Searching for a dispersed campsite near Spearfish? Dispersed camping means that no facilities or amenities are provided, so that you can truly disconnect and get back to nature. Search dispersed campsites you've visited before, or discover new spots and read camper reviews.
The Belle Fourche Dam is a dam on Owl Creek in Butte County, South Dakota, approximately eight miles east of Belle Fourche, South Dakota. Its construction created the Belle Fourche Reservoir, the Belle Fourche National Wildlife Refuge, and the Rocky Point Recreation Area.
The reservoir has approximately eight thousand acres of water surface, 6,700 acres of land, and 58 miles of shoreline. It's stocked with walleye, catfish, and white bass. Average depth is twenty-five feet, but it has areas as deep as sixty feet at full capacity. Common activities at Belle Fourche Reservoir include boating, fishing, ice fishing, ice skating, camping, cooking out, and water skiing.
At its 1911 completion by the Bureau of Reclamation, Belle Fourche Dam was the largest earthen dam in the world. The dam is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. In 1989 it was listed among the approximately 250 Historic Civil Engineering Landmarks.
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.
Managed by the South Dakota Department of Game, Fish and Parks, 3305 W. South St., Rapid City, SD 57702; (605) 394-2391. Eight miles east of Belle Fourche. Public-use area, swimming, boating, and fishing. Available fish species include walleye, catfish, and white bass. Open year-round.
Traveler
Lots of neat spots. The roads can be iffy. I would suggest scouting them first before dragging a trailer down them.
Traveler
Lots of cool spots if you can get to them. Once you leave the gravel the roads are hit and miss. You’re not taking a trailer down most of them if any.
Traveler
Loved this area, saw many deer near sunset, very peaceful and quiet. Tent camping it was easy to find a site since we didn’t go too far, but if you have an big RV you might need to go further down the road. Otherwise very pretty especially with the creek right next to us.
TravelerThe road in was fairly easy to find and smooth. I drove all the way to the end of the road to check out the sites and turned around and went back to the one I liked the best. There was only one other camper set up down along the stream and the couple there looked comfortable. I chose a nice level turn out that I could drive my pickup and ATV trailer into and was able to drive through the spot so I didn't have to back in or out. It was a very pretty site next to the road and big enough for my 30' rig. It was level enough that it only took one block under one wheel of the ATV trailer I had my roof top tent mounted on. Traffic was light and only about half a dozen vehicles passed my site the evening I was there. No problem with dust from the traffic. There were signs that cattle were in the area but I didn't see any. Probably not a place you would want to spend a lot of time staying at unless you planned to use it as a base for hitting all the tourist spots around Deadwood and Keystone. The main problem is the sites are nearly all too small for more than one camper so if you are traveling with other campers you won't be able to park close together. The sites are fairly far apart, more suitable for lone campers looking for a spot to rest for a night or two. No amenities and cell service was hit or miss but the price was right (free). I would definitely stay here again if I was passing through the area.
Guide
Camping area near Mount Rushmore. I was able to find a camping area without a problem. The road does have some bumps in it but overall you do not need a four-wheel drive. The spot I camped at I was able to have decent Verizon signal however the area is a bit spotty for Verizon. The area seems to not allow for campfires. Trails nearby. One Trail is gated off and seems to mainly be a horse trail. Some of the camping spots seem to support larger vehicles. Also had a good view.
Traveler
Rolled in late night. Woke up to a beautiful sunrise next to the reservoir. Plenty of sites to choose from with vault toilet close enough to walk between sites.
Traveler
This was a great spot to spend a night near Devil's Tower. The road getting there was rough but we were the only ones there. We even had a few free range horses and a donkey pass by in the evening.
TravelerThis area seems to be pretty popular as it's close to Mount Rushmore and right off a main road but it's a nice, quiet area. Really enjoyed my stay here.
Road gets a bit rough once you get to the hill. Camp fires are not permitted.
Traveler
Temps on 90 were in the 90s but up here a great breeze and cool. So peaceful! Our second year here and loving being back!
Scout
I was able to drive to this spot easily in a car for a quick overnight stop. There is a section in the beginning that doesn't allow camping, but once you are farther back in it looks like there are several spots. No campfires. Verizon cellular worked there.
Guide
Decent spot veside the road. There are several boondocking spots between here and Cook Lake Outhouse is nearby this site on main road Cows are all over this site
RangerA heap of broken if I would have known about the road before traveling up it I would never have taken my 29 ft trailer to the top. However I did make it. It's a beautiful place away from everything very quiet. I will add more to this review after I spend the night or two.
Traveler
We were hauling a 20 ft camper looking to find the pull through spot we saw on the maps. The gravel road was accessible and pretty easy with the camper. We got to our spot just before sunset and only had one neighbor, though we passed a few tenters going up the road. Our spot was nice and a short walk to a vault toilet and trailhead. The trail led to a cool tower that we climbed to watch the sunset. Overall great spot and we’ll worth the short drive of the highway.
ScoutI just needed a place to stop and car camp. I was going to stay at a campground I. Belle Fourch but after a little exploring I found a great private spot in Free Dispersed area but the site were furnished with a fire ring and table and a great view of a beautiful lake. Slept like a baby!
Guidestruck out on any camping close to devils tower, so we ended up coming here. fun little dirt road coming up the mountain to the sight. really only like 2 spots. lower spot is medium sized and we saw someone else there in a jeep. friends and i took the top spot which was big enough for a truck, a large suv, and sedan.
very quiet secluded area. got cold at night in august, but very beautiful views.
in the dark we kept seeing a tuxedo cat randomly watching us, not sure if it’s a stray or an outside cat from one of the nearby farms, didn’t come over when we enticed it and ran when we shone the light but cute little campsite friend i guess.
Legend
Initial road in is seriously corrugated- just drive slowly until you turn off to side road.
Different roads if loop provided easy access. We bought out 30” 5th in without problems, and our (distant) neighbors were a class A with trailer
Random pit-toilets, but not much else
Lake is low, shore is mud
Nice with breeze most days we were there
Guide
There are 4 different sites in the area, with each accommodating multiple vehicles. Access to the local creek. Sort of difficult to find a level spot but we made it work. We fit comfortably in a truck camper but I wouldn't go too much bigger here. Good Verizon service!
GuideWe visited the area in July 2024, it was the holiday week so it was busy, but still had some open spots. If you can't find a spot on the main peninsula there are still lots of other choices.
We did a campsite video review and if you want the direct link https://youtu.be/5cFjZbQstU4
GuideI stayed for just one night and it was perfect for that. I had no issue finding a spot, as there are so many around the reservoir! They are spaced out, but not many trees for privacy. The “beach” is very muddy so you can’t really get in the water. The bugs were bad in the evenings, but nothing I couldn’t handle. The sunset was gorgeous on the water.
TravelerThere were multiple pull off dispersed camping areas all along the Mt. Roosevelt road. The road is easy to drive if coming off the CanAm Hwy side of the mountain. Walking distance to the Roosevelt Friendship Tower hike which is highly recommended. Tons of bees in the wildflowers but they never bothered us. Pack in and pack out! Some traffic driving along the road but never overwhelming and quiet at night. Great base to visit Deadwood, Lead, Spearfish Canyon, and Devils Tower
Ranger
Nothing special, but the location is good ! Stayed at the first spot when you pull in because I didn’t want to take my sedan up either bumpy hills. Would recommend 4wd for any site other than 1
Traveler@basketball stars: Just a little detour off Needles Highway. Just a little way behind the trees. Performs its function without much fanfare. Since it is only a 5-minute drive, I recommend sleeping here the night before your hike of Black Elk Peak. Outage on Verizon's network.
TravelerThe ruts become somewhat steep once the entrance road terminates. There are plenty of spots to set up beforehand, but you might be able to drive around them. Only one other camper on the main road, so it's really peaceful. Great day hikes and exploration opportunities abound on this undulating landscape.
GuideWe drove out without the RV to scope out the area and are glad we did. The road was a washboard for a long way, and we decided that the potential damage it might cause our rig was not worth the savings from dispersed camping. We headed back to our previous site in a developed campground. Pretty though! Lots of wildlife and beautiful open surroundings. Very few trees of any kind.
RangerVery 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.
Guide
The first pull of recommended was too steep for our van. We pulled off at a treat spot about 1/4 mile down the road with awesome views. Close to town but quiet
GuideStayed here one night but definitely could have done more. Our spot was a pull out on the side of the road with an amazing view. There’s a bathroom at the entrance. Only maybe 6 spots before the road gets bad so pick one of those BEFORE you come to a fork in the road. If you go right on the fork the road gets bad. We had good service for Verizon and okay for T-Mobile. Spots are spread out so you have privacy. Pretty quiet area.
Camping near Spearfish, South Dakota, offers a mix of beautiful scenery and a variety of campgrounds to suit different needs. Whether you're looking for a family-friendly spot or a quiet place to unwind, there's something for everyone.
Camping near Spearfish, South Dakota, has its perks and quirks. With a little planning, you can find the perfect spot for your next outdoor adventure!
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular dispersed campsite near Spearfish, SD?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular dispersed campground near Spearfish, SD is Mount Roosevelt Road Dispersed Campsite with a 4.8-star rating from 9 reviews.
What is the best site to find dispersed camping near Spearfish, SD?
TheDyrt.com has all 27 dispersed camping locations near Spearfish, SD, with real photos and reviews from campers.
