here!
RangerSpacious tree covered spots located just west of Custer. Spot 59 faces the Black Hills National Forest and is a great get away. Quiet location away from highway and a great starting point for all Black Hills and Custer adventures.
Scout
This campground is open year round and is located in Custer State Park, in the Black Hills of South Dakota. Features cabin, camper, and tent sites. Also has very nice bathroom facilities that includes showers. A nice little creek runs along the back of the campground and the wildlife are abundant, especially Buffalo and deer that roam directly next to the campsite.
Legend
Wanted a central location to explore Deadwood and scout out a good boondocking site in the Black Hills National Forest. Used our Passport America membership for a couple nights and this Park suit our needs fine. Was busy pre-Labor Day weekend with lots of ATV’s, etc. around. But generally quiet.
Ranger
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. No cell service where we were, which was a nice detachment! Kids enjoyed exploring too. It was so neat listening (& seeing) the wind roll through the trees!!
Legend
On a 3+ week road trip, we stayed at Beaver Lake Campground for 4 nights and used this location as our ‘home base’ for the entire extended area in South Dakota: Badlands NP, Rapid City, Black Hills national forest, Mt. Rushmore, the very large Custer State Park, Wind Cave National Park, and the variety of scenic byways that connect them. It’s about 90 minutes away from the Badlands, but it was worth it to drive back out that direction rather than a.) having to camp at a separate site for only 1 night and b.) having to camp in that environment, which is generally much hotter and more arid than the Custer area within the Black Hills.
The campground is located about 3 miles outside the main drag of Custer, which is a great location for exploring the area. It is large and predominantly an ‘RV’ style campground, though they also have some small cabins that you can rent. They have laundry on site (which is nice when you’re on a road trip), a small camp store with everything that you would need, and the campground hosts are very nice and accommodating. The bathhouses weren’t the greatest (a little dirty and the woman’s shower stall in the bath room near the pool had a broken shower hose which sprayed me in the face when I was showering - quite annoying!), but they were conveniently placed. The pools looked nice, but with so much to do in the area we honestly did not spend any time in the campground during swimming hours so I can’t comment much on them. In general, everyone that we met at the campground seemed extremely nice, our particular camp site was beautiful, large, and well-situated, and the campground had everything that we needed (and more) in a fantastic location. Pretty close to perfect!
Traveler
Quiet and pretty campground about 30 minutes drive from Mt Rushmore. Only reservable same day and at 7 am we got one of the last remaining sites, so book early in the morning! We swam and paddle boarded in the lake and there was a ranger presentation in the evening. The drive to Rushmore the next morning was beautiful through the Black Hills National Forest. Bathrooms were basic.
Scout
We thought we had found a great place to stay. Made a reservation. Paid the $25 deposit did some research and looked at the reviews. Let me tell you how let down we were.
We were driving up to where it was and we could see from the main road our tent site. We thought hey maybe it's one further back and not right next to the road. So we go and check In and we are right next to the road.andnot even just a road to get to the place but like a main road right off the town houses across the street busy road. Also there little plots are small, like very small. Big enough for our 6 person tent & SUV? yes. After that however, not much room for anything else. Super small fire pit and our neighbors were right next to us. Like so close we could hear them chatting. Maybe if you have an RV go for it. If you are tent camping though I wouldn't recommend. We paid the $100.00 cause they are very strict about refund and well let's get honest they do give them even though there was a ton of tent spots left. Even after we knew we weren't getting out money back decided to forfeit the $100.00 and find a different camp site. So many better camp sites. More space, and not right off the main road where you can listen to cars all night and have lights shining in at you. If you really need a place that has a shower, play ground for kids and a dog run then go for it. However if you are like us and like to camp and don't really need a playground or a dog run and would like some space fr ol m your neighbor camper then please find somewhere else. They have so many just take a drive or Google other sites. Your inner Camper will thank you. In the photo, the trees right there are after a 2 lane road the fence is the edge of Ft. Welikit and other edge of that road. Way too close.
Scout
This campground is awesome! 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. Multiple activities each day for the kids to do.
Sites are mostly level and easy in and out, many pull-thru sites. Bath houses are clean and modern. Staff is courteous and helpful. We enjoyed the horseback rides into the Black Hills National Forest from the on-site stables. I definitely recommend staying here for a Black Hills vacation.
Legend
Horsethief Lake Campground in Black Hills National Forest was surprisingly peaceful and serene though it is close to Mount Rushmore. The traffic to and from the monument doesn’t disturb the “atmosphere”.
There’s a trailhead “Black Elk Wilderness” nearby that takes you into the woods. The lake below is a popular fishing spot.
Primitive sites with shade and good size area to set up in. Requisite picnic table and fire pit.
A lot to do in the area or just sit back and enjoy the scenery. There’s an ADA parking pad with cement walk/roll way to enjoy the lake.
GuideSo you're going to Mount Rushmore.... I discovered during my trip to the area June 2015 that hotel rates in the area are very high for what you get & hard to find availability. The solution is to camp! Make the most of your South Dakota vacation by spending it camping. My group tented and had a great time. Keep in mind though for those coming from other areas of the country, South Dakota does experience rain and thunderstorms. Pack and camp accordingly. This campground is nearby many SD attractions, within easy driving distance and minutes of Hill City, Custer, Keystone, Rapid City, Mount Rushmore. There are many options at the campground such as purchasing firewood to renting bikes. Check out KOA's campground map for campground layout. RV hookups, tent sites, heated pools, splash pad, and much more to keep everyone entertained. Remember that this area of South Dakota hosts high volumes of tourists each season, especially summer and during Sturgis Motorcyle Rally. I highly recommend making reservations far in advance!
Traveler
good campground with amenities - free showers! very few tent sites. mostly RV’s. Our tent site 21E was VERY close to the neighbors. close to stockade lake which was much more peaceful than sylvan lake.
ScoutThe camp sites were very spread out and decently flat for tent camping
Scout
The view is pretty and just a decent place to spend the night. It's a little bit outside Custer and the the road goes about a 2 miles in before you get to the spot. I camped in a tent but there were others in a 5th wheel, a class A, and a subaru. No amenities but a nice quiet place to camp. It connects to other trails so there are occasionally other vehicles that drive by.
Scout
Was fine is almost always full. Charge 18 a night to tent camp
Traveler
The lake is great for boats if you prefer to bring one. Only issue that I may have is if you get a tent site make sure that your tent will fit. We have a rather large tent and there are a couple of spots that it will not fit. Hosts are pretty nice. I love that the marina isn’t to far from the tent sites and they do have lots of trees to help keep your tent well shaded during the heat of the day.
Ranger
Campground seems large but sites are pretty densely packed. I tent in back of my pickup so like a little more space. Mostly designed for RVs and trailers, but there are tent sites with and without electricity. Didn't use the shower house because of drenching rain. There is a small vault toilet near tent sites which was pretty deplorable for so early in the season. For the price, id rather stay at Rocky point state rec area campground.
GuideI was tent camping and it was great how they have special sites to put the tents straight. So much wildlife to see! Very clean restrooms. Wildlife all arround...
Tent camping near Black Hills National Forest in South Dakota offers a unique opportunity to immerse yourself in nature while enjoying stunning landscapes and a variety of outdoor activities.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular tent campsite near Black Hills National Forest?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Black Hills National Forest is RD 356 Dispersed Site Black Hills National Forest with a 4.8-star rating from 24 reviews.
What is the best site to find tent camping near Black Hills National Forest?
TheDyrt.com has all 23 tent camping locations near Black Hills National Forest, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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