Looking for an adventure where you can explore Wall and then fall asleep in your tent? With The Dyrt, it's easy to find Wall campgrounds for you and your tent. Each tent site offers quick access to one or more of Wall, South Dakota's most popular destinations.
There is only one small developed recreation area on the Buffalo Gap National Grassland. The National Grassland Visitor Center is located in Wall, South Dakota. This site provides the history behind the system of the National Grasslands located across the West.
While there is only one developed campground, there are plenty of open spaces to camp. Bring your horse, your bicycle or your OHV and spend some quiet time in the wide open spaces of the Grassland.
Overnight camping in developed sites is on a first-come, first-served basis. Campfires are allowed unless restrictions are posted. Red Cloud Campground site features 13 sites with picnic tables and fire grates, and a vault toilet. From Chadron, NE travel eight miles south of on U.S. Highway 385 to the campground.
Backcountry, dispersed or primitive camping (no facilities) is allowed anywhere on the National Forest.
Practicing Leave No Trace principles ensures that the next person to visit will have the same sense of discovery as those who came before.
The seven principles are:
Plan ahead and prepare, Camp and travel on durable surfaces, Dispose of waste properly, Leave what you find, Minimize campfire impacts, Respect wildlife, Be considerate of other visitors.
Permits are not currently required for overnight stays in the Badlands backcountry. Before setting out on an overnight trip contact a staff member at the Ben Reifel Visitor Center or Pinnacles Entrance Station for more information. Backcountry registers are located at the Medicine/Castle Trail Loop, Saddle Pass Trailhead, Conata Picnic Area, Sage Creek Basin Overlook, and the Sage Creek Campground.
Campfires are not allowed under any circumstances. Use a backpacking stove.
Pets are not permitted on trails, in backcountry, or wilderness areas.
The location of your campsite must be at least 0.5 miles from a road or trail and must not be visible from a roadway.
There is little to no water available in the backcountry. The small amounts of water found are not drinkable or filterable due to the high sediment content. Always carry at least one gallon of water per person per day.
All refuse must be carried out. Use the cat hole method to dispose of human waste. Dig a small hole 6 to 8 inches deep and a minimum of 200 feet from any water source. Since animals will often dig up cat holes and scatter the toilet paper, it is preferred that you pack out all toilet paper. If you must bury toilet paper, use a minimal amount and bury with at least 6 inches of soil.
Strain food particles from wastewater, pack out food scraps, and scatter remaining water more than 200 feet from any stream channel.
Scout
Tent camping in the Badlands is a one of a kind experience. The sites are basic, but the views are amazing. We stayed at tent site 81 and had unobstructed views. We read about the wind before going and those campers were not joking. A storm swept through with lightning like we’ve never seen before and the wind continued all night. Be prepared for the wind! Fires are not allowed due to the wind. Bathrooms were ok and they had a dishwashing station which was nice. Enjoy this unique campground!
Traveler
Very close to Wall Drug attraction, quiet camp ground accommodating RVs and tents. We camped in a tent, and although it rained enjoyed our stay. Staff is nice, facilities are clean. Would recommend!
Ranger
I decided to check this place out since I love dispersed camping. Getting here is easy - just head south from Wall and you'll see it on the left when you see the radio towers. Little dirt road heads out to it.
Long stretch, and when I was there, lots and lots of RV campers, but no tent campers. Why? Two main reasons from what I can gather: extremely windy, and as a result, no fires. I don't know if it's actually a rule that you can't have fires here, but at least when I was there, you wouldn't want to try and manage a fire here anyway, even if you could throw together a decent stone fire pit. The wind is just too intense and the entire area is really dry.
Another issue: the wind could easily result in you losing some of your tent equipment if you're not careful when you're setting it up and making sure it can't blow away. When I was there the wind was gusting toward the edge, so if you did have some of your stuff blow away, getting it back could be a real pain in the ass. Needless to say, if you are going to tent camp here - and it is definitely doable - stake it down well and be double-careful when setting up not to lose anything.
People mentioned goats in some reviews, and sure enough, I bumped into a small group of them. Seemed pretty harmless and quite used to humans hanging around.
The sunrise and sunset are supposed to be stunning, which I unfortunately did not have time to stay to confirm. Would definitely plan on a sunrise / sunset viewing if I find myself in this area again and the timing is right.
All in all, a cool spot, but it's gonna be a bit of a doozy for the tent campers if it's half as windy as it was when I was there.
Oh, and for you hammock lovers - not a tree in sight. Good luck! ;)
Traveler
We liked: tent sites on the outskirts, trail / dog-hiking area, proximity to Badlands. Showers and price were ok. To earn 5 stars it needs more seclusion and trees for tent sites. Generally we camp dispersed or in forest campgrounds, avoiding RV parks, so 4 stars is actually pretty good from us for an RV park.
TravelerThe location is right outside of the national park, and is a motel / campground. You could get a room, RV or tent site. We reserved a tent site and picked once we arrived. The staff was friendly and they do have a store with ice / wood / etc if needed. They also had a breakfast option.
The tent sites are just on a field of grass. They are right next to one another without any separation so proximity to neighbors is very close. However, the view was great as you could see the badlands.
The bathrooms and showers were rough, and we refrained from using them. Not very well maintained or cleaned often it seems. Also, bugs. Especially at night when the beatles come out.
For RV users, looks like they had full hookups but unsure of the amps. Probably the usual 50.
Overall we wouldn’t mind coming back!
LegendYou will have nice views of the Badlands from your campsite. A nice tent camping area for sure. You are in the open at this campground, not many trees grow here.
GuideFriendly staff at check in. We were tent camping and were given a weird site at the back of the tent area when nobody was there. Sorta weird but we rolled with it. They have a camp store, pool, laundry, showers and clean restrooms. The pool was nice but got crowed because it was smaller.
The best draw to this campground is that it’s a 2 block walk to the famous wall drug store. So there is tons to do. The badlands national park is a must see and very close as well.
I would recommend this campground again for its location and friendly staff.
GuideGood wifi, little store. Tent site. Hot showers, restaurant serves breakfast. Fire rings. Beautiful place overlooking bad lands. Friendly staff, quiet, and comfortable.
GuideNice campground near the park. Cost about $20 / night for tent site. Small store in the campground and a pool (not in service when we were there). Would definitely stay again!
TravelerRolled in here after a 12 hour drive at about 11:00 pm. There were still quite a few spots to set up. There were mostly campers and we were one of two groups tent camping but that wasn’t an issue. Make sure to use stakes for your tent though because the wind is wild. The stars were gorgeous and the sunrise was unrivaled
LegendTalk about wide open spaces!
I could see how tent camping could be rough here in heavy winds, but I got lucky during my stay.
Incredible spot on a plateau overlooking the Badlands.
Epic sunrises and sunsets, but no shade during the day!
Just outside of the park boundary, so great basecamp for Badlands exploration.
GuideOn an “I’m gunna lose my mind if I don’t get outta here” whim, I picked this campground as it seemed to be right in the middle of everything. In one day we checked out Mt Rushmore, drove back to the camp site to have lunch then went to the badlands and before leaving the next morn, we tootled around wall drug. We lucked out getting a tent site with the shelter as I was unprepared for the rain and wind. We had a nice stay at a nice little clean campground and the dog enjoyed running around the fenced pet area after spending so much time in the car.
Scout
I am very pleased with this Campground . As I drove through the Badlands today and saw people setting up their tents in the totally exposed Park campgrounds I was sad for them . The KOA has great shade at every tent site . The sites are spacious and there were was no overcrowding . I opted to rent one of the small Rustic cabins with AC ( no bathroom or kitchen ) in order to give my elderly dog a respite from the scorching afternoon heat . The little camping cabin is clean and comfortable, there is a small front porch with a swing . Outside there is a picnic table and fire ring . We walked through the campground this evening and there was a cool gentle breeze . Most of the tent sites were unoccupied while I believe absolutely every RV site was occupied . Definitely worth checking out this campsite and hands down better choice than the exposed unshaded sites with in the Badlands .
ScoutWe have stayed here twice, it was easy to find and lots of available spots but it’s just on a cliff’s edge so there are TONS of strong gusts of winds, it caused our tent to cave in and I ended up sleeping in the car. There was a goat, that was cool, but otherwise I don’t recommend for tent camping (go to sage creek campground, also free)
TravelerPros: you are camping in badlands national park. Night time star gazing program with the park during the summer.
Cons: sites are tightly packed together. No trees. No wind protection. Pay showers. Showers not super clean. Bathrooms and showers do not have counter space or other areas to place personal items.
During our stay sustained winds collapsed our tent during the day. If you are tent camping, using a tent designed to handle windy conditions would be recommended.
GuideTent sIte. VIsIted in July. Extremely hot (>100) for 2 nights. mosquitos were insane! I usually expect them this time of year, but apparently they were especially awful this year per camp owners. bathrooms were sub par on the cleanliness side. dog area was nice. camp store very limited
GuideThis campground was alright. They had a snack bar and activities for the kids. The tent sites were big and the facilities were mostly clean. It’s the only campground near Badlands NP and is quite a drive to the middle of nowhere. WiFi coverage was poor and Sprint has no cell service here.
Guide
It was $35 for a tent site. The bathrooms were clean but did have a lot of moths at night. The campsite had lots of kids and families. The staff was very kind and found us a fire pit when we asked! It’s off a highway but the site is around woods so it’s peaceful.
Traveler
I’ve spent my fair share of nights tent camping in the western part of the states and I’d have to say that this campground is hands down my favorite. Not only is it free is it stunning!! Views of rolling hills and a river valley. Buffalo often wonder into the camp to scratch themselves in the wooden campsite markers! Dog friendly too!! There are technically 25 sites but I ave been here where 35 people crammed in off near the sides.
GuideYou can walk faster than you can from Wall Drug parking areas. Friendly service, great restrooms, and a small pool.
TravelerQuiet park just a block or two from Wall Drug. Has everything you need including laundry and showers, pool is closed.
GuideWhat a great park and a wonderful campground :) Tent camped here for 4 nights and was pleased with the campground location, restrooms, and site. Nothing special for the site- just a level, open area to put the tent, but there was a nice picnic area. Lots of little creatures scurrying around most of the time, so there's build in entertainment at the site! The park is beautiful- 5 days was not enough time to explore everything. I liked camping here since it was close to many trails and gave me a better sense of the park and its wildlife. I would definitely camp here again on a trip to the Badlands.
ScoutAwesome campsite. Easy to miss the turn. If coming from Wall, it’s on the left before you hit the “entering badlands” sign - & up a long dirt road.
LegendLocated within Badlands National Park, this campground couldn’t be more conveniently located to nearby hiking trails and all the Badlands has to offer. There is a visitors center with a small store in walking distance. Our site was essentially along a road, so privacy is limited, but you get your own awning and picnic table. The bathrooms weren’t heated and it was about 5 degrees which made our showers uncomfortable. The showers require quarters, but there is a no change machine. Use the vending machine to make change instead.
Tent camping is allowed all year, but most guests were staying in RV’s.
GuideIt is a area about the size of a city block that you camp in the middle of and park around. It is popular so try not to show up late. Plenty of tent camping inside the loop. Parking can be and issue. By 9.pm some small RVs came and couldn't find space left to park. Vault toilets, trails, some picnic tables, scenery. Woke up to a buffalo 30 yards from my tent. Other people said they walk right thru camp. Prairie dogs everywhere, so watch your step for holes. I got yelled at by a prairie dog on my hike up the hill lol. Our stay was short but enjoyable.
RangerI loved this campground. Now it could easily have been because it was our first official, set up our tent site after 23hrs of driving. But honestly the views were beautiful.
Sites were nice and level for setting up our tents, the sites had a great covered picnic area. And even though we saw quite a few others camping out, it was quiet. We visited in Oct.
The bath houses were clean and well maintained and showers were sure nice to have.
We rolled in around 7pm so was already dark but waking to the morning sunrise was amazing.
GuideOur family of four tent camped two nights in the Cedar Pass campground and the views are unbelievable! The sky is so open we watched a rainstorm pass by to the south of us, but never felt a drop. The campground can become crowded at times so try to choose a site on the outer edge of the grounds. Covered picnic tables were greatly appreciated since shade is sparse. Day hikes and evening ranger led programs are well worth your time. The kids also enjoyed making friends playing on the gigantic rocks outside of the amphitheater. Campground and bathrooms were well maintained. A cool experience all around.
Tent camping near Wall, South Dakota offers a unique opportunity to immerse yourself in stunning landscapes and enjoy the great outdoors. With options for both dispersed camping and backcountry experiences, there's something for every adventurer.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular tent campsite near Wall, SD?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Wall, SD is Baja Area Dispersed - Buffalo Gap National Grassland with a 4.4-star rating from 7 reviews.
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