Best Dog-Friendly Camping near Lead, SD

They advertise that they have Wi-Fi but it's almost like they shut it off at 10 o'clock at night when quiet time starts which is a great time for looking up directions or places to see, we could never connect for long and streaming- which means no Netflix its against the rules(which we never saw only overheard). They allow fires but make sure you get a metal ring because it's illegal to have a fire in south Dakota if you don't have one they have them but they don't leave them at the sites or let you know they are available. Also no petting zoo we specifically came here thinking they had one because they advertised and after we arrived they informed us it was turned into a dog park i have no pictures but there's not much to see here

The KOA was very easy to find right off I 90 and US 85. Check-in was quick and easy and we were guided to pull in site 65 with FHUs. The utilities are smartly placed in the middle of the pad. Our pad was plenty long enough for our 39 fifth wheel and F450 truck. The staff was super nice and helpful and the campground(CG) was well-maintained. We used their laundry room with 6 washers and 6 dryers for$2 a wash and$2 to dry. A bonus was that the dryers actually dried the clothes in 30 minutes. We were right across from their small fenced dog park. We were also close to the 7.5-mile nature trail entrance from the park to the river, which was great for walking our dogs. The CG has curbside trash pick-up plus firewood& ice for sale. The WiFi was above average for a park this size. We got two bars on Verizon. There are trees in the CG, but not enough to prevent you from getting a satellite shot into the sky. Guests with dogs here do not pick up after their dogs in the dog park and especially along the back side of the CG where we were staying. We saw dog poops all over the place and witnessed several times out our back window, and in the dog park, people not picking up after their dogs. The CG doesn't seem to enforce picking up after your pet. There is a lot to see and do in the area. As we were here in October, the leaves were changing in Spearfish Canyon and we enjoyed a really nice leaf peeper drive, and then visited Deadwood, which was having its Octoberfest.

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. ???

This little camp is not mentioned in the Deadwood promotional booklet and that's just fine with us! It was not crowded, but busy. Nestled between 2 streams and the tall pines of the Black Hills, we stayed 3 nights with our 3 dogs. It has everything you need, though the 50 amp sites are back-in, not pull thru. The bar and grill is popular with local ATVers and serves great hamburgers and a good selection of craft beers.

They also sell wood for campfires at a reasonable cost.

Our dogs loved the long walks around the campground, crossing over the creeks on the little bridges. There is an off leash dog park 10 minutes away in Lead, SD. Not ADA compliant, built on a steep hill with no paved walkway or stairs or hand rails, but the dogs loved it.

The wifi is iffy and the cell phone service is spotty at best, so bring DVDs to watch when you are not out enjoying the sites and activities.

15 minutes from Deadwood and Lead, 1 hour from Mt Rushmore and Crazy Horse Memorial (a must see!).