Looking for a place to camp near Madison with your horse? It's easy to find Madison campgrounds for horse camping with The Dyrt. 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
Horse camp - horses required to stay at this campground. Non electric sites.
Nestled among eight connecting glacial lakes, this park provides a never-ending variety of activities throughout the year, from hiking and swimming, to ice fishing and cross-country skiing. Shaded campgrounds and picnic areas complement the park's excellent swimming and boating facilities. The park was once used as a summer camp and an annual gathering spot for American Indians. Later, Samuel Mortimer arrived in 1869 and built the log cabin that still stands at the park.
$22 / 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
This campground has both electric standard sites for campers and tent sites. Two shower houses and multiple vault toilets throughout the campground for accessibility. Walking trails in grass or gravel. Three walkways down to the water’s edge with one being a large swimming area. Boating is permitted as well. Be sure to use bug spray as mosquitoes were all over- maybe due to wet weather. This is a natural lake formed by farmland that flooded in the 1980s.
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.
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.
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.
ScoutArrived late to the camping grounds, it was easy to find and navigate to our spot. Clean facilities and friendly community.
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.
ScoutExcellent campground. Nice facilities and well maintained.
ScoutIt was okay for an overnight, The sites are nice, plenty of shade. It was crowded the night I was there but quiet. It's a strange place in that it is on the edge of suburbia, located right next to an apartment housing development. If you like proximity to services, restaurants, etc. It would be a good stop. It would be great if you were visiting family/friends in the area, easy to get to. Just not what I was looking for.
GuideThis place is beautiful and well maintained. Excellent bathrooms and showers. Only downside is that the dump station is stinky. The hiking and biking trails are gorgeous!
GuideWe only stayed for one night on our way to the Badlands, but wish we could’ve stayed longer. This park is perfect! Literally not a bad spot in the CG. Good shade. Clean shower house. Paved bike and walking trail. This place definitely gets 5 stars
GuideSuper clean, nicely spaced, tons of trails. As Google guided is to the campground, we were getting concerned. Turns out, great campsite.
GuideThe sites are nicely spaced designed in a way there are many "corner" sites with privacy. Super well maintained, shower facility very new looking and comfortable. Lots of trails. Multiple nights is a great option.
TravelerSouth Dakota State Park, Brandon SD. Great stop. We spent 2 days. Very nice campground with lots to do and see. Big spacious sites ours backed up to the bike path and river. New bathhouse entire park was very clean. About half hour to Sioux Falls. Worth the trip to see the Falls and the bike/hike trail around the city.
LegendThis Recreation Area is large and located off the Sioux River, which was slow flowing when I visited. It’s not the most picturesque river I’ve seen, so if you’re looking for that look further. However, because it was slow moving it made for a nice round trip paddle.
Easy access from 90W, not much road noise and close to the town of Brandon for supplies.
There’s a fantastic disc golf course complete with a creaky suspension foot bridge that spans the fiver.
Great hiking and biking trails too. I hiked the Valley of the Giants trail, which earns its name because of the many old, “giant” oaks in this river bottom area. It’s an easy hike with one slight incline/decline, but the loop was curtailed by a giant felled oak tree. The path was completely covered and no matter which way I tried I couldn’t see the trail it had become so overgrown. Sadly it seems that this has been the fate of several the the Giants, perhaps due to the river flooding.
The campground has gravel pads. My site backed up to the river but there was a bushy berm and the bike/walking bath between the site and the river. No problem to access the river though because there are little paths worn through the bushes. Lots of trees for shade and good space between sites. There’s electric but no water at site. Fill up by the restrooms or before you come. Picnic table and fire ring with grill connected. Fire ring is on a cement pad. I’d never seen that before.
There are also cabins for rent and when I was there the restrooms looked clean and functional. Picnic shelter and gazebo are on site as well as the Bergeson’s Homestead. It’s always nice to see history being preserved like this! When I’m passing through this area again, I’ll revisit this recreation area.
GuideVery nice, well kept state recreation area along the Big Sioux River. Large campsites and nice cabins, too. Rode our bikes from the campsite along the river. You can ride into Brandon if you like. Big trees, lots of shade, nice people.
LegendReally nice campground, wide spacious sites, lots of trees, bathrooms/showers were very clean, staff patrolled the area and was very friendly, bike trails. Not too far from downtown Sioux Falls. 50A, no water/sewer. Site 30E had DISH coverage.
GuideLots of trails for hiking!
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular equestrian campsite near Madison, SD?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular equestrian campground near Madison, SD is Big Sioux Recreation Area — Big Sioux with a 4.5-star rating from 33 reviews.
What is the best site to find equestrian camping near Madison, SD?
TheDyrt.com has all 4 equestrian camping locations near Madison, SD, with real photos and reviews from campers.
