Are you looking for a place to stay in Hartford with your horse? Camping with your horse in Hartford just got easier. With our help, you'll find the best South Dakota equestrian campsites from scenic to easily accessible.
Limited full hook-ups, electric sites, and water based on availability.
$30 / night
Newton Hills State Park's unique dark forest, amidst a vast open prairie, has prompted many legends, including buried gold, robbers' hideouts and horse thieves. But visitors today recognize it as a great place to camp, swim, hike and fish. The park also plays host to folk music concerts and the popular FestiFall in October. The Newton Hills Lodge, built in 1915, served as the historic caretaker's home in Canton, SD, and played an important role in serving the healthcare needs of a variety of patients before being opened to guests. It can sleep up to 12 people and has four bedrooms and two baths. Like the lodge, camping cabins are open year-round. Each cabin accommodates 4 people with a set of bunk beds and a double bed. Both RV and tent sites are available, as well as horse camp sites. A boat ramp, beach and fishing dock let you enjoy water activities at Newton Hills State Park.
$22 - $26 / night
Scout
This campsite was great! We had a tent site, number 24, and it was tucked into the woods but still close to the parking lot!
The neighboring sites are far enough away where you still have privacy but if you had two next to each other with a large group it could still function as one. Beautiful hiking trails, play grounds, disc golf, volleyball net, and so much more. Also, the lady at the front was cute as a button!
Highly recommend!
TravelerWe booked this site last minute as we needed a place to stop for the night. The website was pretty easy to use to book the site. The ranger at the station was super friendly and helpful. Our camp site is beautiful and there is plenty of room. There are lots of trails here, so I got a good run in. My husband biked over to Brandon to get a good ride. There is a sweet disc golf course too! I’m mad I didn’t bring my discs!
RangerLevel spots with electric. Has a nice bike bath and is very peaceful.
Guide
I had an amazing time at Newton Hills Campground in South Dakota with my family and young children. The spacious and clean facilities provided the perfect backdrop for our outdoor getaway, offering a blend of adventure and relaxation away from the city. The kids had a blast exploring the natural surroundings and participating in the family-friendly activities. This campground is a true gem for those seeking a wholesome outdoor experience.
GuideWe are on a e/w road trip. We knew absolutely nothing about this state park but it was on our route so took a chance. An excellent choice! Sites are big and roomy. We have two big dogs and were able to put them both on 30 foot leads. Lots of trails. Bathrooms exceptionally clean. Showers great. Park staff friendly and helpful. We liked it so much we stayed a second night. Definitely would return.
GuideI spent a quick night at Newton Hills and found the park to be lovely, but it was very busy with lots of families out and about which made for a bit of a loud evening. If you have a family it’ll be a great spot—if you’re looking for quiet and calm, maybe something else. Spots are fairly spacious, but not a lot of privacy.
Regardless, the location is a hidden gem among a lot of farmland kind of in the middle of nowhere. It’s actually really stunning. When you leave, be sure to take the little one lane road out back (from 1E toward the tower)—it’s a magical little drive through the hills the park is named after.
No comments on the bathrooms/facilities as I didn’t use them, but the rest of the park was very cleaned and well maintained.
Ranger
Two campgrounds within the park. Lower one is for horses. Upper is not. Sites in upper campground are a little small and close together but very well maintained. Hosts are very friendly. Bathrooms on include showers and we're extremely well maintained. Trails in the area give you a chance to stretch your legs. Convenient to the interstate, but that also means some highway noise if you are not in a hard sided camper.
ScoutThe address is WRONG. The location for is NOT. had to call to make reservations and the lady was unhelpful and rude. $15 for tent site. Then was told it was $25 and change to make a reservation online to save my spot and if anyone was there they would make us call back to reserve the site. This was abnormal for a state park and wish I had just camped somewhere from a local.
GuideOne of my favorite state parks I’ve been to in any state. Sites are spacious and the showers/bathrooms are clean and well kept. It offers the most lovely paved path for walking/running/cycling that meanders by the river and through the woods, in addition to more dirt hiking/cycling paths. The disc golf course really took this park to the next level, though be warned—the narrow fairways and dense OB make it challenging (I lost one of my discs on 10). Site 35E was ideal as it’s angle par to the tree line for additional privacy and it’s just a 3 minute stroll to the showers. Tip: the best spots are those that back up to the river as you can cut through the tree line to pop out on the walking path. Con: there is a race track nearby that was very loud Sunday night when I arrived until nearly 11PM, but that was the only real downside.
GuideStaying here for a week before heading out west. Campground/facilities are nice and clean, host is very friendly and helpful!
GuidePlay equipment, horse trails, hiking trails, well maintained. Beautiful area.
GuideBe prepared to higher your campground expectations after this one! Definitely one of the cleanest most well kept campgrounds I’ve seen in a while. Shower rooms/bathrooms are immaculate, and smell so nice. Site was perfect for both an RV or a tent. They offer tent, back in, or pull through. We tent camped at an back on site across from both the play area and the shower rooms. Loved it! Hope to come back and hike the trails x kids said they looked beautiful.
GuideBeautiful, quiet, shaded, level sites with plenty of space between. Great trails and a short scenic road, plus some nice open spaces. Bath facilities are convenient, but seem old and marginally maintained. Great stargazing.
LegendIt is a nice quiet campground. Paved bike path. Frisbee golf, deer. River for fishing or kayaking.
GuideSuch a nice campground. Nice big shady trees and manicured lawns. They sell campfire wood for 6$ a bundle on site so we had some great campfires going. They have nice long paved trails for walking and biking. We got to walk our dogs on it to avoid tick contact from the grassy trails. There was a cool suspension bridge that was fun to walk on. The showers were very nice and hot without a lot of traffic.
There is no sewage hookup or water hook ups. They do that 50/30 amp sites available. There is a dump station right at the entrance to dump when you leave and it also has a separate fresh water station if you want to fill up right when you get there so youre not traveling with a bunch of water in your tank.
It was a great campground and the falls were close by and palisades state park was also in the area with a nice hike.
There is an extra $8 car fee per night that you have to pay on top of any camping fees. If you are staying longer than 5 days it better to just get the annual parking pass for $32, which would cover parking for all state parks and recreation areas in SD.
They have great discounts if you are a veteran and south dakota resident.
GuideEverything was great. There are plenty of parks and paved roadways to wander around on. The spots are nice. The only thing that could be approved would be more established, kid friendly trails into the woods. Also, the lake is currently dried up but that's no one's fault!
ScoutArrived late to the camping grounds, it was easy to find and navigate to our spot. Clean facilities and friendly community.
TravelerLove this place very close to the major city of anything is needed. Nature and trails all around, lake for fishing and swimming, love to come out during the summer with the dogs!
ScoutWe stayed one night on our way home from pheasant hunting. Park was immaculately clean and very pretty. Restrooms were just as clean and nice. Nearly had the park to ourselves (end of October) and it was wonderful!
Guide
We stayed here one night and got to experience some South Dakota wind rocking our camper during the night. The bathrooms are huge and very clean but someone left dirty diapers in trash and by morning the smell was rough. Area along fence borders highway with much closer sites and road noise. We opted for area on grass near arena.
TravelerGreat sites, very level, very clean facilities. Only strange thing was a bad smell near the restrooms. Regardless we would definitely go back.
TravelerSite are big. Nice trails, and really quiet!
GuideWe didn’t stay long due to some severe storms that came through the area, but we had a beautiful tent campsite in the woods very close to some trails and the river. Just be prepared for a short walk from parking to some of the tent sites. The cabins and RV sites looked nice, too. If we’re in the area again we wouldn’t hesitate to stay here.
ScoutClean facilities
GuideAnother beautiful state park. The RV sites are spacious, level and well-arranged. The Verizon cell service is not perfect but manageable. The entire park is very clean and well-maintained. The dump station is very accessible and well-equipped. Overall, this is a great park. If it had full hookups, it would be perfect!
TravelerBeautiful campground! Sites are well spaced. Lots of trees for great shade in the hot summer. Very nice bathroom and shower house. Easy drive in to Sioux Falls. Several trails around the park. This was our final stop on our South Dakota trip. It was a wonderful and restful campground for us. After we arrived, Park staff came around and shared maps and info on things to do in the area. The first night a storm rolled through and the host drove thru and knocked on doors to check on people and let them know where shelter was just in case. Definitely will keep this campground on our list for future trips.
ScoutQuiet spot weekdays. Site is beautiful. Many campsites are almost full sun—so have your shade structure ready. Evenings very peaceful
Horse camping in South Dakota offers a unique blend of outdoor adventure and equestrian-friendly amenities, making it a great choice for riders and their horses.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular equestrian campsite near Hartford, SD?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular equestrian campground near Hartford, SD is Big Sioux Recreation Area — Big Sioux with a 4.5-star rating from 34 reviews.
What is the best site to find equestrian camping near Hartford, SD?
TheDyrt.com has all 4 equestrian camping locations near Hartford, SD, with real photos and reviews from campers.
