Big Sioux Recreation Area — Big Sioux

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

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!

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. 

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

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

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

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

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. 