Centrally located in the park along US Hyw 16A near the Visitor Center, Peter Norbeck Outdoor Education Center, Tatanka Barn, and State Game Lodge, the Game Lodge Campground offers a bit of everything.  Grace Coolidge Creek flows through the campground into a swimming beach near the playground. 

Open: April 1 - November 15 with full facilities (may change based on weather conditions)
Open House Weekend - October 1 with cold water laundry
November 16 - March 31 with comfort station closed, vault toilets and water hydrant available

Located south of the Visitor Center, near the junction of US Hwy 16A and Wildlife Loop Road

Staffed: Camp attendant and on-site campground host.

Sanitation & Water: Flush toilets and showers (2 facilities), dump station, drinking water, vault toilets

ADA & Accessibility: Camping Cabins GL 5 or Campsites (electric hookup) 3E and 26E

State Game Lodge is ¼ mile west of the campground. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, State Game Lodge served as the Summer White House for President Calvin Coolidge in 1927. Coolidge General Store is 1 mile west of the campground.

Amenities: Full service restaurant, Buffalo Safari Jeep rides, lodging and resort cabins, gift shop, laundromat, fishing licenses, convenience store & gift shop, fuel

Game Lodge Campground — Custer State Park

This campground is open year round and is located in Custer State Park, in the Black Hills of South Dakota. Features cabin, camper, and tent sites. Also has very nice bathroom facilities that includes showers. A nice little creek runs along the back of the campground and the wildlife are abundant, especially Buffalo and deer that roam directly next to the campsite.

Nice and Simple

Absolutely adore the black hills region. Custer is a great place to make base camp while you check out everything the region has to offer. Popular campground we stayed at the cabins at the game lodge. Very well maintained. Be sure not to miss the walk around Sylvan lake or a stroll down main street in Custer. There's also an amazingly cool fish hatchery in Spearfish that is definetly worth the drive. Happy Adventuring! And say hi to the bison for me.

Something different around every turn!

My family and I first camped in Custer State Park at Game Lodge almost 10 years ago.  I have been back several times, and even though Sylvan Lake is cool, Game Lodge is still my favorite.  

The showers and toilets are very clean.  You never have to wait in line.  The campsites are spaced perfectly so you don't feel like you are on top of your neighbors.  during the day you can be eating lunch and watch the buffalo grazing on the hill.  It is a little further South than Sylvan Lake, but it is worth the drive on Iron Mountain Road.

Unfortunately I can only find two pictures from Game Lodge that I took outside of the campground on Iron Mountain Road of some wildlife.  Pre-dates my iphone.

Game Lodge was my first camping experience in Custer, still my favorite.

This may be one of our favorite all time sites! We were at Game Lodge campground site 36, which was right next to a little creek. At night, we could hear the water running and it was so calming. Tent pads were elevated, so our REI Kingdom 8 garage had to run off the edge. Even so, it was the perfect spot for us as we explored the Black Hills. I have heard all the campgrounds in Custer are very nice, however.

Camped with two boys, age 4 and 2.5\. Loved that the bison were just outside our campground on the way in and the visitor center just across the road was beautiful!

Activities included:

Wind Cave Tour, Wildlife Loop drive, Needles Highway, Chuckwagon Dinner, Mt Rushmore, and more.

Playground at site was a bit further for us, but the kids walked there anyway.

Close to nature and so MANY things to do!

Custer State Park was our favorite attraction and this campground offers you the ability to be right in the middle of it all!  We tent camped and this was a nice site.  You can park in front or site and there is a pad so be careful how large your tent is.  Along a nice creek.  Clean.   Nice pond and little beach area.  Right between Needles Highway and Scenic Byway!  You can drive a couple or miles and see buffalo every day during your stay!

Deep in the Heart of Custer

This campground is very difficult to get into during the summer, so book in advance or keep trying every day. We lucked out and got 3 nights midweek in July. The second morning we woke up to bison all along the fence next to the campground! It has a great bike trail that connects the campground to the visitors center, the State Game Lodge, the general store, and Grace Coolidge campground. You can also walk or bike to the Lover’s Leap trailhead, which is an absolute must-do while staying here. You are also right next to the entrance of Wildlife Loop Road if you want to take a scenic drive. Within the campground itself are beautiful tent sites next to a river, a small swimming pond, and modern &amp; clean bathrooms. This is an amazing place to stay that gives you easy access to everything Custer State Park has to offer. 

Incredible experience!

August 25-30, 2019   LOVE this park! Campground VERY clean. Site GL25E has electric and water is available at the park. Restrooms have showers, flush toilets and are heated. Purchased yearly pass to save money. Verizon 4G. Elevation 4,177. Pictures will tell the rest. Food at the Lodge Restaurant is very good and best to make a reservation.

Game Lodge Campground - Custer State Park

Very nice and quiet camp ground.  Though we did not get the site we wanted it was ok since we were only there for a night.  The fire rings were very nice the bathrooms were very clean and the ground was nice and level for a tent!  There are also some sites that do have tent pads and back up to the creek and mountain, unfortunately that is not one we got.  Added bonus was the shower room/bathrooms were very warm and the showers were free!

Great location and camp ground!

This campground is right across from the visitor center, convenient to all the trails and Mount Rushmore, has great amenities, and a beautiful stream running by the campground. Dump station, drinking water, laundry, bathhouses, paved level sites, electric only, wildlife is everywhere! The game lodge is a short walk away. Thoroughly enjoyed my time here! Sunday Gulch Trail is a must!! Wish I would’ve stayed more than 1 night. 

Great Location

Camped: March 6-8, 2021

When I saw the forecast of almost 70 in March I knew I had to go camping! I picked Game Lodge because it had electric and I wanted to run my heater at night. 

It is right off the road, very open and would give no privacy if full but we were pretty much by ourselves. I was a little put off that it was 30 a night for off season but was pleasantly surprised when showers and bathrooms were open even when it was advertised that they were closed. 

Did have road noise but because we were right on road we woke up to elk, Buffalo, deer and sheep right in our “backyard”. My kids loved it. Fun area even off season. Loved wildlife loop. 

Firewood was almost impossible to find this time of year. Paid $40 for a small amount and had to drive into Custer. 

Normally, I like camping far away from people and roads but the views and animals made up for it. 

Bathrooms and water was warm and clean. 

Found a couple of girls in the bathroom that were completely unprepared for winter camping. They didn’t even have a hat. So if you do go winter camping bring the right gear and you will have a blast. 

Buffalo everywhere! 

We stayed at site #47 the end of March that was right along a creek. It was a slow moving creek so a very nice sound without being loud. There were small fish in it. The bathrooms with showers were open. They were very clean and had warm water. The site was nice and clean. While we were there they put down new rock around the fire pit. There weren’t a lot of people there since it was March but we had several sites filled around us and we still felt that we had some privacy. The location is across from the visitor center. Close to the wildlife loop and Iron Mountain Road. There was a male bison that was roaming near the other side of the fence which was neat. There is a small playground for kiddos.  We would definitely stay there again. 

Nice, clean, convenient location 

This popular state campground felt like a cross between an RV park and a state park. Large well kept spaces, but shared space behind each where people walk past to the restroom. More like a community, the way they are laid out. Host was great to warn us of coming storm to get the awning in. Dump station. Electric only site , made it tricky. Short stay okay 

Hybrid Feel

Central location! Great place for base in Custer State Park. Lodge, RV sites, cabins, and tent sites. Close to Coolidge Game Lodge, visitor center, and start of the wildlife drive. Reservations can be made through Custer State Park website.

Best camping area in Custer State Park

We camped in April - in our teardrop trailer - and almost had the campground to ourselves!  Very few people and those that were there were very spread out.  Our site was right on the creek and it was a lovely sound for nighttime!  We had easy access to laundry if needed (at the next lodge down the road inside the park) and firewood was available there too for $6/bundle if you wanted it. Generally there is a restaurant during tourist season, but wasn't open yet. This campground - Game Lodge - was the only one in the park open at this time of year.  We went in early April.   

  

For those concerned about the animals - yes the deer can jump the fence into the campground, but notice I said "fence"...the bison can not get in.  Even with the gate open, there is a large "cattle grate" in the pavement to keep them from coming it.  They love to graze in the grass outside the fence, but can't get in.  

  

All sites had a fire ring (we didn't use ours since it was VERY windy and VERY dry) but it's good size.  There are picnic tables at each site as well. Vault toilets as well as full bathrooms (heated) with showers for free (hot showers). The showers are not on all year long, but only when the frost is out of the ground for the water lines . Water spigots for drinking water are here and there, but again, only on when there is no danger of freeze.  

  

Spaces were clearly marked, tent pads were raised on pea type gravel, cabins looked lovely (appeared to have A/C).