Looking for the best options for tent camping near Keystone? With The Dyrt, it's easy to find Keystone campgrounds for you and your tent. From remote to easy-to-reach, these Keystone campsites are perfect for tent campers.
Setting up your own campsite away from developed fee sites, also known as dispersed camping, is allowed on most of the Forest for a maximum of 14 days in any 60-day period. However, around developed reservoirs and campgrounds, camping is allowed only in designated areas. Check with the closest Forest Service office for specific information.
General rules:
Camp 100 feet away from any creek or stream and 1/2 mile away from developed recreation sites, including campgrounds and picnic areas. Motorized vehicles allowed 300 feet off of roads as shown on the Motor Vehicle Use Map (dots) for dispersed camping on the Black Hills National Forest. Around developed reservoirs and campgrounds, camping is allowed only in designated campsites. Can camp for a maximum of 14 days in any 60-day period. No open campfires in South Dakota portions of the national forest. Open campfires are permitted in Wyoming portions of the national forest, unless a special order prohibiting such is in effect. Check with the closest Forest Service office for more specific information about dispersed camping.
Legend
This is a nice little campground to get away from the hussle of the city. The tent sites are level and great for tent camping. The is a little creek in the park and at the time we were there it was flowing big. Nice area, would go back.
Traveler
We tent camped here for a night. All tent sites are given out on a first come first serve basis. We got a quiet spot along the Spearfish River for $25/night. This campground has an awesome bathroom and shower which require a code to access. Definitely will stay here again.
Traveler
Overall the campground was great. Showers, washing machines, places for kids to play, pool area, kind neighbors. We did run into a couple problems when it came to tent camping here. The bathroom closest to us had 2 toilets and 2 showers which were nearly always full and we had to walk across the campground to another bathroom. Another thing, some of the tent sites are slanted. The blood was either rushing to my head or I was sliding down the bottom of the tent. It is a little bit awkward and not ideal. Having a campfire was a nice plus though (they even had water to put it out with).
RangerVery friendly staff. All the amenities needed. Clean bathrooms and showers. Ample laundry facilities! Don’t forget your roll of quarters! (They have change too) We tent camped in 106 (closest to bathhouse so you can hear air hand dryer but quickest bathroom access). All the tent sites appeared to be very nice. They are drive up! Surrounded by mountains and deer walk right through campground. Location was perfect and within miles of all attractions! We saw some of the other campgrounds in the area and are more than pleased we chose this one! RV sites in the front appeared a little more crowded than those towards the back. Also, had some small cabins and there was ample room for the tent in front of it. We would choose this campground at our next visit! Kids loved the on-site “gold mining” activity!
Scout
Beautiful camp sites. They are mostly gravel so pack a nice sleeping pad or blow up mattress. The pit toilets were very clean and the water spouts were plentiful. Many of the sites have natural rock formations as natural boundaries of the site. Many tent camp sites have raised platforms to pitch your tent. There is a small trail around the lake that was lovely in the evenings. The lake is very quiet and great for fishing or kayaking.
Traveler
Small but quiet and set among the Black Hills of South Dakota, this RV and Tent camping site has clean bathrooms with showers, WiFi, a great cafe, lots of shade, and friendly service. We stayed at the KOA first, but wish our first night had been here!
Guide
So you're going to Mount Rushmore.... I discovered during my trip to the area June 2015 that hotel rates in the area are very high for what you get & hard to find availability. The solution is to camp! Make the most of your South Dakota vacation by spending it camping. My group tented and had a great time. Keep in mind though for those coming from other areas of the country, South Dakota does experience rain and thunderstorms. Pack and camp accordingly. This campground is nearby many SD attractions, within easy driving distance and minutes of Hill City, Custer, Keystone, Rapid City, Mount Rushmore. There are many options at the campground such as purchasing firewood to renting bikes. Check out KOA's campground map for campground layout. RV hookups, tent sites, heated pools, splash pad, and much more to keep everyone entertained. Remember that this area of South Dakota hosts high volumes of tourists each season, especially summer and during Sturgis Motorcyle Rally. I highly recommend making reservations far in advance!
Scout
This campground is open year round and is located in Custer State Park, in the Black Hills of South Dakota. Features cabin, camper, and tent sites. Also has very nice bathroom facilities that includes showers. A nice little creek runs along the back of the campground and the wildlife are abundant, especially Buffalo and deer that roam directly next to the campsite.
Scout
We thought we had found a great place to stay. Made a reservation. Paid the $25 deposit did some research and looked at the reviews. Let me tell you how let down we were.
We were driving up to where it was and we could see from the main road our tent site. We thought hey maybe it's one further back and not right next to the road. So we go and check In and we are right next to the road.andnot even just a road to get to the place but like a main road right off the town houses across the street busy road. Also there little plots are small, like very small. Big enough for our 6 person tent & SUV? yes. After that however, not much room for anything else. Super small fire pit and our neighbors were right next to us. Like so close we could hear them chatting. Maybe if you have an RV go for it. If you are tent camping though I wouldn't recommend. We paid the $100.00 cause they are very strict about refund and well let's get honest they do give them even though there was a ton of tent spots left. Even after we knew we weren't getting out money back decided to forfeit the $100.00 and find a different camp site. So many better camp sites. More space, and not right off the main road where you can listen to cars all night and have lights shining in at you. If you really need a place that has a shower, play ground for kids and a dog run then go for it. However if you are like us and like to camp and don't really need a playground or a dog run and would like some space fr ol m your neighbor camper then please find somewhere else. They have so many just take a drive or Google other sites. Your inner Camper will thank you. In the photo, the trees right there are after a 2 lane road the fence is the edge of Ft. Welikit and other edge of that road. Way too close.
Traveler
Small (20 sites) primitive campground located only one mile from Keystone SD. Great for seeing Mt Rushmore, Crazy Horse Site and Custer State Park. Mostly tents as large RVs and trailers have difficulty with tight curves. Some sites small but we reserved #19, it is very large and offers best privacy. Well maintained vault toilets and potable water available. Quiet at night but some road noise and helicopter traffic during the day. Friendly hosts.
Traveler
good campground with amenities - free showers! very few tent sites. mostly RV’s. Our tent site 21E was VERY close to the neighbors. close to stockade lake which was much more peaceful than sylvan lake.
Guide
(Stayed August 17) This is a great and well known spot for camping, climbing, RVs, and van life. The parking lot filled up rather quickly, so space between vans and vehicles wasn't much. There is a bathroom and a number of tent sites as well. People were very friendly and it was easy to meet people and exchange advice, travel tips and ideas, and general stories. It is a great location to the surrounding Black Hills trails, lakes, and Keystone
Legend
We stayed at Spokane Creek in June 2012 during our Summer roadtrip. FYI- We had to get here via trucker route due to the size of our RV, we couldn't fit through some of the rock tunnels on the winding roads in South Dakota. This was an adorable little campground located on Iron Mountain Road in the Black Hills of South Dakota. We arrived after hours and headed to our designated site # left on office. Our truck and trailer exceeded the length of our site dramatically, but a nice man on a four-wheeler relocated us to a much better site down the way, right next to the playground. We settled in for the night after speaking to our neighbors that were full-time RVers. This campground has lots of amenities: a pool, mini golf, a creek to play in, cabins, tent sites, full hook-up RV sites and a cafe with the biggest homemade cinnamon rolls you have ever seen. (pre-order the night before) The kids had a blast running around the park meeting other kids. There was so much to do in the area. We tried to map out our time for the next few days. Mount Rushmore was at the top of our agenda. We went on the perfect day. There was a ceremony at the base of Mt. Rushmore naturalizing 111 new citizens. This only happens once a year. What a cool thing to witness! There was flag presentation, singing of the national anthem, guest speakers and the oath. Each new citizen got to go up on stage and state there name and where they were from. A few even yelled out "God Bless America" as they went across. The kids thought it was funny to hear all the different languages/nationalities but I think they appreciated seeing it in the end. We also learned about G. Borglum and his vision of the monument. It was neat to see how the figures were carved. 90% of Mount Rushmore was created by dynamite blasting. They used a process called honeycombing. Borglum died before it was completed but his son took over and saw it to the end. The boys worked on their second junior ranger badge while we were there. They had to search high and low for answers in the test booklet. A ranger quizzed them to make sure they knew what a ranger's duties were and the history of Mt. Rushmore. Friday June 15th, was Nathan’s 11th birthday. We started the day with a train ride from Keystone to Hill City aboard the historic 1880’s train. It was a pretty trip lasting about an hour each way. Wesley was the most excited passenger in our family. He was happy to be on the “choo-choo”. Saturday morning, we drove into Custer State Park. On our way to Sylvan Lake, we finally saw some buffalo grazing by the road. Their heads are enormous and they don’t seem to be bothered by the visitors gawking at them. Sylvan Lake was breathtaking! There was a crystal clear Lake surrounded by huge boulders and lots of trails which lead to Harney’s peak. We also took a guided ride to a valley for a chuck-wagon supper. Along the way, our host played the guitar and we sung western songs and got to know everyone in the wagon. We saw lots of wildlife including, deer, pronghorn and prairie dogs. When we arrived, there were long picnic tables set up and a table full of catered food. Hamburgers, steak, baked beans, cole slaw, corn bread, potato salad, watermelon, cookies galore! More music was played and then came the games… Some of the men got up and acted like Elvis and yes, Jason was one of them. He never misses an opportunity to act like a fool. We also did the hokey pokey and chicken dance. On the way back to our camper, there was a herd of bison crossing the road. I could almost reach out and touch them. It was a really cool experience and a nice close to our time at Custer State Park in South Dakota.
Scout
The view is pretty and just a decent place to spend the night. It's a little bit outside Custer and the the road goes about a 2 miles in before you get to the spot. I camped in a tent but there were others in a 5th wheel, a class A, and a subaru. No amenities but a nice quiet place to camp. It connects to other trails so there are occasionally other vehicles that drive by.
Scout
The camp sites were very spread out and decently flat for tent camping
Scout
Was fine is almost always full. Charge 18 a night to tent camp
Traveler
The lake is great for boats if you prefer to bring one. Only issue that I may have is if you get a tent site make sure that your tent will fit. We have a rather large tent and there are a couple of spots that it will not fit. Hosts are pretty nice. I love that the marina isn’t to far from the tent sites and they do have lots of trees to help keep your tent well shaded during the heat of the day.
Guide
I was tent camping and it was great how they have special sites to put the tents straight. So much wildlife to see! Very clean restrooms. Wildlife all arround...
Scout
Great value, friendly owners, tent site next to creek and clean facilities.
Scout
Stayed mid August nice clean and friendly staff. Tent sites are good sized
Scout
Great campground! Have tent camped here many times and will be staying here in my RV in 2021! Everyone courteous and rates are great
Guide
Tent sites are packed in. Great showers and bathroom. Hot Tub was a plus.
GuideClean small and private campground, the campsites here are perfect for tent camping and the area is absolutely gorgeous. Would definitely recommend and forsure coming back. 10/10
ScoutThere are some tent sites with a weather protecting pergola with electricity. The highway is visible but more good than not about this camp.
Guide
Was a nice spot for one night. Lush and pretty. Only downside is that it’s cramped and right on the road. It’s not a busy road, so was super quiet, but if you have pets or want to ride your bike or run, there’s no shoulder so you are in the street. Pool is very clean, though we didn’t use it. Staff is super nice. 1.5-2 miles from keystone and less than 5 to Rushmore.
Traveler
Not many tent sites, but decent amount of space. Some shade. Very clean bathrooms and showers. Nice pool area. Convenient off the interstate. Good location.
Traveler
The park is conveniently located between Custer and the Custer State Park. Good sized lots and 50 amp full hook ups.
Several remote electric only sites, and many tent sites.
Keystone, South Dakota, offers a fantastic backdrop for tent camping enthusiasts, with its stunning landscapes and proximity to local attractions. Here are some top spots to consider for your next outdoor adventure.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular tent campsite near Keystone, SD?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Keystone, SD is RD 356 Dispersed Site Black Hills National Forest with a 4.8-star rating from 24 reviews.
What is the best site to find tent camping near Keystone, SD?
TheDyrt.com has all 22 tent camping locations near Keystone, SD, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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