Castle Peak

The drive to Castle Peak was a little rough and time consuming but well worth it. We lucked out and were able to get into the last open campground on Labor Day weekend, which is great since it is first come first serve. The creek was amazing to listen to all day and all night, and the kids had to do something other than sit on electronics since there is no service. This all made for a calm and peaceful weekend.

Several sites nestled under the trees and next to a rushing creek. Great if you want to be isolated. No water, electric and cell phones probably won't work. 

BUT, beware of Google & Bing Maps. They usually want to bring you in from the west. This part of the road is extremely rough. As in tore up the underside of my Prius to the tune of $750. OUCH!  You want to come in from the east, coming off the road between Mystic and Hill City. That road has a few places with deep ruts, but otherwise ok.

Only take the west road if you have a high ground clearance vehicle.

Several miles down a rough dirt road you'll find a campground that is as close to perfect as you could find.  With only nine sites and in a remote area you'll be instore for a peaceful rest.  The only other folks I saw were riding in their side-by-side, they waved as they passed through.  Located on the top of the ridge is an American flag that was put there by a group of disabled vets!

If you’re willing to invest 45 minutes to go down a bumpy 8 mile dirt road the reward will be seclusion and beauty. 9 lonely campsites situated next to Castle Creek surrounded by hills and Lodgepole Pines and wildflowers. There is a clean vault toilet but no potable water so bring your own or be prepared to filter. About 16 miles out of Hill City well worth the trouble. The directions on the USDA website are accurate. Every campsite is next to the flowing creek. Campsites come with a picnic table fire ring (plenty of wood around) and a level campsite. We were there early September and no one was there!

Don’t let the name fool you, the mountain rises steeply on each side of the campground. There’s a river running right next to your campsite. Nobody was camping there when we drove in. This is very good because the road is the challenge. 

My hands gripped the steering wheel tightly- which way do we go? Spotting a tiny wooden sign(definitely not in national forest style) we turn left past a broken pickup. One lane and very rough, I got nervous about backing up if an oncoming vehicle came upon us. As it was we had to encourage the cows to walk down the slope to the river so we could pass. We drove through a few water crossings so be careful if it rains. Finally there and breathing starts again. 

All that being said, this is a beautiful campground to hang out in. There isn’t much to do except enjoy the place.- and it’s spectacular. Unless you have an ATV and want to drive some trails. A family in their ATV drove in to picnic and they were equipped with detailed maps. 

Being prepared is the proper way to explore the Black Hills.