Dalton Lake Campground — Black Hills National Forest

Pleasant location. Sites are a bit close together, but they are right on the lake. Easy access to the centennial trail. Only downside was the small herd of cattle wandering around leaving messy cow pies all over.

My boyfriend and I were looking for a last minute campsite after a day in Rapid City and Deadwood. We checked out Boxelder Campground in Nemo but they were full so we did a google search for other places near by. When we arrived at Dalton, we spoke with the host to find out if there were any open spots. The host was super nice and helpful. He allowed us to set up a tent in their picnic area, which they use for overflow campers. The spot was secluded and looked over the lake. It was absolutely perfect for us!

Campground Review: Dalton Lake is a primitive camp in the Black Hills. It’s an hour to either Sturgis or Rapid City with a few small towns in between. The campground is lakeside with a day use area as well. 11 sites means that it fills up quickly. We arrived around 1 on Thursday and got one of the last sites. Things empty out on Sunday so plan accordingly. 

We stayed a few days and enjoyed our time. A family filled up a number of sites and nearly everyone has an ATV. Off road trails lead right out of camp. There’s a vault toilet in camp and another by the day use area. Walk down the grass to fish in Dalton lake. A few piers and a bridge give fishing choices. 

We are hikers so the draw for us was being right on the long Centennial Trail. It’s also the trail head for the Little Elk Canyon Trail. We loved hiking the Little Elk as it follows along a small river. 

Note: There is a warning on the water hand-pump that says it has some impurities that may make it unsafe to drink. We stuck with the water we brought(the host doesn’t drink the water either). 

Product Review: As a Dyrt Ranger I sometimes get products to review. This trip I tried out the Stream2Sea sunscreen. We carried a 3 oz bottle and certainly found that a little goes a long way. It’s a mineral sunscreen so you just use a dab and rub it in. The videos on their website clearly show how to apply it. 

Hiking the Little Elk trail on a sunny day was beautiful. As someone who grew too tall for their hair, I am always concerned about the bald head getting too much sun. I used the white sunscreen(not the tinted) and it went on with just a bit of white sheen. It does absorb in with more rubbing and became less noticeable. Using just enough was key. I liked that it didn’t run down into my eyes as I hiked the almost 10 miles. The sun was hot but I didn’t get burnt. I did use my hat for part of the way for a bit of shade but mostly my head was in the sun. 

I did have trouble cleaning off the sunscreen. Since water is a bit unsafe at camp now, I tried to conserve by using a wet wipe. My skin was left with a sheen of sunscreen that lasted for a little while. This shouldn’t be an issue when enough water is available to clean up. 

The Stream2Sea products don’t harm the environment which is a big plus. I receive emails from the company that consistently talk about their commitment to not harming the planet. This adds to the positive feeling I get using their products. Thanks, Stream2Sea, for protecting my skin as much as the environment.