Grizzly Creek Primitive, near Mount Rushmore, South Dakota, offers a scenic escape in the heart of the [Black Hills National Forest](https://thedyrt.com/camping/south-dakota/near/black-hills-national-forest). This campground is surrounded by tall pines and the soothing sounds of a nearby creek, making it a great base for exploring the stunning landscapes of the area.

The campground features clean facilities and a friendly host who sells firewood, ensuring you have everything you need for a cozy stay. Many visitors have enjoyed the peaceful atmosphere, with one camper noting, “We ended up with a campsite right next to the creek...could not be more relaxing.” 

While the sites are primarily suited for tents and small RVs, the lack of electric hookups keeps the experience rustic. Campers appreciate the proximity to attractions like Custer State Park and Jewel Cave National Monument, perfect for day trips. Just be aware that some sites are a bit close together, and the sounds of helicopter tours can be heard throughout the day.

If you’re traveling with pets, they’re welcome here for a small fee, making it a great choice for families. With its beautiful surroundings and convenient location, Grizzly Creek Primitive is a fantastic spot for those looking to immerse themselves in nature while still being close to iconic landmarks.

## Overview

 This campground lies beneath a canopy of oak and Ponderosa pine on the banks of Grizzly Creek. The site has retained much of its original Civilian Conservation Corps character, and offers visitors recreation and relaxation in Black Hills National Forest. Located along the Iron Mountain Road, it is between Mount Rushmore National Memorial and Custer State Park.A pavillion built by the Civilian Conservation Corps still stands and is available for use by campers. 
## Recreation

 Black Hills National Forest offers visitors a multitude of recreational opportunites throughout all seasons. Hiking, fishing, horseback riding, mountain biking, and riding off-highway vehicles are popular in summer and early autumn. The winter landscape is ideal for snowshoeing, skiing and snowmobiling. From a nearby trailhead, visitors can access the Centennial Trail and parts of the Black Elk Wilderness and Norbeck Wildlife Preserve. Trails weave through the wilderness for a primitive, non-motorized recreation experience. For those seeking higher elevations, a day-long trek to the summit of nearby Black Elk Peak is worth the effort. Black Elk Peak is the highest natural point in the United States east of the Rocky Mountains. Most of the summit is bare granite and offers expansive views of the surrounding area. An old stone tower (Harney Lookout Tower) at the top, once used as a fire lookout, is still open to hikers.
## Facilities

 Due to tight, sharp turns, towing vehicles is prohibited in this campground. This includes vehicles pulling trailers and fifth-wheels, motorhomes pulling vehicles, and vehicles pulling pop-up campers. Vehicles up to 24 feet maximum are allowed. No overflow parking available.\_The campground has picnic tables, campfire rings, vault toilets, and drinking water. Electrical hook-ups are not available. Firewood is available for a fee. 
## Natural Features

 Located in western South Dakota and northeastern Wyoming, Black Hills National Forest encompasses nearly 1.25 million acres of rugged rock formations, canyons and gulches, open grassland parks, tumbling streams, deep blue lakes, and unique caves. Derived from the Lakota language, the words \"Paha Sapa,\" meaning \"hills that are black,\" honor the dark, pine-covered hills rising several thousand feet above the surrounding prairie. This campground is located in the Norbeck Wildlife Preserve and is close to the Black Elk Wilderness, South Dakota's only designated wilderness area. This area encompasses the Harney Range, an area long held sacred by American Indians. Wildlife in the area abounds. Bighorn sheep navigate mountainous terrain, while elk, deer and pronghorn gather in forests and prairies. Bald eagles, hawks, osprey, peregrine falcon, and hundreds of other bird species can be found in the forest, especially along streams, lakes and rivers. 
## Nearby Attractions

 A short 2 miles away is the fabulous Mount Rushmore National Memorial, which hosts almost 3 million visitors a year. This campground is located on the scenic Iron Mountain Rd. with its famous CCC built Pigtail Bridges and tunnels for breathtaking views of Mt. Rushmore. Possible day trips include Custer State Park with its many buffalo and other wildlife, Crazy Horse Monument and Wind Cave National Park as well as Jewel Cave which is the second longest cave in the world at 159.29 miles. It features sparkling calcite crystals and other rare formations, as well as some of the largest concentrations of passageways in the world. 
## Contact Info

 For facility specific information, please call (605) 574-4402.
## Charges & Cancellations

 No refunds will be given for weather or related events.

Grizzly Creek Primitive

Whether you're an RVer or tent camper, Keystone, SD is a great place to post up for the weekend—or longer. Keystone is an adventure-filled destination for those who love the outdoorsy camper lifestyle. But it's also great for those who prefer to spend time near the city, exploring and sightseeing. You're sure to find the perfect campground for your Keystone camping trip.

Keystone

The Best Camping Near Keystone, South Dakota

Let me start by saying the campground itself is beautiful! There was plenty of shade and the creek provided nice ambiance. However, don't camp here if you want some peace and quiet! Iron Mountain Road runs right by and it a popular with motorists and motorcyclists. Also, starting a 9am until probably 6pm there are helicopter tours for Mount Rushmore and it flies right over the campground. We used this spot as a jump off point for all our adventures so we weren't bothered too much by the noise as we were gone for much of the day.

Our only other complaint is that the vault toilets smelled terrible. I know they're not supposed to smell like roses, but we've experienced many other vault toilets that we "pleasant" and we rarely saw a fly. These would have flies swarming as you used the facilities and we could often smell the toilets from our site. I'm not sure if the treatment is different in SD, as we're from CO, but this was out biggest complaint.

High point is that you're only 5 to 10 minutes from Rushmore and close to Custer State Park and it was an easy jumping point for many other destinations.

One more note...more of a soapbox speech...the Vermont people next to us were terrible campers and broke all the basic etiquette camping rules. They washed dished in the creek, they bathed at the water pumps and left trash and food all over their site and in the fire pit when they left. This is NOT ok. Camping involves a very high level of respect for nature and if you can't follow leave no trace rules, you shouldn't be out there!

Beautiful but nosy and smelly

overall it was a very nice campground. right off iron Mountain road, which is cool but can be noisy with motorcycle traffic. there was also helicopter noise every single day starting at 9 and a new one would come through about every 15-20 minutes. however, both helicopter and motorcycle traffic stopped come night fall. the vault toilet stunk pretty bad, but we camped right next to one and didn’t have any foul wind come our way, it’s just going into them to use when you’ll have problems. very nice and shady campground. don’t let smell and noise steer you away. it’s absolutely beautiful and the hosts are nice too! 

pretty and small but can hear some traffic

The campground boasts 20 sites but a 1/3rd of them are Day use only. Half are by reservation and only 3 are first come, first served. It was a lovely spot, easy to access and the camp hosts were very nice. A creek runs by the campground and there are several trails for hiking, including one across the main road that goes pretty much straight up a hill but offers an incredible view of Mt Rushmore.

No Rvs are allowed but if you are camping in a van (or Jeep in my case) you fit in just fine. There are lots of trees appropriately distanced for hammocking.

There are no showers at the campground but you can head into Keystone (7 min drive) and there are showers in town.

Tucked into the woods but a 5 min drive to Rushmore 

This place was so serene. So many beautiful trees. Just a few miles from Mount Rushmore. A nice little stream runs along one side. The road to get there is narrow and winding, but wasn’t too long. No showers, but the vault toilets were clean. It does say primitive. I felt so at peace camping here. Large spaces.

Nice and secluded

We stayed at the campgrounds for two nights while visiting the Black Hills in early August. We stayed for a Friday and Saturday night. The campgrounds are tucked back in the woods which makes for a beautiful morning, though because it's located off a pretty busy road it's probable that it may not be as quiet during more busy seasons of the year. The camp hosts are very kind and helpful and can gladly recommend local sites depending on the visitors interests.

The campgrounds is located about 5 minutes from Mount Rushmore and is a great central point for other popular sites, such as the Black Elk Wilderness, Custer Park or either Wind Cave National Park or Jewel Cave National Monument.

Despite being out in the woods, the campsites are located very close to each other meaning that if you're stuck next to three noisy men, as we were, you're going to hear their entire conversation about car engines and their friend Mike's relationship with his wife.

Pretty and centrally located for many popular sites.

This fairly private and secluded campsite just a few minutes from Mount Rushmore is a great spot if you don't need showers or other KOA-style amenities.

Secluded primitive camping near Rushmore

This campground is amazing. If you're heading to the Mount Rushmore/Keystone area I highly recommend you go here. Pulled into camp when it was dark out but when we woke up we got to see the true beauty of the Black Hills. The campsites are spaced far enough apart that you aren't bothered by other travelers. Each stall has a picnic table and level ground for easy tent set up. If you hammock camp like us you will be pleased to see tons of trees that are perfectly spaced for hammocks. Prices were completely reasonable and the grounds are kept clean.

Best Part of My Trip

This was a great campground. Friendly host. Close to mt Rushmore and bear country drive thru zoo both worth checking out. Primitive campground away from the crowds. Quite and private. 

Quiete place

Small (20 sites) primitive campground located only one mile from Keystone SD.  Great for seeing Mt Rushmore,  Crazy Horse Site and Custer State Park.   Mostly tents as large RVs and trailers have difficulty with tight curves.   Some sites small but we reserved #19, it is very large and offers best privacy.  Well maintained vault toilets and potable water available.   Quiet at night but some road noise and helicopter traffic during the day.  Friendly hosts. 

Great Location

We stayed here one night on our way to Montana. Really close to Mount Rushmore. It was quiet and the hosts were extremely friendly. If we’re ever in the area again, we’ll definitely stay here.

Had a great time

This campground is mostly for tents or Class B RVs. We are the latter and were excited to camp somewhere where we weren’t dominated by large towables and Class As. There are no hookups and it would be rude to run your generator.  Sites are clean and amply spaced. The helicopters overhead are a bit obnoxious but it’s great to be close to Mt Rushmore and Keystone without being with all the people. The campground was full even after Labor Day so I would suggest getting a reservation or arriving early. 

For tents and small RVs only 

This campground was a relatively small loop with primitive amenities. The host was friendly, but make sure you follow all the rules. His camper is on the right when you enter and that's where you check in. We were able to visit several places while camping here because it is very close to Mount Rushmore, Custer State Park, Jewel Cave National Monument, Wind Cave National Park and the The Black Hills National Forest. The campground offers many trees for shade and for hanging hammocks, a picnic table, firepit with grill, vault toilet (extremely foul odor in the summer), clean water spout, and firewood for sale. We even had access to Grizzly Creek at our site on the left, which was a nice place to cool off in July. We would stay here again, the only negative is that you can hear helicopter tours throughout the day.

Mount Rushmore 

This sweet spot is right up the Norbeck Byway coming North on the 16 from Custer State Park’s East side. It’s a few miles south of the intersection for the 244 (towards Rushmore) and Keystone.

John, the host, is very sweet and even pointed us into a direction for a waterfall hike (4 mi. RT) from the campground.

The spaces are not all flat and some are quite close together. It seems as though the campground is divided equally into reservable spots (online) and day use spots. Although it’s not clear if the day use spots can be reserved on a day to day basis for the night as we did see some folks sleeping in them with a reservation sign on the campsite number post.

Horsethief Lake Day Use is just passed Rushmore, a few miles or so. Although it’s mostly a fishing lake, using a paddle board, canoe, and/or kayak is permitted. Since no motorized vessels are allowed, having a nice swim in the lake adds to the charm of the lake.  You can park in the day use area (free), or near the steps on the roadway pull-out.  Horsethief Lake Trail is supposed to be a beautiful hike, too.

The only two downsides to this campground is that the road traffic echoes rather loudly into the grounds from midday to early evening, but worse than that is the helicopters that just circle Rushmore all day long.

Small Campground Close to Rushmore and Horsethief Lake

This is a small primitive campground nestled in the forest about 10 minutes from Mt Rushmore.  The host sells firewood and the sites are clean and quiet.    

Heart of the Black Hills

$24/day + $2 for pets. 
New campground hosts. They are doing a good job for first timers. Some sites are reservable, others FCFS.
It was rainy and cold but this is a nice campground. Few helicopters d/t weather. 
Very convenient. Lots of water stations. The CCC buildings are amazing. 
Some cool rocks behind my campsite and lots of wildlife to tease the dog (birds, chipmunks, squirrels, whitetail deer).

Pleasant campground

We ended up with a campsite right next to the creek, I am at a loss for words over how gorgeous this entire area is. The campground is down in the middle of a valley and could not be more relaxing. Will definitely be back again.

Amazing Spot

Great prices

NOT FREE. Host will find you. Tents mostly. Small site's. No towed vehicles allowed. Camper Van's okay to 24ft. ,$24. Dogs $2

Good and small 

Was looking for a site to base out of for a few days of exploring the Black Hills. Most of the reserved sites in Custer state park and the forrest service sites were booked up with reservations so we went in looking for FCFS sites and when we arrived at Grizzly Creek at 10am on a Weds morning we had at least 5 sites open so we took one. 

  

THE GOOD. This is a very scenic spot with lovely tall pines, the sound of the creek, good access to Iron Mountain Rd for a scenic drive, as well as short drives to Rushmore and Custer SP. The sites near the entrance are wide and flat enough to put a few small tents on.

  

THE BAD. Sites on the southeast side of the grounds were on slopes and looked difficult to put a tent on. The flatter sites closer to the entrance had less privacy. The toilet was clean, but the solar light and fan didn't work. But the worst part was the noise. Obnoxious Rushmore helicopter tours go all day from about 9am to 8pm and lots of motorcycle traffic on the nearby road. It was a real shame because the campground otherwise checked a lot of boxes. 2.5 stars. 

  

Also, its $24/night as of July 2023

Photos of Grizzly Creek Primitive

Real photos from real campers