Best Cabin Camping near Bruce, SD

Oakwood Lakes State Park offers log cabins with electric heating and air conditioning across multiple campgrounds near Bruce. Cabins include basic furnishings with beds, tables, and chairs, though amenities vary between locations. Electric hookups are standard in cabin areas with access to nearby drinking water stations and toilet facilities. Lake Poinsett Recreation Area provides similar cabin accommodations with the addition of shower access and sanitary dump stations for longer stays. "The bathrooms are amazing for a campground. One of the few places I've ever camped where you get a full bathroom to yourself. Plus it was very clean."

Rustic and deluxe cabins are available depending on the specific recreation area. Lake Herman State Park Campground and Ingalls Homestead feature cabins with more extensive amenities, including water hookups at select locations. Most cabins require reservations, especially during summer months when facilities reach capacity. Pet policies vary by location, with most parks permitting leashed pets in cabin areas but restrictions may apply to indoor spaces. A visitor noted: "We stayed here in Aug 2019 - although it was a short visit, we had a nice time. Wasn't busy, kids liked playground, walking path, and checking out Mortimer's cabin."

Visitors should plan to bring their own bedding, pillows, towels, and cooking supplies as these items are typically not provided in cabin rentals. While picnic tables and fire pits are standard at most cabin sites, cooking equipment and utensils are not furnished. Lake Thompson Recreation Area and Pelican Lake Recreation Area maintain on-site markets where basic provisions can be purchased, though selection is limited. Firewood is available at select locations including Lake Poinsett and Lake Herman, but many cabin guests bring their own supplies for convenience and cost savings. Cabin rentals typically include access to communal bathrooms and shower facilities where available.

Best Cabin Sites Near Bruce, South Dakota (15)

    1. Campground 1 — Oakwood Lakes State Park

    7 Reviews
    Bruce, SD
    5 miles
    Website
    +1 (605) 627-5441

    $26 / night

    "One of the few places I've ever camped where you get a full bathroom to yourself. Plus it was very clean."

    "In addition to natural beauty there are games to rent, playground, etc. Yay: Choice of traditional campsites or cabins.

    Nay: campsites are very open and unshaded. Only a few are by the water."

    2. Campground 2 — Oakwood Lakes State Park

    5 Reviews
    Bruce, SD
    5 miles
    Website
    +1 (605) 627-5441

    $26 - $55 / night

    "Large grassy sites with fire pit and picnic table. Clean bathrooms with hot showers. Nice path around lake for walking the dog. Lots of families having a good time! Very pleasant evening."

    "Wasn’t busy, kids liked playground, walking path, and checking out Mortimer’s cabin. Electric hook-ups."

    3. Horse Campground — Oakwood Lakes State Park

    1 Review
    Bruce, SD
    5 miles
    Website
    +1 (605) 627-5441

    $22 / night

    "The bathrooms and showers were very clean. Also, the campsites are very clean beach areas and boat ramps were very clean. Also a nice frisbee, golf course and great beach access."

    4. Lake Poinsett State Rec Area

    3 Reviews
    Arlington, SD
    12 miles
    Website
    +1 (800) 710-2267

    "Playground was at the other camp loop, but we spent some time playing before we left. Found some geocaches in the park, which was fun!"

    "Very nice, our spot was large with electric. Quiet this weekend. 50 Amp service."

    6. Ingalls Homestead

    7 Reviews
    Lake Preston, SD
    33 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."

    "For $30, we had W&E, fire pit (firewood not sold), picnic table and free access to the homestead. Bathrooms were so clean and smelled like cedar wood. "

    7. Lake Thompson Recreation Area

    2 Reviews
    Lake Preston, SD
    28 miles
    Website
    +1 (605) 847-4893

    "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."

    "This campground has both electric standard sites for campers and tent sites. Two shower houses and multiple vault toilets throughout the campground for accessibility."

    8. Lake Cochrane Recreation Area

    1 Review
    Dawson, MN
    28 miles
    Website
    +1 (605) 882-5200

    "Really a nice little park! We have been camp hosts here for the summer. Had never been here before, didn't know it existed. 30 back in sites with #30 being host site."

    9. Lake Herman State Park Campground

    5 Reviews
    Madison, SD
    34 miles
    Website
    +1 (605) 256-5003

    "RV spots have electric. Many spots have shade, some are near the lake, and some with lake views. They have small cabins for rent, as well as paddle boards, kayaks, and canoes."

    "Had days of warm weather, spring rain showers and 5 inches of snow. I was right next to a little lake on one side and Lake Herman about 150ft away. Nice hiking trails just outside my door."

    10. Pelican Lake Recreation Area

    1 Review
    Watertown, SD
    32 miles
    Website
    +1 (605) 882-5200

    "Nice pebble beach, playgrounds, and walking areas. Flat camper parking. Power was great and showers were clean. Electric only. There is an area to dump waste on the exit."

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Recent Cabin Photos near Bruce, SD

3 Photos of 15 Bruce Campgrounds


Cabin Reviews near Bruce, SD

45 Reviews of 15 Bruce Campgrounds


  • Carrie F.
    Jul. 8, 2018

    Lake Herman State Park Campground

    Beautiful RV and tent camping around a gorgeous lake

    Large spots maintained very well. RV spots have electric. Many spots have shade, some are near the lake, and some with lake views. They have small cabins for rent, as well as paddle boards, kayaks, and canoes. There is a lower park that’s great for families, with activities on the weekends , a large playground, and easy lake access. The other park is mainly spaces, with a large grassy area in the center. They spray regularly for bugs, which is extremely important to me! The area has many geocaches as well!

  • Corinna B.
    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.

  • JThe Dyrt PRO User
    Aug. 20, 2023

    Campground 2 — Oakwood Lakes State Park

    Clean pleasant campground

    Camped in the more open area (72E in campground 2). Large grassy sites with fire pit and picnic table. Clean bathrooms with hot showers. Nice path around lake for walking the dog. Lots of families having a good time! Very pleasant evening.

  • Lora H.
    Jun. 20, 2019

    Ingalls Homestead

    Laura would be honored

    We have traveled in a RV for 6 years and been to 48 states (3 or 4 times each), visited 300 plus small towns and I can say this was one of my favorite camp spots. There are only 4 RV lots, and they are pretty close together, but we stayed before season, so we had the place practically to ourselves. For $30, we had W&E, fire pit (firewood not sold), picnic table and free access to the homestead. Bathrooms were so clean and smelled like cedar wood.  There is a dump station but be fore warned it's on a slope, so emptying your tanks completely will be a challenge. Also a sign says grey water only, this is not true, you can dump your black water too. Since we were off season, during the day, they had school trips daily, so there were a lot of children, having fun playing right behind our rig. But it was only for a short period of time during the afternoon. There's a museum right next to the sites, which is always open. There's also is a tower you can climb to get some really great views. Several houses and buildings are on the property you can explore and hay rides are available. They also have a nice country store where you can by your souvenirs. If your a Laura Ingalls Wilder fan, like me, this is a must stop, if only for a night! I also want to mention that the camp hosts and gal that ran the store, couldn't have been nicer.

  • T
    Jul. 26, 2021

    Campground 1 — Oakwood Lakes State Park

    Excellent bathrooms

    The bathrooms are amazing for a campground. One of the few places I've ever camped where you get a full bathroom to yourself. Plus it was very clean. Seems to be a family oriented place rather than a "nature/wilderness" type of camping experience. Lots of groups gathered and up late hanging out, kids running through campsites. I got very quick responses via email from this place too which was great.

  • Makayla B.
    Sep. 9, 2019

    Camden State Park Campground

    Nice campground on the prairie

    There are two campgrounds in this park - the upper one is on the prairie while the lower one is situated among trees along the river. We stayed in the lower campground in site 30. The lower campground is close to the playground and swimming pond but it rained the whole time we camped so we didn't use either.

    Sites in the lower campground are fairly close together and we didn't have cell service (Verizon), which wasn't a big deal.

    I brought my fat bike and bike the Bluebird and Dakota Valley trails. Both are mowed paths that go through prairie and wooded areas. The actual mountain bike trail was disappointing, it was overgrown, narrow, and hugged a high ridge.

    Our site, 30, sloped away from the parking pad. You wouldn't be able to set up.chairs under your awning at this site and the picnic table sat in a low spot that got muddy after 2 straight days of rain. There is a river that runs behind the sites in this loop. Our boys played on the rocks and had a great time.

    There are nearby train tracks and trains ran by several times a day, though luckily they don't blow the horn so we didn't notice them much.

  • Ason S.
    Jun. 23, 2020

    Campground 2 — Oakwood Lakes State Park

    Nice campgrounds

    We stayed here in Aug 2019 - although it was a short visit, we had a nice time. Wasn’t busy, kids liked playground, walking path, and checking out Mortimer’s cabin. Electric hook-ups.

  • Brian C.
    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.

  • Sethen E.
    Aug. 17, 2020

    Pelican Lake Recreation Area

    Family Friendly, too many cars on Friday

    Nice pebble beach, playgrounds, and walking areas. Flat camper parking. Power was great and showers were clean. Electric only. There is an area to dump waste on the exit. Stopped on Sunday on the way westward and the place was empty, stopped Friday on the way home and it was packed. Lots of kids and families, and almost every spot was full. Happy to see folks having fun. It was just a little busy for us. On the second time through one of the three bathrooms was very dirty, sad before the weekend- the showers remained clean. On the Friday stop there were a lot of people, some spots had 3-4 cars parked in the grass- it was too bad they allowed that. If one was to go here to find some quiet do so during the week or late weekend. It worked just fine as a quick overnight stop on our route. Lots of families having fun. Slept well. Well groomed area. Pretty views of lake. A little windy.


Guide to Bruce

Cabin camping near Bruce, South Dakota provides year-round shelter options in this prairie region with average summer temperatures of 85°F and winter lows reaching -10°F. Located in the glacial lakes region of eastern South Dakota, these cabins range from rustic to modern across multiple recreation areas within 30 miles of Bruce. Several parks maintain dedicated cabin sections with electricity standard and additional amenities varying by location.

What to do

Horseback riding trails: Oakwood Lakes State Park maintains dedicated trails suitable for riders of all experience levels. "Great place for horseback riding and canoeing, plush boating and fishing. In addition to natural beauty there are games to rent, playground, etc.," notes Lynn G.

Water sports on multiple lakes: Paddle rentals available at most parks from May through September with rental fees starting at $10/hour. "Kayaking, boating, fishing, and swimming are excellent!" shares Lisa H. about the lake activities at Oakwood Lakes.

Historical exploration: Visit pioneer-era structures throughout the recreation areas to learn about early settlement history. Ingalls Homestead offers immersive historical experiences less than 30 miles from Bruce. "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," explains Corinna B.

Hiking network: Several interconnected trail systems link the lakes with prairie viewing areas. "Super cool hiking trail around Scout Island! Great history at Ol Mortimers Cabin and the old military fort," reports a visitor to Oakwood Lakes State Park.

What campers like

Private bathroom facilities: Lake Thompson Recreation Area offers well-maintained restroom buildings throughout the grounds. "Two shower houses and multiple vault toilets throughout the campground for accessibility," notes Audrey F., highlighting the convenience for cabin guests.

Spacious outdoor areas: Cabin sites typically include large outdoor spaces with picnic tables and fire rings. "Large spots maintained very well. RV spots have electric. Many spots have shade, some are near the lake, and some with lake views," reports Carrie F. from Lake Herman State Park Campground.

Playground access: Most cabin areas include nearby playground facilities for children. "We visited during the week so we pretty much had the campsite to ourselves!! They have a playground which my 4 year old son loved! He can't wait to go again!" shares Ashley K. about her family's experience at Oakwood Lakes.

Quiet setting: Weekday cabin stays often provide a more peaceful experience, particularly in spring and fall. "Despite being close to Brookings this park is quiet and I didn't find it very full," explains David B. about Oakwood Lakes State Park's atmosphere.

What you should know

Reservation requirements: Cabins require advance booking through South Dakota Game, Fish & Parks website, with reservations available up to 90 days ahead. "We have been camp hosts here for the summer. Had never been here before, didn't know it existed," mentions Deb B. about the lesser-known Lake Cochrane Recreation Area.

Seasonal considerations: While cabin camping remains available year-round, amenities like water stations may be winterized from October through April. "Spent 2 weeks here in the spring. Had days of warm weather, spring rain showers and 5 inches of snow," shares David G. about his Lake Herman stay.

Supply planning: No on-site stores exist at most cabin locations, with nearest supplies typically 10-15 miles away in towns like Arlington or Bruce. "There are 4 dump stations near the campground entrance with multiple fresh water hookups around the campground," notes Steven W. at Lake Thompson, describing available utilities but highlighting limited shopping options.

Bug preparation: Summer months bring mosquitoes, particularly near lake areas. "Be sure to use bug spray as mosquitoes were all over- maybe due to wet weather," advises Audrey F. about Lake Thompson Recreation Area.

Tips for camping with families

Beach access evaluation: Pelican Lake Recreation Area provides pebble beach areas suitable for children with gradual water entry. "Nice pebble beach, playgrounds, and walking areas. Flat camper parking," reports Sethen E., noting the family-friendly amenities.

Weekday timing: For quieter experiences and better cabin selection, plan family visits Sunday through Thursday. "Stopped on Sunday on the way westward and the place was empty, stopped Friday on the way home and it was packed," observes Sethen E. about weekend crowding at Pelican Lake.

Educational opportunities: Several parks offer junior ranger programs and nature activities during summer months. "For history buffs, campground is less than 10 miles from the Laura Ingalls Wilder homestead and De Smet," mentions Steven W., highlighting educational day trips available from Lake Thompson.

Covered wagon experiences: Some parks feature unique sleeping accommodations beyond standard cabins. "There are also options to camp in a covered wagon as well as a bunkhouse," explains Brian C. about Ingalls Homestead's distinctive overnight options.

Tips from RVers

Electric-only planning: Most cabin areas share facilities with RV sections that offer electric hookups but limited water connections. "Power was great and showers were clean. Electric only. There is an area to dump waste on the exit," notes Sethen E. about Pelican Lake's utility setup.

Seasonal road conditions: Spring access can involve muddy conditions on secondary roads leading to cabin areas. "Dirt road going to it," cautions Craig F. about the Ingalls Homestead access road conditions.

Dump station locations: Cabin visitors with RVs should note dump station positions for departure planning. "Grey water dump is on a slight hill, with the ground washed away, and people sometimes park around it," advises Craig F., providing practical information about Ingalls Homestead facilities.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is the most popular cabin campsite near Bruce, SD?

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular cabin campground near Bruce, SD is Campground 1 — Oakwood Lakes State Park with a 4.4-star rating from 7 reviews.

What is the best site to find cabin camping near Bruce, SD?

TheDyrt.com has all 15 cabin camping locations near Bruce, SD, with real photos and reviews from campers.