Best RV Parks & Resorts near Hot Springs, SD

Long term stay. Great rates. All staff very courteous. All facilities clean and well maintained. Level gravel pull through sites of varying sizes. Each site has grass area except on the new end. It is very close to the highway, so there is a lot of road noise. Other than that our stay here has been excellent. Good cell reception. Standard campground wifi, but good reception. Haven't used cable. Nice enclosed dog exercise area. Playground for kiddies. It is off season, so pool, tennis court and some other facilities closed right now. We will be leaving the end of November, but after having been at several campgrounds over the past 2 years, this will be our go to place in the Rapid City area from now on.

Arrived and parked at the new Gateway Travel Center in Newcastle to check in. We have been coming to this area for an annual hunting trip for 8 years. We stayed here two years ago and upfront its not the best of campgrounds (CG), but looks like some improvements are being attempted. This CG is still the best option for the area. The travel center and RV park used to be an outdoor movie theater back when. You now check in inside the travel center’s convenience store. You go to the check out counter, fill out your paperwork, and get your assigned site. We were traveling with another RV and were assigned sites 30 and 28, which are FHUs with 50/30 AMP. Technically there were sites 31 and 29 adjacent to our sites. The sites were small enough as it was, but if someone would have come in beside us into site 31, we would have been literally an arms length away from each other.  With both of us in our party having fifth wheels with slide outs on both sides, there was no way anyone could have pulled into site 29 between us. However, no one was placed next to us during our 5 day stay and we believe the new CG management wouldn't purposely place someone next to a big rig. We recommend that once you receive your assigned site, go scope it out. They were putting in new site signs but had not gotten to our site so the number was written on the electric box with a permanent marker. Some of the sites here are standalone 30 AMP or 20 AMP, perfect for travel vans.  There is no WiFi in the CG but the travel center has free unsecured Wifi near the pumps and in the convenience store that also has a Taco Johns. The last time we stayed here, there were pipeline workers and the CG was full. This time there were only a few transient workers. They have two pretty nice tent camping areas in the grass and their restroom/shower/laundry facility was well maintained and clean. They have 2 washers and 2 dryers that were very reasonably priced at $1.50 to wash and $1.50 to dry. The RV sites do not have picnic tables nor fire rings but the the tent areas have a few. Every morning and evening we had wild turkeys and mule deer roaming around the CG. With the Fountain Inn Hotel and the RV Park pretty much co-located, this CG made a good choice for our RV and hotel staying hunting group.

Campground Review:

The Stockade Lake North Campground is located just inside the west entrance to Custer State Park in Custer, South Dakota. This prime camping location is 15 minutes from Mount Rushmore, Wind Cave National Park, and just minutes from historic Custer, the Gordon Stockade, and a scenic jaunt to the State Park Wildlife Loop.

The sites at this campground are reservation-only, even on same-day arrival. In order to secure a campground, campers need to call the reservation number. However, once the reservation is made, campers can proceed to their campsite without having to worry about checking in with on-site staff, and no hassle with hanging a tag on the campsite post.

The campground is open for camping from the beginning of May to late September, weather permitting. There are 42 campsites available, many with electricity and several pull-through sites, but no full hook-ups. There are both vault and flush toilets, a shower house, and drinking water available. There is also a nice little playground in the center of the campground and an adjoining amphitheater where they may show informational films in the summer. Campsites here are well-spread among the trees, offering relative privacy and quiet space, with enough room to hang a hammock or two!

The campground is just a quick walk up from Stockade Lake, where you can fish, swim, put your boat in, view wildlife, and enjoy the small beach and playground. Across the small highway is Bismark Lake, in Black Hills National Forest, which is stocked for fishing, and provided us with a delicious fried trout meal our second night! There is also a pair of osprey that are seen frequently between the two lakes, and are a joy to watch as they fish and soar over the lakes.

We stayed on opening weekend in our small RV with electric on site 32E, and the campground was relatively empty. Our site was a bit unlevel, but very scenic and shady. Only one other site was close to ours, and luckily, no one was in it over that weekend. Sites are all gravel, and each one has an aluminum picnic table and fire ring. Most of the sites appear wide enough to accommodate slide-outs on RV units. Although there are long sites available, we did watch two large rigs struggle to back in their vehicles due to the narrow, curved campground roads. When viewing the reservation map, those sites that appear distanced from others truly are - try to reserve those if you can. Another pro tip: If you need to buy firewood, there is a Lutheran church just west of the state park entrance that offers wood for a donation, and supports their youth programs.

SInce it was the beginning of the camping season, the vault toilets were exceptionally clean and smelled great. We did not use the showers, but they looked to be in great shape.The drinking water was easy to find, and there is even a place to fill the RV tank before heading to your site.

For a video summary of our campground and the backpack, see our YouTube video: https://youtu.be/pElJjB1t4XA.

Product Review:

As a Ranger for The Dyrt, we get products to test from time to time, and since we knew we would be out all day fishing and hiking, we took along the Renogy Solar Backpack (https://www.renogy.com/renogy-solar-backpack). We wanted to be able to keep our electronic devices such as our cameras and phones charged throughout our weekend adventures! This backpack is exciting! It sports a 5.6-watt solar panel and you can connect any usb device with its 5V charging port (maximum 1.2A output).

The weather all weekend was partly cloudy with isolated showers, and yet the backpack was able to charge a battery bank for our electronics 3/4 of the way in about three hours. We believe that if the sun had been out constant all afternoon, we would have easily charged bank one full and a second bank at least half way.

Other highlights of this backpack include the nicely padded strap-side that rests against your back, a slot on the left strap for sunglasses, an expandable water bottle (or other small gear) pocket, and plenty of space inside for jackets and other layers that were shed throughout the day as it got warmer. Thanks to a plethora of inside and outside pockets, we carried water bottles, battery banks, two phones, a tablet, headphones, snacks, a sweatshirt, and a jacket all at the same time with ease and comfort. A smaller laptop would also fit nicely inside the main compartment.

This backpack can be used without the solar panels exposed, with a quick zipper flip-around, and it looks great! IAt only 2.2 lbs, it also carries the inside pack weight very comfortably for a range of sizes, from a 6’ 4” father to 5-foot, 11-year-old son. Both mentioned that they felt the backpack was a nice way to carry their gear for a day of hiking and fishing.

If you have an RPI membership, this place is a no-brainer. It’s a huge and well maintained RV resort with tons of family friendly amenities. Onsite restaurant and convenience store with gas station. Large pool with hot tubs. Tennis, basketball, pickleball, and shuffleboard courts. Mini golf and an activity center that will loan you a variety of sports gear and well as rent bikes and golf carts. A massive dog park. Our kids also attended a 2 day horse camp onsite which was very fun for them and very reasonably priced. The list of activities is endless. Tons of kids biking around and playing, so easy for kids to make friends. They also have cabin rentals and a few tent sites. There’s a weekly rodeo held onsite during peak season. It’s 15 minutes from Rapid City and close to the Black Hills. If you are looking for a base camp to explore this area, Hart Ranch is a great choice.

Elk Mnt -Wind Cave NP 10/24

(72 yr olds in 27’ trailer.)

Overall Rating: 4 for stopover convenience, setting, and exploring the NP Price 2024: $ 6(the off season, no water price) w interagency pass Security: no Usage during visit: light - this cg is shutting down in a few days. Only 1 loop is now open. Visual Privacy Between Adjacent Sites: no Site Spacing: pull over sites in Loop B were 50+ feet apart.
Pad surface: gravel Reservations: yes Campground Noise: quiet Outside Road Noise: none Through Traffic in campground: none Electric Hookup: no Sewer Hookup: no Dump Station: no Potable Water Available: yes, but currently turned off Bathroom: pit toilet is clean and open.
Showers: no Pull Throughs: Some pullovers- in b loop have nice view of grassland rolling hills. However, not all will allow for a driver’s side slide. Our site, #15 did have room,barely. Cell Service (AT&T): no bars. Setting: attractive rolling grasslands and pine forest. Recent Weather: highs in the 70s. Solar: yes Insects: none Host: none this time of year.
Rig Size: some sites will probably allow for a 40’ or so trailer. Check carefully when reserving on rec dot gov.
Sites: 16, 20, 18, 15: I like these pull over sites, because they have a nice view of the rolling grasslands. However, in our site, number 15, we were able to barely get our slide out without it protruding over the campground road. Some of the other pullover sites in B loop offer less room for a safe slide out usage. Other loops have wider pullover sites for trailers with slide outs. I took pictures of some of these sites with their numbered posts.

Unable to reserve online for same night. Called and assured space available never asked name, etc. Luckily the spot was near back of campground with very short walk to stunning view. All sites gravel with picnic tables. Sites are close together but due to early Oct, they tried to park RVs every other space in middle of campground. Many long term residents around outsides of park. 2 small Dog runs in front; grass dog walking area in back. Next to Fort Hays, home of $0.99 cowboy pancake breakfast and Dances with Wolves film set. Convenient as Mt Rushmore is only 20 miles & 36 miles to Crazy Horse Memorial. Extremely clean toilet and bath house!!

This is a no hookups campground, but it’s on the Crazy Horse Memorial Highway…so it’s close to the Crazy Horse Memorial, Mt. Rushmore, Custer National Park and the two little towns of Custer and Hill City. (It is a heavily traveled highway, so if road noise bothers you, ask for a site toward the back of the campground.) Very dark skies here…beautiful star gazing. Lots of bike and ATV trails in The Black Hills and forests.

Hill City has an 1880s steam train you can take to Keystone, and lots of quirky little shops downtown. Custer is genuine South Dakota with Trading Posts, Western Art Galleries, and Buffalo statues all over town. (I’ve no idea how many, I am still trying to figure that out).

The Camp Hosts are super friendly and helpful, and gave us a great deal of local info. They were very knowledgable about the area. There are pit toilets right down the hill from our site. There is a common water spigot beside the pit toilets, but none at sites and no electric.

I reserved the place for two weeks online…it seems most folks stay only a night or two, but we have solar that keeps the lights on and the fridge and freezer running, so we are good. Generator hours are 8am to 8pm. Spacious, fairly level gravel sites with picnic tables, and fire rings. Lots of trees if you want them or few if you have solar (leave a note when you reserve or call and ask the camp host.) There have been sites available (1 or 2 at least) most days but it’s Friday and it’s filling up. Cell phone coverage is pretty impossible without a hotspot or antennae to help pull the signal to your site. There is good connectivity up the road a mile or so, also inHill City and Custer.

I stayed in July of 2022. This park is easy to find and to get to; placed on a valley road between mountains and near the 1880's train line. Great electrical, water, and sewer, for RVs. The smaller (tent and pop-up) spaces are awesome. My 20' RV and Jeep Grand Cherokee (about 37 feet total) just fit into the pull through site assigned me as 38 feet, but there was obviously more length to the site than that. The park is central to the surrounding area, and about 1.25 miles from downtown Keystone. Reasonable price for the area. Great hiking from right at the park. T-mobile outside of my RV was poor but sometimes connected. They do pack you in like sardines (the slide out on the RV next door to me was nearly over my picnic table), but there is enough space to get your business done and to enjoy yourself. Four stars because I am saving five for the one-percenters.