Looking for a rustic and comfortable horse camping experience near Lake Andes? Whether you own a horse or are joining a tour group, equestrian camping is an adventurous and unique way to experience the city. These scenic and easy-to-reach South Dakota campsites are perfect for your horse camping excursion.
$22 / night
There are 18 camping spaces with water and electric services provided. Restrooms and showers with hot and cold water are located close to the pads. The tent camping area includes grills and picnic tables, as well as a three acre fishing pond. The concession building which includes a brand new concession stand, restrooms, crows nest and maintenance shop is located near the rodeo arena and bleachers.
$10 - $20 / night
Niobrara State Park offers 120 acres of free range riding as opposed to designated trails. The equestrian campground provides Basic Equestrian camping with one corral that will hold several horses. The corral works well for horses that are accustomed to each other. Campground is first-come, first served and includes non-modern restroom, picnic table and grill. Water will need to be bucketed to this area.
Traveler
Updated shower and toilets. Bring your quarters for shower. Views of the Missouri River were amazing. Enjoyed a hike with the interpreter. Worth a stop for sure.
TravelerNiobrara State Park is fantastic. Very clean and put together. Everything is mowed well. Paved camper lots. Little park for kids. Horseshoes and sand volleyball. Bathrooms were cleaned everyday. My only complaint is that the lots are kind of close. Not a huge deal but would have been nice to have a little extra space. Overall, awesome place and we will be back!
Traveler
Quit park, full electric pad, and water. The bathrooms and shower were not open yet. Locked my keys in the truck. The O’Neill Police opened my truck, within 20 minutes. I noticed they also patrolled the area.
Traveler
Campground was empty showers hot,rest rooms clean and stocked will come here again
GuideWe had a great one night stay when we were passing through O’Neil on our way to South Dakota. Cute town, ok bath house and a cute play park with swings, etc. Quiet at night. The road into the campground was a little busy during the day due to the construction on the main road into town. The campground road connects to other parts of town. Would stay here again but only for one night probably. It was great having electric and water hookup.
GuideOne night stay as driving home. Flush toilet with W/E hookup. They are doing road construction and they have road completely torn up and one way section of road into campground. Quiet for one night. We ate dinner and then breakfast in city as convenient. Nice small campground.
GuideAll around beautiful place. We had a great camping experience this summer. The grounds were clean, beautiful scenery, pet friendly and fun hiking trails! There's a lot of really cool cabins to choose from and the tent camping areas are in great locations scattered around the park. Definitely for the 3 hour drive up there.
LegendFees: Daily $8.00 Annual $36.00 Campsites 26.00 electrical 50 amp (.available) Campsites $22.00 Non electrical Horsecamp 22.00 Non electrical
Reservations 800-710-2267 on line travel.compsd.com northpoint@state.sd.us
Open year round Oct 1– April 30 water systems may be shut down.
Contact Park for more info
23 sites 5 horsecamp sites
PROS Secluded, well maintained, new comfort station, horsecamp I don’t think any site is bad
CONS Short sites, narrow country road
Firewood fish cleaning station water horse trails playground biking birding boating fishing hunting swimming flush toilets showers picnic tables fire ring/grill boat ramp dump station
The Pease Creek Recreation Area Horse campground is a nonelectric site. You will find a fire ring picnic table horse corral vault toilets water spigots Generator may be used from 8 am to 9 pm. Dogs must be on a ten foot leash. Make sure out of state horses have proper documentation for health.
Recreation Area was created when the Fort Randall Dam was created in 1953. There are 540 miles of shoreline and 102,000 acres of surface water. The land surrounding the recreation area was the ancestral homeland to numerous Plains Indians. Mainly short sites in this cozy campground with a new bath/shower house. Campground is well maintained. The road in is a very narrow country road meaning the camp and road are better suited for smaller rigs. You will find 600 acres to hike, horseback ride, fish, bird watch, hunt, all things outdoors along the Missouri River. This area provides all types of water sports, winter sports, wildlife viewing, fishing and hunting.
Firewood Alert: Please purchase firewood in the local area. Do not transport from another state, if you do please burn immediately due to the Emerald Ash Borer.
CLEAN, DRAIN, DRY Another issue that has become an increasing problem is Aquatic Invasive Species .(AIS) which is spreading in the United States. There are different types of AIS and they are being spread by several methods. Boaters, of all types, help spread or help stop the spread by taking care of their watercraft. Before leaving a boat launch practice the CLEAN, DRAIN, DRY technique. Many states require a AIS permit before you place watercraft in the water.
Directions: 9 miles south of Geddes off SD highway 1804 GPS 43.14021-98.73186
LNT
Better than when you found it
Stay safe Happy travels
GuideNice camping for extended stay of 14 days. Different length back in sites with picnic table and fire ring with grill. Camp host available. Handicap pad sites. I would have given a five star except for the cost!
We think $30/day for just electric is expensive but we’d been boon docking so we sprung for the expense for 3 nights. Showers are extra😳. Laundry available.
Little town of Niobrara, just a few miles away has limited shopping but a nice little grocery store, hardware store, museum, and fuel.
Confluence of the Missouri and Niobrara Rivers.
Nebraska State Parks have walk up and reservable spaces. We usually risk it and easily found a walk up on a Monday afternoon after the weekend crowd left.
We stayed in the RV campground but took a bike ride around the rest of the park. We stopped at the park office and chatted with assistant superintendent Nate. Very nice guy with lots of good info.. He told us about a nice loop we could continue our bike ride and we went around the picnic and tent area. Some incredible exclusive sites and great views of the Niobrara.
GuideThis campground is so nice. Electric hookup only, but full and dump station is close and nicely laid out. Campsites have lots of trees. It was quiet and peaceful. There are trails to hike and sites to see nearby. There is not a place to get diesel nearby, so plan for that if you need too. Sportsmen’s Bar & Two Rivers Hotel is a nice place to eat that’s nearby. No fuss, good food. There are however, a tremendous amount of ticks. If you bring pets, you may think about them not joining you on hikes.
TravelerWe arrived and only one other person was there. There was no host or staff there. There were signs saying you must get approved firewood but no one was there to get the firewood which was frustrating. Clean bathrooms and showers, water provided so it worked out good anyways.
TravelerA wooded campground, about .25 mile walk/drive to the river. Clean bathrooms and vault toilets. Nice shoreline to stroll along with dogs. Saw mountain lion tracks along shore...
LegendElectric sites by the highway near the park entrance, but don't overlook the 4 RV sites by the fishing pond. Cabins, primitive camping, hiking, and lovely scenery.
Campsite #43 is the only site with what I would call a view, but the view from there is excellent. The hiking was great. The area is pretty cool with Native American exhibits, the casino, and Lewis and Clark Lake nearby.
Though we loved the scenery and wanted to stay, the park had shut off all the water. We expected the $15 off-season price since there were no longer horse rides, pool or other activities but there were no showers or restrooms in the RV site. No water to wash dishes in!
The regular season is $20 a night but they are discussing raising that. Don't bother with the off-season.
Also, see my reviews of Crofton and Verdigre. Camping there is not as nice but they are close and more affordable.
GuideThis campground features cabins and tent camping. Designed for families, there is a playground and lots of open space for the kids to run around. Pets are welcome. There is a small pond stocked for fishing right in the middle of the tent camping area. Take a short hike to see where the Niobrara river dumps into the Missouri and take in some of the best views in Nebraska. In the winter months, hunters often use the cabins as home base and hunt in the surrounding woods.
LegendNot to be mistaken as Fort Niobrara, Niobrara State Park , NE is near Niobrara and Verdel, NE. The popular Niobrara River runs along the far side of the park and one of the attractions is the old train bridge which is now part of the converted trail that you can explore.
When we arrived the 80 degree temperatures from Kentucky did not arrive with us. The weather was windy, sprinkling and dropping with the sun. The night time low was about 43 degrees. I learned on another trip to pack all temperature range clothing especially this time of year, so I had my sniffle gear. We were one of three occupied sites in the campground. The other two sites had RV’s , I decided on truck camping and was glad I did.
The actual campground is spacious and had some trees. The showerhouse was well maintained and something new to me had pay showers. I hadn’t packed any quarters but have now added another helpful tidbit to my list of must haves while camping. (Roll of quarters, check) I attempted to leave my windows open after throwing a tarp over the truck but even though the temperature was low the mosquitoes were FIERCE! I don’t even want to know how bad they are in warm weather. So with the truck closed up we snuggled in for the night. I was a little surprised when I was woken by my dogs barking at coyotes that could be heard very nearby. Considering how sparsely populated the area is it shouldn’t have been that surprising, you really feel like your out in the middle of nowhere. Just shows how Northern I am ;) I was disappointed it was overcast , the sky would have been phenomenal with no lights to ruin the view.
This Park is laid out in a “horseshoe” and speed restrictions make it a long drive from end to end. The visitors center has some helpful employees that were very informative. Not surprisingly the river is the big draw in the area. The Ranger I spoke to said that there was a reinactment of the Lewis and Clark expedition due in that weekend. I was directed to the trailhead further in past the several cabins sitting in opportune locations along the road. The trail was moderately technical and you get to walk across the Niobrara on an old train bridge converted to a walkway. Unfortunately the far side was closed. There is also a horse trail ride offered (which would have been interesting with the boys).
The one con of the campground is that though you have an excellent view of the Niobrara River there is no easy access to it from the sites. Definitely a destination campground if you enjoy the river sports.
LegendPease Creek Recreation Area is off the Missouri River out in the middle of nowhere but if you are a water/fishing person it is worth the drive for a quiet, laid back vacation.
South Dakota has some long straight roads and the GPS worked most of the time as well as cell phone signal. It would on occasion drop off so make sure you have your trusty map. The signage in was good and don’t be surprised when you hit gravel roads, just slow down ;)
The campground was pretty quiet and mostly deserted when we overnighted. It was dark, quiet and plenty of sites to choose from. Basic hook up, plenty of space to set up in, more of an RV geared campground. The area was well maintained but facilities could use an update/good cleaning.
Right outside the area is a privately owned campground that looked like it was expanding so that will add to the boatramp traffic and noise. It was more of a permanent RV area but may have short term rentals.
There was hiking to be had and horses were allowed but it’s definitely a water recreation area. Due to the weather , 40’s when we visited and raining we did not get to enjoy the water like I had wanted. Town is not nearby so fuel up and stock up before driving out!
GuideBeautiful views of the Missouri and Niobrara atop hervily wooded hills. Tent sites are either along the paved 1 way road or farther back in the trees of the hills via a short trail. Vault toilets are plentiful as well as water spigots. Has several nice trails and points of interest. Was very clean theoughout and well cared for. Also offers cabins and an RV campground.
ScoutStayed at campsite through Sharps Outfitters and kayaked as well. Awesome trip very pretty!!
GuideCity Park. Very clean and sites are level. Clean showers and restroom. Stay up to 3 days without checking in to the city offices. Donation but they do charge $10 per nite if the stay is over 3 days. Train is close and goes by often.
ScoutWe stayed in our camper on the RV campground. I like that the RV's are not so close together! It qlwas quiet, scenic, lots of things to do. People genuinely seem to enjoy themselves. Lots of animal sightings, birds, and wild flowers, etc. You can get a real feel for the country out here. The ONLY drawback is needing quarters for a shower....but they do have a change machine.
Travelermust go back! so much history in the fort part of the park, swell kept campsites down river and lots of hiking!
RangerWhile this is off the beaten path, it is worth the drive time. Rolling Sandhills, beautiful rivers, great camping, hiking, swimming, etc. This is such a peaceful place with so much ground to cover. We plan on going back just to see more of the park!
GuideWe are usually tent campers but stayed in a cabin this trip which worked out well because as the sun went down the mosquitos came out and they were ferocious. The cabin was very nice and we were allowed to bring our dogs. We were there the first day the pool opened for the year so the water was very cold but we had so much fun. We did some hiking and a lot of bike riding. Being there during the week so early in the season we missed all of the activities that they have on weekends but enjoyed having the park to ourselves. This park is out of the way so probably doesn't get as much traffic as some other parks. We will definitely go back some day.
GuideThis park has great views, plenty of site choices, and clean bathrooms. Park overlooks the confluence of the Niobrara river and the Missouri River. There was an old train bridge turned into a hiking trail, very cool being so close to the river. Tented in an Adirondack shelter which was great cover from wind and rain.
RangerI have many good memories of this beautiful campground and fun times. Stayed at the campgrounds, then did a river float. It was everything I wanted in a camping trip--beautiful scenery, awesome sunsets and well maintained facilities. Floating down the Niobrara was an awesome time. You have access to get some things you might need or forget in town, but otherwise it's important to know it is fairly remote for access to things.
GuideVery nice, large campground along the Missouri River. Beautiful location which offers easy access to fishing locations. Our campsite was basic but roomy. We did not have quarters along to operate the shower house, so had to run to town for change.
TravelerThis park has so much to offer, it is located where the Niobrara and the Missouri River meet. Many amazing views beautiful clean water and miles of hiking trails. I unfortunately was not able to hike for too long due to the hot day I chose to venture off in the woods, but luckily enough was able to cool off in their breathtaking river and than in their pool. For camping this place is by far one of the best campgrounds I have been to. The cabins are fully furnished back porch tv dishes all you need are good friends and family and your food to fill the fridge... I will be there constantly while I'm in Nebraska, hope to see you there. Happy camping
Horse camping in South Dakota offers a unique opportunity to explore the great outdoors while enjoying the company of your equine friends. With a variety of campgrounds catering to horse enthusiasts, you can find the perfect spot to set up camp and ride the scenic trails.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular equestrian campsite near Lake Andes, SD?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular equestrian campground near Lake Andes, SD is Pease Creek Recreation Area with a 4.4-star rating from 5 reviews.
What is the best site to find equestrian camping near Lake Andes, SD?
TheDyrt.com has all 4 equestrian camping locations near Lake Andes, SD, with real photos and reviews from campers.
