Big Sioux Recreation Area, near Brandon, South Dakota, is a fantastic spot for campers looking to enjoy the great outdoors year-round. With spacious sites tucked among shady trees, it’s perfect for setting up your tent, RV, or even a cozy cabin.

The campground boasts a variety of amenities, including clean bathrooms and hot showers, which visitors appreciate after a day of hiking or biking on the scenic trails. Many campers have raved about the well-kept facilities, with one noting, “The bathrooms are exceptionally clean. Showers great.” You can also enjoy activities like disc golf and fishing along the river, making it a fun place for both relaxation and adventure.

If you’re up for exploring, the area is surrounded by beautiful trails that cater to hikers and bikers alike. The paved paths are great for a leisurely stroll or a brisk run, while the nearby Sioux River offers opportunities for kayaking and fishing. Campers have highlighted the peaceful atmosphere, with one saying, “It’s very peaceful,” making it an ideal retreat from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. 

Whether you’re here for a quick overnight stay or a longer getaway, Big Sioux Recreation Area has plenty to keep you entertained and comfortable.

Big Sioux Recreation Area — Big Sioux

Join the fun near Brandon. With tons of outdoor activities and scenic camping, this is an excellent vacation spot for all kinds of travelers. Discover secluded campsites where you can reconnect with nature. Or maybe you like to bring your family and friends along. Either way, there are Brandon campgrounds just for you. Find the best campgrounds near Brandon, SD. Read reviews from campers like you and find your perfect campsite.

Brandon

The Best Camping Near Brandon, South Dakota

We visited here June 2012 while on our way to Mt Rushmore. The campground was neat and had a playground with a field for kids to play. The sites were leveled dirt/gravel and shaded with electric. The temps were very cool at night in the Summer which was awesome. They sold firewood at front station. Amenities: hiking, biking, canoeing. The campground was close to a neighborhood and we met some local residents at the playground area. They told us about a nearby attraction called Falls Park in Sioux Falls. This was a crazy place to just be in the middle of town but oh so beautiful!

Nice campground with friendly people

Beautiful area, very shaded by trees in the RV camping spots. Clean bathrooms. Quiet camp grounds and easy access to the river. Loading area for kayaks and canoes right next to the campgrounds. 

Great Kayaking 

Just outside of Sioux Falls.  Stayed here for a night on the way to the black hills.  It was a nice campground right on the Sioux River.  The restrooms were well maintained.  Did a quick day trip to Falls park.  

Fun weekend away!

We have stayed here many times. Nice quiet state campground. Our site was nice, level, spacious, and had plenty of grass coverage (instead of dirt). Bugs were a pain but not much you can do about that. Bike trails are awesome. 


Peaceful

We stayed here in a travel trailer. The site was level with lots of shade and grass. Spacious sites,not too close. Our site was along the river but it wasn't easy to access the water from our site. The biking, walking trail was great! Lots of bugs and mosquitoes. It was very quiet here, and the rangers were really nice. We had electricity and could access water close by. Only a long drop toilet nearby, but there were bath houses. There was firewood for sale at the entrance.

Lots of shade and grass!

Heading home needed a one night camp spot. This one fit the bill.  
Located in Brandon not far from Sioux Falls.
Clean bathrooms with showers. Firewood available to purchase. Each site has a picnic table and fire ring. Bike and hiking trails. Plus plenty of privacy. 
Definitely will return.


Beautiful and peaceful 

I spent the night here and had to pay the entrance fee to the park as well as the camping fee for my tentsite. They had only a few tentsites available amid all the RV sites, but they were right on the edge of the playground, so the families had to walk right through my campsite to get to the play area. Not too big a deal as no one wanted to use the play area at night while I was sleeping, but still.  I also looked over at the power lines. There was a flush toilet facility close by but there was a very bright light on all night. Good for families needing to navigate in the dark but not wonderful if you like sleeping in darkness. And though I was told that quiet hours began at 10PM, the site next to me was quite loud through the trees until at least midnight so the quiet hours are not enforced. Meh. I don't think I'll be going back.

Ok place to spend the night, but could have been better

This park is tucked in the middle of a Brandon neighborhood. I've always been a tenter in the past. I am new to RV camping. I was pleasantly surprised how much space there was between each campsite. We stayed in 37E. It was level as  most of the sites appeared to be. It's spring now so the trees are just starting to bud but this site will have some shade and privacy when everything blooms. The picnic table and fire ring were clean and in good repair. I enjoyed my stay here. My only criticism is the overly full vault toilets. I'll spare you the details but it was un pleasant. I would visit again! 
 

Beautiful area with many recreational activities. 

Fun campground!

Really 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.

Very nice, spacious sites

Very 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. 

Quiet, good paved bike path

This 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.

Convenient camping near Sioux Falls

South 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. 

Eastern South Dakota Gem

The 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.

This is a super nice state campground

Super clean, nicely spaced, tons of trails. As Google guided is to the campground, we were getting concerned. Turns out, great campsite. 

Give this one a go

We 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

Great Weekend Spot

This 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!

Beautiful and spacious 

It 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.

fine for an overnight

Excellent campground. Nice facilities and well maintained. 

Awesome 

Beautiful 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. 

Shady and relaxing

Another 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!

Nicely designed campsites

Great place 

We 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. 

Beautiful tent site

Site are big. Nice trails, and really quiet!

Great state park

Great sites, very level, very clean facilities. Only strange thing was a bad smell near the restrooms. Regardless we would definitely go back.

Big Sioux 

Arrived late to the camping grounds, it was easy to find and navigate to our spot. Clean facilities and friendly community. 

Nice spot 

Such 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.

Clean and Dog Friendly

It is a nice quiet campground. Paved bike path. Frisbee golf, deer. River for fishing or kayaking. 

Nice sites, things to do

One 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. 

Absolutely lovely

We 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.

Great choice

Level spots with electric. Has a nice bike bath and is very peaceful. 

Wilderness abound 

We 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!

Fun and relaxing

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!

Nice little nook with lots of cover!

Site was level. Trees surrounding area. Electric hook up but no water. Flush toilets with showers very nice.

Nice campground 

We come here often. The showers are great, the walking trail is great, and the spots are nice and spread out. Overall a great park! 

Close to home

Just another overnight stop on my drive to Iowa. I spent the night in a non-electric tent site so I can't really comment on the other parts of the campground. It does have nice bathrooms with running water and showers. The non-e tent sites are in a forested section, all shaded. Sites include picnic tables and fire rings. Sites are located a very short walk from the designated parking. I had a great night's sleep as it was relatively quiet. I didn't partake but they do have a Frisbee golf course. Took a short walk on their trail system to the suspension walking bridge. My complaint would be the fees. I thought i was paying one fee for the non-e tent site but then there was an additional fee for non-res and another fee for park day use fee or permit. This fee was confusing whether I was supposed to pay this or not. So what looked like a small fee to spend the night turned into much more.

Another overnight stop.

This SD State Recreation site is next to Sioux Falls. Make reservations early. It will get filled on weekends and holidays. Not a bad park for a family, first timers, or those who want to just get outside. This park may be in the city limits of Brandon SD. Grocery store, restaurants, and gas stations within about two miles. This is a very good park if you are visiting someone in the area or a traveler.

Nice for occasional family camping.

The park is on the outskirts of a little town just east of Sioux Falls. I made my reservations online ($30 for the reservation, $1.26 tax, $0.45 for more tax, and $10 for the non-resident reservation fee). The campsites are clean, spacious, and beautiful. Absolutely loved it there. I had no sooner settled in, and a woman knocked on my van asking that I pay a city tax, an additional $15. I really don't mind paying the fees as that's what supports the park...What I didn't like was that it wasn't mentioned when making the reservations. Other than that little "gotcha" it was a wonderful experience. Would definitely visit again.

Photos of Big Sioux Recreation Area — Big Sioux

Real photos from real campers