Best Dog-Friendly Camping near Custer, SD

Camp hosts were very helpful and informative. This was the cleanest most well kept campground I’ve been to. The black hills are a must see. There’s so much to do in this area. Only 30 minutes from Custer. The bathrooms were very clean and Center lake had free warm showers available 24/7.

Very friendly owners. Gravel pads, most have some grassy areas. Turkey and deer walk thru. Has small clean dogpark. Town of Custer has large clean dog park within 2 mile drive. Stayed in 53 FHU 3 nights then moved to 45 W/E as we made reservations late. Both faced away from the center of the campground which was nice. Nice laundry . Okay bath/ shower..didn't use but looked ok. Great campground for folks with dogs and for super easy access to town of Custer and the State Park.

1.5 miles from Custer on highway 16. Wooded dirt/gravel-campsites. Well leveled. Owners on site and take great care of campers. Facilities are well cared for. Bathrooms and showers smell clean all the time. Wi-Fi. Owners helped with advising regarding deliveries and beauty salon. Delivered fire wood before I could return to camp. Wood was placed by fire ring. So nice!Staff patrol camp q two hours in day. Immaculate.

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Tammy B

Local Guide·293 reviews·337 photos

an hour ago

NEW

We were camphosts for the 2023 season.I can't say enough on how Kelly, Steve and his entire family makes sure your well taken care of..they added a second dog park for the little pups, renovated 5 site to give a better camping experience in … More

Amy Kinzler Illg

4 reviews

a month ago

Vacation | Family

Stayed two nights here and overall a very good experience. Nicely equipped campground with a little shop for necessities. We stayed in a tent site with no electricity. Was a very pretty campground with deer, turkeys, a little play area for … More

Travis Trussell

Local Guide·74 reviews·256 photos

a month ago

Vacation | Family

I can't say enough good things about this campground after staying for 6 nights. The spots are spacious and the hookups are located in a perfect spot to make things easy. Bathrooms and showers are very nice and clean. They have a nice dog … More

1

Houston & Carolynn

Local Guide·168 reviews·289 photos

a month ago

A very quiet campground. The staff are friendly and I love the showers for they are private little rooms. They have a playground, laundry and these cute little kegs you can stay overnight in. I would recommend this place. The site are very nice. Houston enjoyed the shade and met another friend. … More







RV LIFE Campground Reviews

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Fort Welikit Family Campground - Custer, South Dakota

Ft. Welikit was lovely and well-maintained. The owners are onsite and very helpful. If you are traveling with small children, this is your place! They ...

9/10(135) · $$$



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Fort Welikit Family Campground Reviews updated 2023

Oct 29, 2013 — This is a really cute family-owned campground. The staff is friendly and helpful. They shared a lot of good information about the area with us.

4.0(11) · 50



Fort Welikit Family Campground

https://www.blackhillsrv.com

Fort Welikit Family Campground: Black HIlls Campgrounds

​ · ​ · ​ · OPEN MAY 1st to OCTOBER 15th · ​ · Located on the scenic Norbeck Byway away from the aeras busy highways yet just one mile North · of the ...

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Fort Welikit Family Campground - Custer, SD

Aug 30, 2016 — It is a very nice place to spend your evenings. Deer and turkeys in the campground everyday. Has a fenced dog park and a small playground for ...



The Dyrt

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Fort Welikit Family Campground and RV Park Camping

Absolutely loved our stay here!! Our check in was easy and the staff super pleasant. This is a family oriented campground with a great play area for the kiddos.



4.4(20) · $



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Fort Welikit Family Campground | Custer SD

Fort Welikit Family Campground · Page · Campground · (605) 673-3600 · blackhillsrv.com · Rating · 4.4 (388 Reviews).



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Fort Welikit Family Campground site? - Airstream Forums

Feb 20, 2019 — We are planning a visit to Mt. Rushmore in May and are thinking of staying at Fort Welikit Family Campground. They have some good reviews but



Good Sam

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Fort Welikit Family Campground

It was very quiet and peaceful even though we were there during a peak summer period. The campground is well maintained, family owned and well run. The ...



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Tammy B

Local Guide·293 reviews·337 photos

an hour ago

NEW

We were camphosts for the 2023 season.I can't say enough on how Kelly, Steve and his entire family makes sure your well taken care of..they added a second dog park for the little pups, renovated 5 site to give a better camping experience in those sites. If you need something they are on it..they have the best options for camping.. cabins, teepees, barrel kegs, tent, electric tent, w/e 30 amp, 30 amp full h/hu, 50 amp f/hu, and big rig sites..they have worked endlessly to supply you with the best experience. The campground is not your typical parking lot camping..each site is individually unique..it was made around hills, tons of shade trees,and rock formations. Each site is as level as possible. Restroom are individual with shower sink and toilet.. they are very clean. There is a fort playground for the kids that's fantastic. There is a pavilion that can be used for family gatherings. Several reunions are hosted every year..You will have local wildlife visit daily including deer and turkeys. In the spring the new fawns and chick turkeys are born and are adorable. They are centralized to all attractions..perfect location to everything. The several clients that have been repeat customers for years..staying for 6 to 8 weeks..that speaks for it self..everybody loves it. It's very quiet, the store has everything you need. Michelson trail is approximately 1 mile away which can be walked or ride bikes the 114 miles through the mountains. The hospital is 1 mile away. If your in the area, and you need an excellent place to stay..at the best price.. this is where you want to be.. It's very family friendly including your dogs and cats.

Right in Custer a big campground with a variety of sleeping options. We had booked two nights here and left within two hours of being there. The road noise for the campsites was constant and significant. The view was industrial from the tent sites. As campers we were disappointed but the facilities and staff were lovely. Great showers, lovely pool, fun shop with pretty much everything you’d need. Wouldn’t recommend for camping but I’m sure the huts and RV sites were more relaxing. If you need a place close to Custer and aren’t going for views or quiet this is a good place to be. Otherwise there are some great options 10 minutes from Custer in the woods with lovely views.

We stayed at Big Pine for 3 nights. It’s 5 minutes from Custer and close enough to drive to many tourist attractions. The road in and sites are gravel, fairly level and easy to back into. Bathhouse is clean with 4 showers and bathrooms. There is a laundry which we did not use. The store is small but has some necessity items. Although just off the highway, we did not have any road noise on Site 66 which was in the back. Most sites look like they have nice shade. We would stay here again.

Excellent camping location just 5 minutes down the road from Custer. Some sites are right next to the highway but most are back in the woods where it is well shaded and quiet. Very helpful staff who escort you to your camp site and help you back in/park as needed. They stow any tow dollies elsewhere on the site and bring them to and from that location at check in and check out. Decent wifi in the main office, good laundry facility, clean and well-maintained grounds. Can get propane here for $3.50 a gallon and firewood for $5. Would definitely stay here again.

We got into Custer's Gulch at night in a thunderstorm. The staff left out our reservation paperwork so we knew where to go. As dark as it was at night pulling into the spot was a breeze. Fairly level and kinda far back off the road. We had a full hookup site. Water was discolored but tasted fine, hey its well water and it's camping. Being that we arrived at night we woke up to one of the most picturesque views. A sunny clear day in the black hills. Check in morning was easy and the staff was friendly. There are laundry facilities and a bath house. Dumpster is kinda far away but that's a good thing if you ask me. Gravel roads are in great shape. The campground is 5 minutes from Custer, SD and within 30 minutes of all the must do sites.

We had a wonderful time at this campground! It's located across the street from Legion Lake and the Legion Lake Lodge and Cabins. About 20ish sites with electric hook-up. Level Concrete pads for RVs, Campers and Vehicles. Clean Drinking water easily available but not at each site. The farther back in the campground you go the more wooded it is (sites 8-15). Bathrooms were very clean, the showers were warm-hot, even during peak bathing times. The hills up from the sites gave the kids a "natural playground" to spend their free time on. Also close to all the scenic drives Custer State Park has to offer, 15 min from Custer, SD (which has some very tasty restaurants) and about 45 min from Mount Rushmore. Campground was full of everything from huge RVs to small 2 man tents, empty-nesters to families with young kids.

Reserved a site in the Chipper loop for a last minute trip to SD, worked out pretty well and snagged #86 by the lake. Great views, although it was a little close to other sites for my personal preference.

The campground itself is ~25 mins away from Custer State Park, which was a point of interest for me and my group. Pretty close to Rapid City and other local stores. No service except for the beginning of the campground.

Bathrooms were nearby and for the most part was pretty clean.

Downsides: site #86 is on a slope to the lake. No true flat ground and might not be so great if you’re tent camping but we didn’t mind.

Entered North Rd off of 16 coming from Custer. No problems driving up to camping area with our 39ft fifth wheel. At the top there are some great and large spots for bigger rigs. We found a spot on the right side of the road in a little meadow, across from the hill on the left. Like others mentioned, cell service is best near the “front” so when you get to the top pull out your phone to check service! We drove a few miles further down the road and the road was great the entire way. Zero issues! Highly recommend! Also, please don’t park right next to someone... it’s dispersed camping for a reason! Spread out, enjoy the mountain :)

This is a great place to stay. Not far from Rapid City but close to all the attractions in South Dakota. The heated pool was NOT heated and the hot tub was NOT hot. That is why I gave the CG four stars. I was really looking forward to using them. Also, both seemed overloaded with chemicals. I have owned lots of pools with blue colored bottoms, but these looked like there was “Ty-d-bowl” added. Brilliant, stark blue. I just don’t believe it can be just the basic treatment. See what you think. ???The laundry areas (3 of them) were clean and tidy, too. $2.00 for each, but 45 minutes on the dryer, so that’s fair. 😀 Our spot was a bit difficult for us to level our rig on because the rocks kept slipping. We had to go purchase extra Xchocks. There is a nice store for basic needs, and alcohol, and an event schedule for evening entertainment. The event center serves wings (no celery or carrot sticks), pizza, etc. There is a playground for kids and they said a dog park. —-I did find a big area there, but no fence around it. ???

Stayed for 2 nights to explore Custer State Park and Mt Rushmore. Nice size campground (not too big) with wooded sites. Friendly hosts. They have a dog park and 24 hour laundry. One of our party is in a wheelchair and there was one accessible shower. Had to bring own shower chair though. There is a camp store where they sell firewood and a limited selection of other camping needs. I would normally give 4 stars for the limited ADA bathroom access, except that they were very accommodating in choosing a site for us that would be easy for a wheelchair to get around and were so friendly overall. Also it is very quiet yet convenient to see the local sites. I would stay here again.

More expensive than we usually pay per night but a TON of amenities. Two pools and live entertainment. Restaurants/bars/coffee/ice cream shops. Downside is it’s a crowded and our site had the dog park behind it.

stunning tall pines with lots of deer and wild turkeys walking thru the campsites. full hookups, covered wagons for rent if you don’t have a camper or tent. large playground and a dog park. laundry facilities and very nice bathrooms.

Campground Review:

If you are looking for a family and pet friendly place to camp while visiting the Black Hills South Dakota area, look no further!! We started planning our family trip 6 months ago, and booked the Fort Welikit Family Campground and RV park based on reviews we read online. We wanted to be in between Custer State Park (Kids choice) and The Badlands (Dad and Moms choice)

There are 100 sites nestled in gorgeous tall pine trees. The tent sites are located on the south two loops, and the Tipi and Cabins sites are mixed in with the RV sites. We stayed 9 days in site 20 that is a RV 50 Amp Pull through site. Check in time is 1:00pm, and check out time is 11:00am. **Very important to know: The trees are fighting the Pine Beetle, so they DO NOT allow you to hang anything like clothes line or hammocks on them. ALSO they DO NOT allow you to bring in out of the area firewood. They do sell approved firewood at the office for $4.50 for a small bundle. The family style bathrooms were located just behind our site, and were cleaned daily. (If we ever stayed there again we would ask for a space on a further loop, as this was a high traffic area!!) The offer a laundry room with washers and dryers as well, but bring our quarters as a wash cycle was $1.75 a load, and the dryer is .25 for a 6 minute cycle. The added kids old time fort play area and the dog park area were well kept and there was plenty of room to play ladder ball and washer toss. We would highly recommend this campground to anyone looking for a family/pet friendly area. If you are looking for solitude, this would not be the place for you.

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Product Review:

As a Ranger for The Dyrt, I get products to test from time to time. I tested the OOlala Slide Sandal from OOFOS Footwear https://www.oofos.com/ that I won in the West North Central Review Contest in June. Let me begin by saying I was a little nervous when I thought about what size to order (I am an 8 & 1/2 Wide ladies) I went to the website, and immediately drawn to the OOlala Slide Sandal. When I went into the description, under the "pick your size" button is a handy little "sizing" tab. When you click the tab it reads "If you normally wear a whole size: order the same whole size OOFOS. If you normally wear a half size: Order a half size UP for best fit. (MEN: Order a half size DOWN for best fit) Problem solved!! I ordered the sandals on July 1st and they were delivered on my doorstep on July 5th. Talk about FAST shipping for a holiday week to boot!!

When I took the sandals out of the package I was very impressed with the shape and styling of the shoe. I put them on and know that this was no ordinary pair of slip on sandals!! The arch support immediately took pressure off the ball of my foot, and the cushion put a springy bounce in every single step I took. I couldn't wait to take them on our 10 day family vacation to see how they performed!!

Day #1 we hiked the Black Elk Peak (formerly Harney Peak). It is the highest summit in the United States east of the Rocky Mountains. After our 7 mile hike, I couldn't wait to put my OOFOS sandals on and let the recovery begin!! I wore them while showering and walking back to the campsite. My feet did not slip or slide in them, and they were dry within minutes!! The next day we headed to The Bad Lands, and I wore them all day long. They kept my feet comfortable and energized while putting on another 7 miles of walking!! After returning home from our vacation I have worn my OOFOS gardening, fishing, and even washing my SUV. I am 100% hooked on OOFOS!!

This camp is under new management and is now called Sunrise. It’s a GREAT spot for going to Hot Springs and Wind Cave National Park.

There’s a great dog park on this campground with a doggie clean up station. Plenty of sites and shade. We stayed just one night but would be back for sure.

I stayed here with my mother, sister, her fiancé and three kids. We had three dogs with and the dog park area was great. It is down some stairs so it is not accessible for some but the views of the city at night and the forest during the day were great. The staff was very friendly and helpful during my stay. I enjoyed it so much after a day of site seeing I came back and stayed for an extra unanticipated night. Only thing was the sites are a little small but even I had no issue parking my 33’6” motorhome and I had only stayed at two other locations prior to this visit.

This sweet spot is right up the Norbeck Byway coming North on the 16 from Custer State Park’s East side. It’s a few miles south of the intersection for the 244 (towards Rushmore) and Keystone.

John, the host, is very sweet and even pointed us into a direction for a waterfall hike (4 mi. RT) from the campground.

The spaces are not all flat and some are quite close together. It seems as though the campground is divided equally into reservable spots (online) and day use spots. Although it’s not clear if the day use spots can be reserved on a day to day basis for the night as we did see some folks sleeping in them with a reservation sign on the campsite number post.

Horsethief Lake Day Use is just passed Rushmore, a few miles or so. Although it’s mostly a fishing lake, using a paddle board, canoe, and/or kayak is permitted. Since no motorized vessels are allowed, having a nice swim in the lake adds to the charm of the lake.  You can park in the day use area (free), or near the steps on the roadway pull-out.  Horsethief Lake Trail is supposed to be a beautiful hike, too.

The only two downsides to this campground is that the road traffic echoes rather loudly into the grounds from midday to early evening, but worse than that is the helicopters that just circle Rushmore all day long.