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Best Tent Camping near Sturgis, SD

1,345 Reviews

Several tent camping options exist in the Black Hills National Forest near Sturgis, South Dakota, where dispersed campsites offer primitive tent camping experiences without developed amenities. Mount Roosevelt Road Dispersed Campsite and Mount Roosevelt Camp provide tent-friendly sites that are accessible via gravel roads. These rustic backcountry tent sites sit at higher elevations among pine forests, offering seclusion from the crowds that gather during the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally.

Tent sites throughout the Black Hills generally feature ungraded surfaces on dirt or forest floor, with most requiring campers to pack in all supplies including water. No drinking water is available at dispersed sites like RD 356 Dispersed Site, and most lack designated fire rings despite evidence of past campfires. High-clearance vehicles provide better access to more remote tent campsites, though several areas have spots accessible to standard vehicles. Dispersed camping in this region typically follows pack-in, pack-out principles, with no trash collection or sanitary facilities at most locations.

The Black Hills provide tent campers with exceptional access to hiking trails, climbing areas, and wildlife viewing opportunities. Areas near Mount Roosevelt feature short walking trails to scenic overlooks, while tent sites farther from Sturgis offer deeper forest immersion. A reviewer noted, "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." During peak summer months, especially during the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, tent campers seeking solitude should explore dispersed sites farther from town. Many campers report seeing deer and hearing coyotes from their tent sites, providing an authentic backcountry camping experience despite proximity to popular tourist attractions.

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Best Tent Sites Near Sturgis, South Dakota (21)

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Recent Tent Camping Photos near Sturgis, SD

56 Photos of 21 Sturgis Campgrounds

Tent Camping Reviews near Sturgis, SD

1345 Reviews of 21 Sturgis Campgrounds

  • GoWhereYouAreDraw N.The Dyrt PRO User
    Apr. 30, 2021

    Black Hills National Forest Bear Gulch Campground

    Primitive but comfortable group camping

    A former individual campground now turned group campsite. Eight individual tent sites (each has a picnic table and fire ring) around a central camping area. Vault toilets and a hand pump for drinking water. There is no electrical hookup.

    Vehicles must travel down nine miles of dirt roads to reach the facility. Hill City is the nearest town for additional amenities, and Rapid City is 20 miles away. Nice fishing and kayaking. 3 stars because it's groups only!

  • Sarah H.
    Jul. 23, 2016

    Sylvan Lake Campground — Custer State Park

    Primitive Camping in Custer

    Our family stayed in a walk-in primitive tent site located on a woodsy hill at the top of Custer. Campsites have a decent amount of privacy, but you are still aware of your neighbors. Portable toilets were available at the bottom of the hill near the parking lot with shower facilities a short walk away. Showers and laundry facilities were well maintained. Sylvan Lake is beautiful and provides a full day of activities without having to drive anywhere else in the park. Our family enjoyed hiking, paddle boating, and swimming with gorgeous scenery all around.

  • Art S.The Dyrt PRO User
    Jun. 24, 2019

    Comanche Park

    Simple campground near amazing places

    Comanche Park is just outside Custer, South Dakota. It’s open seasonally but it looks like a few spots are before the gate. The campground was pretty empty during the week but the host said it was full on the weekend- consider making a reservation. The sites are large without much vegetation between them. We were far enough apart that it still felt private. A picnic table and fire pit are standard. Vault toilets are spread throughout. There is water available but I would consider your options. The host said they get bottled water when I asked about the quality. 

    The draw to this campground is that it’s close to Custer State Park. We arrived midday, set up and still had time to drive the wildlife scenic highway and the scenic drive out of Custer towards Mt. Rushmore and Crazy Horse. We were feet from a bison herd and arms length away from donkeys. Returning in time to make dinner was great. Tomorrow we’ll leave early and do another drive and hike in Custer State Park. 

    Comanche Park is a good campground to use as a base when you explore the area.

  • Tonya Y.
    Jun. 25, 2017

    Horsethief Lake Campground

    Cute, Quiet, and Close to Everything

    We arrived at Horse Thief Lake late on a Wednesday afternoon. Actually VERY late. It was around 7:00 pm on June 7, 2017. We were on a road trip and didn't have a firm schedule. We arrived without a reservation and were thrilled that they had three or four walk-ups available.

    This campground serves both RVs and tent campers. The walk-up are was beautiful and quiet. We were in site 34, which is the closest to the road that circles through the campground, but it was above our site and we never noticed traffic.

    It was early in June so many sites had reservations on them for the weekend, the walk-in area was less than half full. The sites are far enough away from each other that we were not bothered by any other campers.

    The site had a great pad and nice wooden picnic table with a great fire ring. The fire ring was great in the morning as it was still pretty cool in early June.

    Firewood was sold at the campground by the hosts for $5 a bundle. The hosts were very kind and kept the campground immaculate.

    The vault restrooms were very clean, but there were MANY flies by the afternoon outside of the restroom.

    We had some HEAVY rains while camping here and the people in the site closest to the lake, and near the top of the hill (amazingly) were flooded out and had to dry everything in the morning and move to another site.

    We had no problem with critters bothering our camp. There are no bear boxes and the camp hosts told us they had never heard a report of bears being in their campground.

    This was a great base camp for us. It is only 2 miles to Rushmore and we went to Custer's campground (and drove though TONS of animals including buffalo, prong horns and others, the Crazy Horse memorial and the Iron Road.

  • Jessica F.
    Aug. 20, 2016

    Bismarck Lake Campground

    Natural and Beautiful

    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.

  • Casey L.
    May. 24, 2022

    Comanche Park

    Nice Campground Near Highway

    The sites were decent, our fire ring didn’t have any flat spots to put chairs around. The were lots of vault toilets bathrooms, they were a little smelly but not as bad as some. Most of the campground was empty on a May week night. We could hear the cars from the road. The camp host was a nice lady. Convenient to Mount Rushmore and Wind Cave National Park.

  • Alissa V.
    Aug. 6, 2020

    Sheridan Lake South Shore Campground

    Can’t wait to go back!

    Great campground with kind hosts and staff. The pit toilet was well maintained. We had lots of space in our site (#21) for our vehicle with rooftop tent, a separate shade tent and table, and large picnic table. We could have for a lot more! People were respectful of quiet hours and felt safe with lots of families, but spread out enough there wasn’t too much noise. We definitely want to try a site on the lake side next time, it’s beautiful over there. The swimming lake was great for bathing. Because of the shade and elevation it never felt too hot, even in late July.

  • Cynthia W.
    Jul. 25, 2017

    Grizzly Creek Primitive

    Beautiful but nosy and smelly

    Let me start by saying the campground itself is beautiful! There was plenty of shade and the creek provided nice ambiance. However, don't camp here if you want some peace and quiet! Iron Mountain Road runs right by and it a popular with motorists and motorcyclists. Also, starting a 9am until probably 6pm there are helicopter tours for Mount Rushmore and it flies right over the campground. We used this spot as a jump off point for all our adventures so we weren't bothered too much by the noise as we were gone for much of the day.

    Our only other complaint is that the vault toilets smelled terrible. I know they're not supposed to smell like roses, but we've experienced many other vault toilets that we "pleasant" and we rarely saw a fly. These would have flies swarming as you used the facilities and we could often smell the toilets from our site. I'm not sure if the treatment is different in SD, as we're from CO, but this was out biggest complaint.

    High point is that you're only 5 to 10 minutes from Rushmore and close to Custer State Park and it was an easy jumping point for many other destinations.

    One more note...more of a soapbox speech...the Vermont people next to us were terrible campers and broke all the basic etiquette camping rules. They washed dished in the creek, they bathed at the water pumps and left trash and food all over their site and in the fire pit when they left. This is NOT ok. Camping involves a very high level of respect for nature and if you can't follow leave no trace rules, you shouldn't be out there!

  • Krista K.
    Nov. 12, 2021

    Sheridan Lake South Shore Campground

    LOVE, LOVE, LOVE!

    My sister and I spent 7 days here, tenting. I even brought along my best friend that passed away 2 months prior (her ashes). So close to so many places to visit, which we never did (we loved every minute being disconnected). The weather was mostly perfect, besides some hail and rain a couple nights. We took our paddle boards out almost every day. Our site was right by the lake and right by one of the vaulted toilets. There is no electricity, only potable water, and neither one of us had cell phone service. If you ask me, IT WAS PERFECT!! These sites are FCFS, and the weekend fills up fast. The hosts are awesome and helpful. The toilets were always clean, the cleanest I’ve ever experienced! There are no showers, but there is a campground close by that lets you shower for $5. Might sound expensive, but when you’ve gone 5 days with no shower, it’s so worth it! We had neighbors nearby and everyone was friendly. I have only positive things to say about this place. It was an experience that enlightened my soul. I most definitely will be going back again!

Guide to Sturgis

Dispersed camping options near Sturgis, South Dakota typically sit at elevations between 4,000-5,000 feet in the northern Black Hills region. Summer temperatures range from 50°F at night to 85°F during the day, with late summer thunderstorms common in the afternoons. Fire restrictions are strictly enforced at most dispersed tent campsites near Sturgis, with numerous signs prohibiting campfires posted throughout the area.

What to do

Explore Roosevelt Tower trails: Mount Roosevelt Road Dispersed Campsite provides quick access to the Roosevelt Friendship Tower hiking trail. "Had an amazing time at this prime free dispersed campsite! Had my tundra equipped with a 5x8 trailer and could easily get to any of the sites. Overall, great spot, make sure to hit the hike to the tower and overlook!" notes camper Bruce S.

Visit nearby historic towns: Tent campers at Mount Roosevelt Camp can easily reach Deadwood, just 5-10 minutes away. According to Molly G., "Well-kept road, several spots to park and camp. Some beautiful spots overlooking Deadwood. 5-10 minutes from town. We had a 4WD truck with rooftop tent."

Wildlife viewing opportunities: Dawn and dusk provide prime wildlife viewing times at RD 356 Dispersed Site. "My Son and I stayed here while visiting Mount Rushmore and the surrounding area's other attractions. Weather was great, very mild. Air was fresh and crisp. We are planning on staying here again in the future because of it's close proximity to everything and my 6 year old loved it!" shares Connor M.

What campers like

Privacy between sites: The dispersed areas along Mount Roosevelt Road offer good separation between campsites. "Spots are spread out so you have privacy. Pretty quiet area," reports Olivia E. who stayed at Mount Roosevelt Road Dispersed Campsite.

Cell service availability: Connectivity varies widely between camping areas. At Mount Roosevelt Road Dispersed Campsite, a camper notes, "We have T mobile and we got 2 bars. Road was in good shape. Lots of deer and wild life so watch out."

Proximity to attractions: Many tent campsites near Sturgis, South Dakota provide convenient bases for regional exploration. A Bogus Jim Creek Campsite visitor explains, "Fr202 turn uphill but not muddy.. on right .. wind n storm but good camping.. quite..not much traffic after dark."

What you should know

Road conditions vary significantly: Many dispersed sites require navigating unpaved roads. "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," reports TexasRed from Mount Roosevelt Road Dispersed Campsite.

No facilities at most sites: Pack in all supplies including water and waste disposal bags. At RD 356 Dispersed Site, Connor M. advises, "This is a pack in and pack out site with no facilities; no running water, no bathrooms, nothing. Make sure you bring what you need with you."

Limited or no campfire options: Most dispersed camping areas prohibit fires. One camper at Mount Roosevelt Road Dispersed Campsite observed, "Maybe 3 spots.. one has hard slant.. no campfire signs all over.. not far to Roosevelt tower.. beautiful views."

Weather preparedness essential: Summer storms can develop quickly in the Black Hills. "We definitely had an intense hail/thunderstorm so ended up sleeping half the night in the car," shares a camper at Wrinkled Rock.

Tips for camping with families

Choose sites near trailheads: Families appreciate camping near short hiking opportunities. At Wrinkled Rock, a visitor notes, "There's dispersed camping here with quite a few pad options. It's a quiet place with a lot of very cool hiking trails off of the camp site."

Toilet access considerations: Some dispersed areas have vault toilets at trailheads but not at actual campsites. "Bathroom close by the entrance/trailhead to Roosevelt Friendship Tower," mentions a Mount Roosevelt Road Dispersed Campsite reviewer.

Find level tent spots: Many dispersed sites have uneven terrain. "The tent spots are all very reasonably close to the parking lot so even if you want to walk off a bit to place your tent it won't be much of a burden or hassle to set up," observes an Abigail C. at Wrinkled Rock.

Tips from RVers

Turn radius limitations: Some forest roads have tight turns that limit RV access. At RD 356 Dispersed Site, Tyler M. cautions, "I saw some larger RVs at the sites closer to the entrance, but I would not recommend venturing too far down in a larger rig as there is somewhat of a tight turn in the road."

Site selection timing: Arriving early improves chances of finding suitable spots for larger vehicles. "We got to the campsite pretty late (8pm) and we were able to find an empty site just by going down the road a bit. If we got there earlier, we probably would have had a better pick," notes Brianna F. about RD 356 Dispersed Site.

Pull-through availability: Some forest roads have pull-off areas suitable for RVs. "There 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," reports Heather S.

Frequently Asked Questions

What amenities are available at tent campgrounds near Sturgis?

Tent campgrounds near Sturgis offer varying levels of amenities. Big Pine Campground provides tree-covered spots with firewood delivery service, spacious sites, and knowledgeable staff who can provide area information and maps. For a more rustic experience, Wrinkled Rock offers basic amenities including vault toilets and tent pads, but no fire rings. Most established campgrounds in the area typically provide drinking water and restroom facilities, while dispersed camping options require self-sufficiency. During the motorcycle rally, many campgrounds add temporary shower facilities and food vendors.

Where are the best tent camping sites near Sturgis during the motorcycle rally?

During the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, Iron Horse Rally Campground is a popular option specifically designed for rally-goers, offering designated tent areas and motorcycle-friendly facilities. For those seeking a quieter alternative, Bear Butte Creek Campground provides reservable tent sites with proximity to Sturgis while being slightly removed from the main rally action. Both locations fill quickly during rally week, so advance reservations are strongly recommended. The proximity to event venues and secure motorcycle parking are key considerations when choosing your rally camping spot.

How much does tent camping cost in Sturgis during peak season?

Tent camping costs near Sturgis vary dramatically between regular season and rally season. During the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally (peak season), tent camping rates can range from $30-60 per night at established campgrounds, with many requiring multi-night minimum stays. For budget options, consider Mount Roosevelt Road Dispersed Campsite or RD 356 Dispersed Site Black Hills National Forest, which offer free camping with proper permits, though they fill quickly during rally week. Outside rally season (August), prices typically drop by 30-50% at commercial campgrounds, with many sites available for $15-25 per night.

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