Best Glamping near Brookings, SD

Lake Thompson Recreation Area provides glamping options in cabins and yurts near Brookings, South Dakota. Located about 45 miles southwest of Brookings, this year-round recreation area combines comfortable accommodations with lakeside views. The area also includes Palisades State Park Campground in Garretson, where visitors can stay in cabin-style glamping units surrounded by dramatic quartzite rock formations. Most glamping accommodations feature electricity, comfortable bedding, and climate control systems to ensure guest comfort regardless of season. Sites typically include picnic tables, fire rings, and access to modern bathroom facilities with showers. "Beautiful location on the north shore of Lake Thompson. Some sites face the lake, others have shade with enough open sky for your StarLink dish," noted one visitor about their glamping experience.

Nearby Camden State Park Campground, approximately 70 miles west of Brookings, offers unique yurt accommodations amid scenic hiking trails and a swimming pond. Guests staying at these glamping resorts can enjoy water activities like kayaking, fishing, and swimming during warmer months. Lake Thompson provides excellent fishing opportunities with cleaning stations available for anglers. History enthusiasts can visit the Laura Ingalls Wilder homestead near De Smet, less than 10 miles from some glamping sites. Winter visitors have access to snowshoeing and cross-country skiing trails at several parks. According to a camper, "Palisades is a great state park! Everyone there was so friendly and informative. The park itself is beautiful!" Most glamping canvas tent and yurt rentals require advance reservations, especially during peak summer season from May through September.

Map showing campgrounds near Brookings, South Dakota

Explore the Map

Best Glamping Sites Near Brookings, South Dakota (10)

1. Maxwell Park
1 Review
Arlington, SD
18 miles
Website
2. Palisades State Park Campground
30 Reviews
Garretson, SD
44 miles
Website
+1 (605) 594-3824
"Some have electric hook up, others are just for tent camping. All of them provide a picnic table and a fire pit. They also have little log cabins. We stayed at campsite 6 which was a very good spot."

"We passed through Palisades State Park earlier this year and spent some time in the day-use area so we knew it was a good place to camp as we passed through South Dakota on another trip."

3. Norwegian Creek Co Park
2 Reviews
Lake Benton, MN
26 miles
Website
+1 (507) 368-9350
"Electric and water hookups. Spots are very close together. Luckily several people cancelled for the weekend and we were allowed to pick any spot. Shower houses are nice."

"So beautiful to wake up to the sunrise on the lake. Perfect stop in our way .. great location for kids - there are 2 parks and little “beaches” with sand to play next to the lake"
4. Sioux Falls KOA
28 Reviews
Sioux Falls, SD
48 miles
Website
+1 (605) 332-9987
"There’s a fair size staff working; you could see 3-5 people at any given time. Good selection in store open 8am to 9pm in July. Nice size pool and laundry room."

"Easily accessible from the highway. Felt clean and secure. Staff was friendly. We arrived on a Saturday, and there was a food truck at one of the sites!"

5. River of the Double Bend Campground
1 Review
Dell Rapids, SD
28 miles
Website
+1 (605) 428-5472
6. Ingalls Homestead
7 Reviews
Lake Preston, SD
38 miles
Website
+1 (605) 854-3984
"This is a truly magical place, and if you’ve ever read any of the Little House on the Prairie books and are anywhere near De Smet South Dakota, do yourself a favor and swing by."

"A very cool and unique campsite on the grounds of the Laura Ingalls Homestead near De Smet, SD. Unique in that you can camp right on the open prairie and for only $10 a night."

7. Lake Thompson Recreation Area
2 Reviews
Lake Preston, SD
32 miles
Website
+1 (605) 847-4893
"This campground has both electric standard sites for campers and tent sites. Two shower houses and multiple vault toilets throughout the campground for accessibility."

"Beautiful location on the north shore of Lake Thompson. Some sites face the lake, others have shade with enough open sky for your StarLink dish. Beach access at the campground."
8. Camden State Park Campground
9 Reviews
Lynd, MN
43 miles
Website
+1 (507) 865-4530
$24 - $45 / night
"Nice, secluded and wooded sites."

"Great hiking and biking trails, swimming pond and right on the redwood river. The Camden Regional trail is 14 miles of paved trails between Camden State Park and Marshall, MN."

9. Memorial Park
5 Reviews
Watertown, SD
48 miles
+1 (605) 882-6290
"Close to beach, fishing dock and close to playground for kids!"

"There are many sites for both tent and RV camping along with clean wash houses and located within a 10 minute drive to town. Cost was $22 per day."
10. Spot
Be the first to review!
Lake Preston, SD
38 miles
Website
+1 (605) 854-3982

Showing results 1-10 of 10 campgrounds

2025 Detourist Giveaway

Presented by

Review Campgrounds. Win Prizes.

Enter to Win

Enter to Win

Recent Glamping Photos near Brookings, SD

7 Photos of 10 Brookings Campgrounds

Glamping Reviews near Brookings, SD

85 Reviews of 10 Brookings Campgrounds

Corinna B.
Legend
Jul. 17, 2018
Ingalls Homestead
Magical Must-See for Kids & All Little House on the Prairie Fans
This is a truly magical place, and if you’ve ever read any of the Little House on the Prairie books and are anywhere near De Smet South Dakota, do yourself a favor and swing by.

The Campground

The Ingalls Homestead consists of two main parts. First is the "campground," which is a basically a large grassy slope where you can set up your tent for just $10. It includes hot showers, flush toilets, and a few picnic tables and fire-pits throughout the field. There's also fairly basic RV parking for $30 with electric and water hookups and a dump site as well as some basic but cool covered wagons for $60. We arrived just as the sun was setting, found a lovely spot for our tent, and then paid in the shop the next morning. The bathrooms were clean, the showers were a little strange but also clean and hot (basically a large room cordoned off by several shower curtains).

The Homestead

De Smet is where the Ingalls family lived during the "Long Winter" of 1880-1881, and the Ingalls Homestead is a "family run business" that brings to life many activities from the 1880s such as visiting a one-room schoolhouse, making a corn on the cob doll, going on a covered wagon ride, etc. It's truly hands-on and some of our favorite time was spent hanging out in "Pa's" lean-to barn with the barn kitties and riding horses and ponies. My oldest son also learned how to drive the covered wagon to the schoolhouse down the road (another treat). Each station on the self-guided tour has an activity with incredibly nice and informed hosts. Most of the buildings are based on the original plans and descriptions from the Ingalls family, though no original buildings remain on the site. Visiting the homestead is an additional $15 per person over the age of five, and while you could camp without visiting the homestead, it was definitely worth a half or full-day visit.
K
Kelly
Guide
Dec. 31, 2022
Sioux Falls KOA
Very noisy
Lots of noise since it’s off the highway. Has running water and bathrooms at least.
L
Lisa
Traveler
May. 23, 2021
Norwegian Creek Co Park
Nice spots by the lake
Electric and water hookups. Spots are very close together. Luckily several people cancelled for the weekend and we were allowed to pick any spot. Shower houses are nice. I'd stay again, although a lady in town said the hole in the mound county park nearby is much quieter. The ice cream man made a loop through the grounds.
Katrin M.
Legend
Jul. 7, 2019
Palisades State Park Campground
A very nice getaway!
We camped here over the weekend with our dogs. The campground is within 10 miles off of I90.

The park is not very big so there are not many campsites. Some have electric hook up, others are just for tent camping. All of them provide a picnic table and a fire pit. They also have little log cabins. We stayed at campsite 6 which was a very good spot. Some of the other sites seemed very close together without much privacy or shade.

The park staff (rangers, camp host and volunteers) was extremely friendly. They always made sure that we had everything we needed. The rangers also offer different programs on the weekend like learning about geocaching or how to make campfire desserts.

There is one bathhouse for the entire campground. It seemed a little old but got cleaned daily. There are also several vault toilets around the area. From the campground you have access to the water. There are also several short hiking trails from where you can see the rock formations.

It was just a very short ride to the Devils Gulch (Jesse James historical site) or Split Rock Park. There is also a Dollar General close by. We would definitely recommend the campground.
Brian C.
Legend
May. 1, 2019
Ingalls Homestead
Very Cool and Unique Campsite on the Grounds of the Laura Ingalls Homestead
A very cool and unique campsite on the grounds of the Laura Ingalls Homestead near De Smet, SD. Unique in that you can camp right on the open prairie and for only $10 a night. Just pick a spot of grass and you’re good to go. There are some picnic tables you can choose to be near or just head out on the frontier. There are also options to camp in a covered wagon as well as a bunkhouse. RV spots are available and include water and electric hookups. Well appointed and clean bathrooms (electricity and flush toilets) are on site with showers.

The other really cool thing about this spot—especially for families—are all of the fun activities at the homestead itself. There’s a one-room school house with tours, a barn with animals, a covered wagon ride where you (or your kids) can lead the horse-drawn wagon, opportunities to learn how to make a jump rope, twist hay, wash clothes—all things the Ingalls family had to do on a farm from long ago.

A night or two in the summer is great though with no shade for the campsites field, it can get warm but evenings on the prairie are gorgeous. All in all, a great spot to set up that is cheap but with nice facilities and staff.
Lee D.
Legend
Jul. 26, 2019
Palisades State Park Campground
Nice stay in a state park
We passed through Palisades State Park earlier this year and spent some time in the day-use area so we knew it was a good place to camp as we passed through South Dakota on another trip. One main (clean) bathhouse with two showers plus two pit toilets for those camping farther away on the loop. A mix of cabins, tent, and electric sites. Lots of trees. LONG driveways and some sites (such as 34E) are very large. The website allows you to view sites, so you know in advance what to expect. Nice walking trails and picnic areas.
Brittney K.
Guide
Jul. 17, 2020
Sioux Falls KOA
It could have been worse
We are new to the KOA chain and just learned they are on a tiered system. This location is a journey KOA, which means it is right off the highway and more of a place to stop than a nature experience. We were so grateful we choose to stay in a cabin (which had a/c) the tent sites are literally in parking spaces next to each other in the grass surrounding a child’s play area...rude. There are bright lights around the buildings that shine into your sites. The pool has a chain link fence around it. Because we were in a cabin with the air running, the highway noise was significantly muted. However if that’s not your situation, I’d seriously reconsider. The bathrooms were not up to the regular KOA standards I had come to expect. They just didn’t feel/look clean. The bed was not terrible and we were able to get a good night sleep. I don’t plan on staying at journey locations in the future unless absolutely necessary.
J
Joan
Ranger
Jul. 10, 2021
Sioux Falls KOA
Easy off 90, clean, friendly
There’s a fair size staff working; you could see 3-5 people at any given time. Good selection in store open 8am to 9pm in July. Nice size pool and laundry room. Store seemed well stocked with a variety of items. The mini golf was the only thing run down but the kids played it 3 times and didn’t care.

There were 2 bathroom/shower houses both nice. The one by the laundry and game room seemed newer.

Laundry and bathrooms open 24 hours. Game room closed at 9pm.

Everyone was extremely nice and customer oriented there.

We upgraded to a patio so as not to drag everything out for one night. Very nice. I can’t comment on the grill as we “glamped” on our 5th night from PA and ordered Uber Eats. A friendly worker escorted the driver to our site via golf cart. There are also trees throughout and fences to give you a feeling of privacy. We pulled through the space and used risers to level it.

I used the laundry room and shower. Both were nice. They even had a full length mirror in the shower area. We’d stay there again and recommend.

Edit: My grandsons loved this because there was enough to do but “peaceful” too. Their words so we stopped on our return back from Yellowstone.
Nik J.
Traveler
Sep. 14, 2022
Sioux Falls KOA
Clean and Easy
First experience with a KOA. Easily accessible from the highway. Felt clean and secure. Staff was friendly.

We arrived on a Saturday, and there was a food truck at one of the sites!

There was no fire pit at our site, and we fell asleep to the familiar sounds of highway traffic.

Made a decent one night stop to start on route to Yellowstone, and will consider stopping through here again, but not as a destination.