Best Equestrian Camping near Lead, SD

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!

We enjoyed our stay at this well run clean campground. There were lots of horses as Buffalo Roundup was occurring. Good WIFI, clean bathrooms, wide open mountain views and close to Custer State park. Plan on  some horse poop in your hiking boots treads  and enjoy.

This lake is beautiful, its one of my favorite places inside Custer state park. There are a ton of trails, all within easy walking distance. Make sure you pack plenty of water. Some of the hikes are pretty steep and South Dakota in notorious for fast changing weather. The lake itself can be pretty busy, especially during the weekend. Lot of people swimming and kayaking. Needles highway is a must if your in the area

This place is mainly for people with horses but anyone can camp here. They have spacious, level, clean sites with full hookups and fire rings. The entire property is pristine. Even the horse stalls are immaculate. The cabins are cute and CLEAN looking. Most campground cabins have that skeevy vibe. These don’t. There is a small inn. This camp is located 3.9 miles off of the main road. Which is a bonus because unlike many of the campgrounds we passed on our way in, this one has zero road noise. It is very peaceful and serene. The views of the mountains are beautiful and tonight’s sunset was gorgeous. The only occasional sounds are the whinnying of horses. Which is a great sound. We can’t believe this place is $49 a night. Unbelievable value. I wish we lived closer because we would come back on a regular basis! This campground is very close to downtown Custer (adorable) and to all the local attractions!

Stayed here for 5 nights on one of their tent campgrounds. Although the campground is mostly for RVs and horses, the tent space is a small shaded area right behind the main office. Besides the neighing of the horses, the campground was quiet. Everyone, including park staff and fellow guests was kind and friendly!

Lastly, and I left this until the end because it’s unbelievable: the bathrooms are VERY clean and beautiful! Definitely the nicest facilities I’ve ever seen on a campground! Will be staying here again!

Tent, RV sites as well as camping cabins . Horse stables and trail rides onsite.Walking distance to store and excellent restaurant. Wildlife includes bison, deer, birds...

Watch out for bison! Lots of wildlife in the park and the campground too. This is a nice spot to use as basecamp for a few days while exploring all the attractions in the area. There are a LOT of ranger programs in and around the park all summer, worth a look. Camp sites are decent size and privacy. Lovely views from every spot we drove by. Everything was nice and clean, showers warmer than I usually expect. There's a separate horse camp area and I think you can hire horses to explore the site (which would be really neat). There are also cabins that, from what I heard, are pretty modern.

I am a solo, female, camping alone. The site-hosts came banging on my car & yelling, and kicked me out in the middle of the night, stating that I canceled my reservation. I did NOT cancel my reservation. I have a credit card receipt for payment of my reservation. The host refused to look at any of my proving evidence that I paid for a site. 15E. They just kept yelling for me to “Get out!” And kicked me out at 9:30 PM, and leaving me stranded/homeless in South Dakota. I do not live in the state and had no idea what to do. They have endangered my safety. Do not stay here! They can kick you out whenever they want.

Definitely one of the best campgrounds that we have been to. Horse stable on site, ice cream shop, coffee shop (YES), restaurant, and nightly activities. The kids loved the pool and water slide, they also enjoyed the concert that happened while we were there. We will be staying again.

We LOVED our stay here.  We stayed two nights and we wish it was longer.  We had a 30 foot RV and Jack met us as we pulled in. We hooked up right away and easily.  The place is just so pretty. With picnic tables all around and a beautiful willow tree.  They have a friendly horse and even had some geese in the pond.  We saw plenty of deer and wild turkeys too.  

It is right on the Mikelson trail so was fun to take our bikes for a beautiful ride in the Black Hills.  There is also a driveway/trail up past the house that has gorgeous scenery.  Jack was a great host.  Helpful and nice.  We wish we had more time. Isa let my girls feed her horse some carrots and they were thrilled about that.   Definitely a trip to remember!   A great and quiet place to park an RV and still feel a part of nature.   We would definitely come back!

Pricey (entrance fee plus campground fee) but worth it. Beautiful lake with great access to hiking trails, and just a short drive to Mt Rushmore and Crazy Horse. Nice campground, trailer lots seemed more level than tent sites. Some, not all, had tent pads. Nice clean shower house. Great starting point to hike Harney Peak and Cathedral Spires.

Extremely large sites in pine forest. Easy drives and parking with fairly level gravel pads on grass sites. Tent sites have large level tent pads. Central outdoor movie/program area with benches. Clean and cared for restroom & shower facilities. Campstore, restaurants and horse riding stable in/near campground. Kind, friendly and knowledgeable camp hosts make this my all time favorite campground!

Dispersed Camping off the main road thru Custer State Park that is National Forest. Turn on the road that marks the Bob Marshall Camp. You pass a water treatment area and go thru the gate. It is open to vehicles in the summer and equestrian and hike in during the winter. Road is rough but was passable in our truck. We towed in a small teardrop but I wouldn't recommend a large rig. There are several areas to set up camp but pack in and pack out! No water sources spotted so bring enough in with you (didn't even see any water for filtering). Saw a preexisting stone fire pit from past campers too. Super quiet and near all the great things of Custer. We did experience biting flies. Coordinates: 43.7851324, -103.5041771

This is a huge campground with tons of options which is nice, it also is in a great Central location for Mount Rushmore, Crazy Horse, Custer State Park, Needles Highway, Windcave National Park and Mammouth Site so be sure to book a long enough stay.

These were the least nice camping cabins on our road trip but nothing to complain about. Laundry facilities were good, great camp store and restaurant on site.

This campground is very clean, well kept, and VERY Large! There are UTVs that you can rent to go out on the trails, there's a fun zone for the kids that has bouncy houses, the pools, Mini Golf and more! There are over 500 sites at this campground plus cabins, a restaurant, a hotel, riding stables etc. It is also just 5 miles from Mount Rushmore and 15 minutes from Crazy Horse!

Very close to Mount Rushmore, Crazy Horse, Rapid City and Hill City. Lake Sheridan was a great place to go cool off. Very dispersed camping. Pack in Pack out. No cell service. At first we didn’t think there was a spot to pull off and then found a perfect circular area for us in our travel trailer and our friends car camping. No fires allowed when we were there. We stayed 2 nights and planned to sight see so left our stuff and was never bothered.

I had high hopes for this campground, but out of the 3 I stayed at in Custer State Park, Blue Bell was my least favorite. Bathrooms were conveniently located and clean, but there is very little privacy or space between sites and everyone feels very packed in. There was also a lot of construction happening due to the new dump site being added—which will ultimately be a great addition as the only other site in Custer SP is pretty far away, but it was a bit of a bummer to listen to it while it was ongoing. I imagine it should be wrapped up by the end of July if it’s not already.

My other big complaint was the location of the electrical box at my site. While it’s listed as a tent site, it fits small RVs, but the electrical box was SO far away (on the very far site of the tent pad) that I would have needed at least a 50ft cord to reach it. So I ultimately paid for an electric site but got a site without anything. Just a heads up!

What redeemed this site for me was the hike to the river—a bad storm rolled through late in the afternoon, but created an absolutely magical setting for an early evening hike to the river afterward. Go out the back past the cabins toward the horse trails and there’s something of a dirt road that leads to a river—you won’t regret it!

One of the largest KOAs in the US. It’s basically a small town with two pools, a village of shops and restaurants, tons of activities, and a large horse stable with trail rides. We had a nice back in site on the edge of a hill with plenty of privacy. However most the full hookup sites were really tight and had no shade.

Very close to Mount Rushmore and within about 30 minutes of most of the Black Hills attractions. If you want the resort RV experience it will be tough to find somewhere better.

This campground is one of the best . We snagged an awesome site that was large , wooded , secluded , and quiet . The area was beautiful with the Needles and the wildlife drives that were spectacular with buffalo , pronghorn ,and deer in your face. Very close to major attentions such as Mt Rushmore , Crazy Horse Monument , Wind Caves National Park , and the Badlands . The lake is a jewel with a great hike and granite spires bordering the end of the lake - postcard perfect . I also hooked 5 wild rainbows !! We will return

The Mount Rushmore KOA at Palmer Gulch was our first experience at KOA and really set the bar for activities and organization. From what I can tell, this is a very large KOA with a wide variety of sites. 

Upon arrival, you can tell right away that they operate the campground well. We were directed to a staging area while we checked in. The buildings are all well maintained, and there is plenty of staff on hand throughout the campground.

One recommendation is to look for the horses when they are brought to the corral in the morning (usually between 6:10 and 6:30 am) and then returned to where they bed down for the night (usually around 6:30 pm). It's quite the site to see roughly 30 horses running free and being guided by two people on horseback!

The only issue that we had was with our connectivity to the outside world. We had NO cell connectivity anywhere in the campground (Verizon) and their Wi-Fi was essentially useless unless you were right next to the bathrooms. Even at the main building, there was no connectivity through Wi-Fi. Trying to connect to work was impossible, and we ended up leaving a day early because of it.

Clearly, if you can be disconnected for your time there or are fine with trekking to Grapes & Grinds in nearby Keystone, then this is a fabulous campground. 

3 stars only because of the Wi-Fi (cell coverage is out of their control) and only until Starlink goes live for us RVers.

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Tammy B

Local Guide·293 reviews·337 photos

an hour ago

NEW

We were camphosts for the 2023 season.I can't say enough on how Kelly, Steve and his entire family makes sure your well taken care of..they added a second dog park for the little pups, renovated 5 site to give a better camping experience in … More

Amy Kinzler Illg

4 reviews

a month ago

Vacation | Family

Stayed two nights here and overall a very good experience. Nicely equipped campground with a little shop for necessities. We stayed in a tent site with no electricity. Was a very pretty campground with deer, turkeys, a little play area for … More

Travis Trussell

Local Guide·74 reviews·256 photos

a month ago

Vacation | Family

I can't say enough good things about this campground after staying for 6 nights. The spots are spacious and the hookups are located in a perfect spot to make things easy. Bathrooms and showers are very nice and clean. They have a nice dog … More

1

Houston & Carolynn

Local Guide·168 reviews·289 photos

a month ago

A very quiet campground. The staff are friendly and I love the showers for they are private little rooms. They have a playground, laundry and these cute little kegs you can stay overnight in. I would recommend this place. The site are very nice. Houston enjoyed the shade and met another friend. … More







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Fort Welikit Family Campground - Custer, South Dakota

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Fort Welikit Family Campground Reviews updated 2023

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Fort Welikit Family Campground

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Fort Welikit Family Campground: Black HIlls Campgrounds

​ · ​ · ​ · OPEN MAY 1st to OCTOBER 15th · ​ · Located on the scenic Norbeck Byway away from the aeras busy highways yet just one mile North · of the ...

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Fort Welikit Family Campground - Custer, SD

Aug 30, 2016 — It is a very nice place to spend your evenings. Deer and turkeys in the campground everyday. Has a fenced dog park and a small playground for ...



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Fort Welikit Family Campground and RV Park Camping

Absolutely loved our stay here!! Our check in was easy and the staff super pleasant. This is a family oriented campground with a great play area for the kiddos.



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Fort Welikit Family Campground | Custer SD

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Feb 20, 2019 — We are planning a visit to Mt. Rushmore in May and are thinking of staying at Fort Welikit Family Campground. They have some good reviews but



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Fort Welikit Family Campground

It was very quiet and peaceful even though we were there during a peak summer period. The campground is well maintained, family owned and well run. The ...



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Tammy B

Local Guide·293 reviews·337 photos

an hour ago

NEW

We were camphosts for the 2023 season.I can't say enough on how Kelly, Steve and his entire family makes sure your well taken care of..they added a second dog park for the little pups, renovated 5 site to give a better camping experience in those sites. If you need something they are on it..they have the best options for camping.. cabins, teepees, barrel kegs, tent, electric tent, w/e 30 amp, 30 amp full h/hu, 50 amp f/hu, and big rig sites..they have worked endlessly to supply you with the best experience. The campground is not your typical parking lot camping..each site is individually unique..it was made around hills, tons of shade trees,and rock formations. Each site is as level as possible. Restroom are individual with shower sink and toilet.. they are very clean. There is a fort playground for the kids that's fantastic. There is a pavilion that can be used for family gatherings. Several reunions are hosted every year..You will have local wildlife visit daily including deer and turkeys. In the spring the new fawns and chick turkeys are born and are adorable. They are centralized to all attractions..perfect location to everything. The several clients that have been repeat customers for years..staying for 6 to 8 weeks..that speaks for it self..everybody loves it. It's very quiet, the store has everything you need. Michelson trail is approximately 1 mile away which can be walked or ride bikes the 114 miles through the mountains. The hospital is 1 mile away. If your in the area, and you need an excellent place to stay..at the best price.. this is where you want to be.. It's very family friendly including your dogs and cats.

We really enjoyed our stay at the Palmer Gulch KoA. We have two kids ages 3 & 7 and we never ran out of activities at the campground. We rented a full day UTV, rented “banana bikes” and utilized all of the fun zone. Unfortunately, all the horse rides were booked for our weekend.

We had site 303 which was a patio pull-thru, there was plenty of space between our neighbors and right by the fun zone. Our kids were able to play on the playground or basketball court while we watched from our campsite.

If you have children, highly recommend this KoA.