Rafter J Bar Ranch, near Hill City, South Dakota, is a fantastic campground that caters to a variety of camping styles, from tents to RVs and even cabins. With spacious sites surrounded by trees, it offers a comfortable setting for families and solo adventurers alike.

This campground boasts a heated pool and hot tub, perfect for unwinding after a day of exploring the nearby attractions like Mt. Rushmore and the Crazy Horse Memorial. Visitors rave about the well-maintained facilities, including clean bathrooms and laundry options, making it easy to keep your gear fresh during your stay. One camper noted, “The office/store has basic necessities and ice cream,” which is always a nice touch.

Rafter J Bar Ranch is not just about the amenities; it’s also a great place for kids to play. There’s a large field and a playground where little ones can run around and have fun. Reviewers appreciate the family-friendly atmosphere, with plenty of open spaces for dogs and kids to enjoy. As one happy camper put it, “Polite and helpful staff” make the experience even better.

With its prime location, you’re just minutes away from local attractions and outdoor adventures. Whether you’re looking to hike, explore, or just relax by the campfire, Rafter J Bar Ranch has everything you need for a memorable camping experience.

Rafter J Bar Ranch

Hill City is an ideal place for camping adventures of all kinds. There are tons of hikes and other fun activities to partake in, as well as sights to see and explore. You're sure to find the perfect campground for your Hill City camping trip.

Hill City

The Best Camping Near Hill City, South Dakota

WiFi was spotty but full hookups with the amazing scenery is awesome. 


Beautiful location with wonderful amenities.

This campground was absolutely gorgeous and a great place to stay while visiting the Black Hills, Mt. Rushmore, Crazy Horse, and Devil’s Tower. We had a beautiful campsite in the “Ranch” section that had lots of trees and was a fair distance away from our neighbors. Showers/restrooms were clean and the laundry facilities and camp store were handy. Kids loved the pool, hot tub, basketball, and volleyball court. I loved the wide open feel of the campground and would definitely recommend to others visiting the area.

Great location in the Black Hills!

Great campground. Plenty of room. Kids had tons of room to play. Great pool. Awesome WiFi at main building. Staff was super friendly &amp; helpful. Stayed here for a week to tour the area. Will be back!

Wow, wide open 

It doesn’t get any better than this!! It #1 in my book and we have camped everywhere! Black hills, I’m coming back!❤️❤️

PERFECT

Picturesque 

Stayed in one of the cabins over the weekend, while family stayed in their camper at the Ranch site. Wow, the cabin exceeded my expectations! It was one of the larger cabins with a separate bedroom. It was so clean, I thought it was newly built. Large patio overlooking streams, great views, quiet. Outdoor grill, kitchen with fridge and coffee maker. Comfy beds and tv with satellite. Clean, spacious bathroom. Must bring your own towels, linens, toiletries, etc. Plenty of space throughout the camp. Within minutes of Mr Rushmore, Crazy Horse Memorial, Sylvan Lake, Hill City, and Custer.

Beautiful, Great Location!

Centrally located! Just across the street from access to Mt. Rushmore and the Needles Highway and down the road from Crazy Horse. 
Beautiful view of the hills. Most campsites are spread out (the island, ranch area are spread out well), but some can be a little more packed (in the base camp area). Polite and helpful staff. Water, sewer, and electric. Security present. Very family friendly. Big open spaces for kids and dogs to play and playgrounds, volleyball court, basketball court, and a nice pool. Quiet camping. Flat parking. Nice showers and cute cabins. First time through we stayed in a cabin (no running water) and the next in a campsite. Both times we had a great experience. Thank you to Rafter J Bar for a fun family experience! 

Wonderful  

Only booked a night on a trip through SD, I wish I  could stay there a longer. Nice staff, and wonderfully clean. Big site, which makes me feel better about my most costly night so far. Worth it in my opinion. Large campground with different areas. We stay on the Island. Quiet, super shady on the "Island". Lots of trees and beautiful. I can't say enough good things. I will be back. Btw no wifi or cable on the island but that was made clear on reserving, very accommodating a last minute reservation. Thank you Rafter J ranch

Amazing

Large dispersed campground, beautiful setting, busy due to location to tourist site, also a bit more costly but worth it. No wi fi or satellite signal available.  Would highly recommend and would love to stay again

Beautiful

This was in a beautiful area off the beaten path. Close to Rushmore. Big open area. Nice sites. 

Close to Rushmore!

Great location, large sites, full hookups. Limited cell reception no wifi. There was considerable highway noise where we were located on the east side. 

This was a wonderful campsite. It’s situated right in between Mt. Rushmore and The Crazy Horse Memorial. Plus it’s 5 minutes down the road from Hill City, SD with the normal amenities (grocery, fuel, restaurants, etc) plus wineries and breweries. 

The property is absolutely massive with great views all around. We were in the Lower Ranch Camp which we enjoyed. The site was gravel and deep with 50/30/20 amp electric, water and sewer and lots of space. There are laundry facilities in the bathhouses scattered around the property. The pool is heated with a hot tub and there was a small general store. 

This was a historic ranch and a stop for the stagecoaches. 

We will definitely stay here again the next time we pass through the Black Hills. 

Lives up to its reputation 

I now understand why this is the most recommended campground in The Black Hills when the question is posed on social media.  There is a site here for everyone.  Small spaces, long space, shaded spaces, wide open spaces for you Starlinkers.  Back ins, pull throughs.  The sites are well spaced, so you don’t feel like you are in a big parking lot.  The pool and playground for the kiddos are brand new.  The office/store has basic necessities and ice cream.  Bath houses are close and clean.  And it is ridiculously well located.  My site is easily over 100 ft long, back up to a wooded hill and leaves me lots of space from neighbors.  All the full hookup connections are logically placed.

Best Campground in The Black Hills

Great place to stay with a little something for everyone. Tough to get reservations and a little spendy, but the staff was great, lots of space and tree cover, great activities, and amenities. We will stay here again, no doubt.

Fantastic

The grounds are well maintained and groomed.  It has a heated pool and hot tub, we didn’t use because a cold front came through the week we were there. If you have kids there is a big field where kids were running sound having fun next to a nice playground. The laundry room was super clean and machines all in working order.  

Beautiful campground

We stayed here for 2 nights and had a great time. Everything is clean and the site we stayed at was located under trees with lots of distance to the next neighbors. On the site you can hear some of the traffic from the highway but that is still acceptable. We would always come back here again.

Great place to stay 

We will be back. We stayed in a wooded lot up top in the park. The bathrooms were well maintained. We really enjoyed the location to all the area attractions. 

We arrived on Labor Day and were very disappointed that the pool was closed. Despite what there website states the pool closes on Labor Day. Management did make it right by us though and we got to enjoy a local pool in close proximity. 

All and all we will be back to the area and we will plan to stay here again. 

Photos of Rafter J Bar Ranch

Real photos from real campers