Best Glamping in South Dakota

Recent Glamping Reviews in South Dakota

878 Reviews of 89 South Dakota Campgrounds

• 

  Flannel Fabe ..

  Ranger

  

  Oct. 7, 2024

  Mount Rushmore Under Canvas

  South Dakota Safari

  Definitely glamping. Awesome experience. Full amenities on site, even a little view of Mount Rushmore from the lobby’s deck.

• 

  Robert M.

  Traveler

  

  Jul. 14, 2022

  Hot Springs / Black Hills KOA

  It's a KOA, enough said.

  This can barely be called a campground. Definately glamping on crack. But, if you're on a long road trip and need a place to shower, this place has showers. And food. Too expensive IMO.

• 

  Lory A.

  Traveler

  

  Jun. 14, 2024

  Buffalo Ridge Camp Resort

  This really is a resort.

  This is an unbelievable place. Very nice pull through sights, two pools, hot tub, laundry and nice bathrooms. They pay attention to details such as clean fire pits and no trash anywhere. Extremely safe for a family or a Solo Traveler. Wonderful playgrounds for children. Would definitely stay here again because there are so many ways to camp. Including teepees, cabins and glamping sites. This really is a true Resort.

• 

  Chad M.

  Guide

  

  Jul. 29, 2020

  Buffalo Ridge Camp Resort

  It all depends on what you’re looking for

  The pros:

  • 100+ spaces for campers/motorhomes accommodating all sizes, even the real big diesel pushers.
  • They have small cabins to rent, tree houses, and glamping tent/cabins.
  • The bathrooms are clean and have private showers.
  • There are laundry facilities on site.
  • Full hookup sites.
  • Two swimming pools.
  • Close proximity to Keystone, Custer, Rapid City
  • Each gravel pad may require minor leveling but they are pretty good.
  • A nice picnic table is located at each site.

  The cons: We ended up here because I called 17 other places between Custer and Rapid City and all were full. Many of the sites offered by the competition are nicely spaced out with mature trees surrounding the pads, that’s not the case here.

  • The RV area is tight with a sea of RV’s. For us it’s less like camping and more like a townhouse development. It’s not as bad as the parking lot variety, there is grass between the sites and some trees.
• D

  Denise A.

  Scout

  

  Oct. 10, 2021

  Yankton — Lewis And Clark Recreation Area

  Lewis & Clark Recreational area

  Great place to camp!!! South Dakota has it right with making reservations! Nebraska is HORRIBLE!!! We quit the Nebraska State parks years ago! Putting in coins to take a shower?! Really?! South Dakota doesn’t do that!!! South Dakota State Parks ROCK!!!!!

• J

  Joan

  Ranger

  

  Jul. 10, 2021

  Sioux Falls KOA

  Easy off 90, clean, friendly

  There’s a fair size staff working; you could see 3-5 people at any given time. Good selection in store open 8am to 9pm in July. Nice size pool and laundry room. Store seemed well stocked with a variety of items. The mini golf was the only thing run down but the kids played it 3 times and didn’t care.

  There were 2 bathroom/shower houses both nice. The one by the laundry and game room seemed newer.

  Laundry and bathrooms open 24 hours. Game room closed at 9pm.

  Everyone was extremely nice and customer oriented there.

  We upgraded to a patio so as not to drag everything out for one night. Very nice. I can’t comment on the grill as we “glamped” on our 5th night from PA and ordered Uber Eats. A friendly worker escorted the driver to our site via golf cart. There are also trees throughout and fences to give you a feeling of privacy. We pulled through the space and used risers to level it.

  I used the laundry room and shower. Both were nice. They even had a full length mirror in the shower area. We’d stay there again and recommend.

  Edit: My grandsons loved this because there was enough to do but “peaceful” too. Their words so we stopped on our return back from Yellowstone.

• 

  Bob C.

  Scout

  

  May. 26, 2018

  East Midway — Lewis And Clark Recreation Area

  Lewis and Clark So. Dak. State Park.

  Great campground. Well maintained with a great marina and lake access points. Adequate amenities. One of South Dakota's many great state parks.

• 

  Quinn Z.

  Ranger

  

  Sep. 29, 2020

  Pactola Reservoir Campground

  Large, near the water, easily accessible. Summer only though! :(

  I should have checked Recreation.gov to confirm this campground is open before heading there, it would have saved me some time. It closed as of September 11th 2020, and is reopening in May 2021. Looks like May- Sept. is what's planned for next year as well. Boo! Still, glad I did actually go because now I know where I might head next time I'm in the area. Noticed some other campsites in the Black Hills are closed as well, so I might have timed my camping trip to the area poorly. Live and learn. Anyway, about the campground… 

  Easy to get to, good LTE reception on Verizon throughout, BIG area with what looks like four different loops, some closer to the water than others. A tent-only area, which I appreciate- those tend to be quieter than the RV spots, and the tent area was close to the reservoir. Standard campsite amenities- tables, fire pits, bathrooms. Swimming seems like an option. Plenty of trees for us hammock dwellers. Could easily see myself spending a few days here when it is open, assuming it isn't too much of a zoo, which large sites like these can devolve into.

  NOTE: this is a duplicate listing of another Dyrt listing for the same campground. That listing is under the name "Pactola Reservoir Campground" which is the accurate name according to the Forest Service. That listing has more reviews and info, but has incorrect GPS coordinates. I've submitted a fix, so hopefully they'll fix the GPS for the other listing and merge them, but until then, just a heads up. Here's the other listing: https://thedyrt.com/camping/south-dakota/south-dakota-pactola-reservoir-campground

• 

  Justin R.

  Guide

  

  Sep. 27, 2021

  Happy Holiday RV Resort

  Friendliest people in the most breathtaking area

  The owners are the friendliest. Very accommodating. All the hook ups worked. Awesome price in a fantastic location to see all the wonderful sites South Dakota has to offer.

• M

  Michelle C.

  Traveler

  

  Aug. 19, 2020

  Wolf Camp Campground - PERMANENTLY CLOSED

  Oasis from the tourist traps near Mt Rushmore and Crazy Horse Memorial

  Small but quiet and set among the Black Hills of South Dakota, this RV and Tent camping site has clean bathrooms with showers, WiFi, a great cafe, lots of shade, and friendly service. We stayed at the KOA first, but wish our first night had been here!

• J

  John N.

  Traveler

  

  Sep. 19, 2020

  Big Sioux Recreation Area — Big Sioux

  Eastern South Dakota Gem

  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.

• 

  Michael C.

  Legend

  

  Jul. 20, 2021

  Hills RV Park

  Close to the interstate for easy access, yet surrounded by Sourh Dakota corn fields

  An excellent choice for staying if traveling across South Dakota. The sites are gravel, but are all pull through. Most are full hookup, but there is a on site dump station for those with electric only. The swimming pool was an absolute total plus for a hot July day. The park owner Nancy is a fantastic host. Definitely a stay again park

• 

  GoWhereYouAreDraw N.

  Legend

  

  Apr. 30, 2021

  Rocky Point Recreation Area

  Nice & Clean

  Rocky Point Recreation Area is clean and quiet. Access to the reservoir was very easy. There is a small sandy beach is available for swimming. The facilities were clean and in good repair. It's a nice area for kayaking, canoeing, or fishing. 

  It was on the upper end of what I'd want to spend for a campsite with the reservation fee and the out-of-state fee for South Dakota.

• 

  Billy B.

  Guide

  

  Aug. 30, 2016

  Sylvan Lake Campground — Custer State Park

  Best campground in Custer State park

  This lake is beautiful, its one of my favorite places inside Custer state park. There are a ton of trails, all within easy walking distance. Make sure you pack plenty of water. Some of the hikes are pretty steep and South Dakota in notorious for fast changing weather. The lake itself can be pretty busy, especially during the weekend. Lot of people swimming and kayaking. Needles highway is a must if your in the area

• 

  Kara M.

  Guide

  

  Jun. 20, 2022

  Heartland RV Park And Cabins

  Nice place to stay the night

  We are traveling through South Dakota and a storm was brewing. We decided to camp here instead of dry camping so that we would have hookups incase we couldn't open the windows. It's really warm outside. They have a camp store, live music on a Sunday and a Cafe that offers pizza and wings for dinner, breakfast, and a bar. The only con is that there is no shade and it's right on the interstate. Looks like they've begun planting trees.

• 

  Kari T.

  Legend

  

  Jun. 13, 2019

  Buffalo Ridge Camp Resort

  Ranger Review: Central Location with Little Highway Noise

  As a Ranger on The Dyrt, I sometimes receive compensation for reviews like this one. We received a coupon code for The Dyrt's online product store in exchange for trying out the new online camping reservation system to make a reservation for Buffalo Ridge Camping Resort. 

  We reserved a campsite for Buffalo Ridge Camping Resort through The Dyrt, and it was a breeze to go through the process. We were emailed the reservation information, payment was taken via bank card, and it all made the check-in process very fast upon arrival. We decided to change from a tent site to a log cabin and all the contact information was in the email, so we called and they made the change for us at the office. When we arrived they handed over the key and off we went. 

  Buffalo Ridge is conveniently located in Custer, South Dakota. It is at the location of the previous Flintstones Resort(my kids miss that place), and some of the playground equipment from the Flintstones Theme Park were located at the campground. My boys loved playing on the teeter-totters and in the old Flintstones car that were there. Good memories. The resort is sectioned into areas- a tent area, the glamping tipi area, two RV areas, and the cabins. There is a main building where you check in and they have a nice little gift shop with trendy, outdoorsy items and camping needs available. The heated pool is coming… they have broken ground behind the main building! However, since the pool is promised on their website, they partnered with another of the Custer Hospitality’s properties, Comfort Inn, which is across the road, and provide passes to the indoor swimming pool there until their pool is done. My sons were thrilled as the night we stayed at Buffalo Ridge it got down in the 30’s- that would have been a very chilly outdoor swim for June! 

  The RV sites are pretty typically spaced, and there are small trees throughout. The tent sites are large, have a fire ring, and some have picnic shelters as well as tables. There are two types of cabins, log (think KOA-style) and rustic. They sleep 4-5 comfortably. Cabins also have fire rings and picnic tables, and there are trash cans right outside the cabin! What a nice touch(you can tell we aren’t in bear country here!). There is a really nice, new laundry and shower facility and a bathroom building with two toilets and a very large outdoor sink for washing dishes. 

  The price for this campground is more than reasonable compared with others in the area! We were happy to see both their tent sites and their cabin prices were about$10 below the local competition. All of the staff we encountered were friendly and helpful, and did their best to insure a positive stay. 

  The log cabin we stayed in did not have A/C, but they do provide a space heater(which we needed in June, believe it or not), but they are situated near the top of the ridge so get a nice breeze. There were two sets of beds inside, one twin bunk and one full-twin bunk. Five could easily sleep there. There is a nice porch with chairs and a swinging bench as well. Our sons asked if we could stay a second night, they enjoyed it so much! 

  Right now (as of June 2019) they are working on installing the outdoor pools, expanding the second RV area(looks almost done), they just paved the east entrance this week, and are putting in more gravel and possibly paving more of the main roads. It is going to be a very nice campground when it is finished, as it already has a great start! There were a ton of RV’s the night we stayed, and they have an employee that leads you to your site using a golf cart, which is always a nice touch. Class A’s fit easily into their sites, as well as RV’s with slides. Plenty of safe room for kids to run around and play as well. All around, we are very pleased to have Buffalo Ridge in our home town and will stay there again just for the fun of it!

  For the techies - excellent Wi-Fi service is included all over the campground, and there is a  very good 4G Verizon signal at the campground.

• 

  Bibs O.

  Legend

  

  Sep. 17, 2024

  American Creek Campground

  Nicely maintained.

  Honestly, this is a nice campground. There is water available at every site. 50-30-20 amp service as well. With the exception of the water at your site, this looks and feels just like a South Dakota campground site, and it costs more than twice as much as SD campgrounds. I don't wish to sound nasty, but campground fees are out of control. $60.00 a night for what you can get for $26.00. I just don't know anymore. Anyway, this is a nice campground. If money is no issue, spend all you have here.

• 

  Lee D.

  Legend

  

  Jul. 26, 2019

  Palisades State Park Campground

  Nice stay in a state park

  We passed through Palisades State Park earlier this year and spent some time in the day-use area so we knew it was a good place to camp as we passed through South Dakota on another trip. One main (clean) bathhouse with two showers plus two pit toilets for those camping farther away on the loop. A mix of cabins, tent, and electric sites. Lots of trees. LONG driveways and some sites (such as 34E) are very large. The website allows you to view sites, so you know in advance what to expect. Nice walking trails and picnic areas.

• R

  Rhoads F.

  Scout

  

  Jun. 17, 2021

  Buffalo Ridge Camp Resort

  South Dakota Luxury Camping

  We originally booked the teepee which is adorable but after arriving we felt we needed some more space. Luckily for us there was one glamping tent available for the dates we needed. Quite the price difference but we were ok with it. 3 beds (2 queen and one twin!) all with trundles underneath! The front and back porch were amazing for coffee and yoga in the am. The bedding was luxury and the decor was amazing nice touches to the experience. The mini fridge came in use and we loved the location of the tent to the pool and the shower house located just a few feet away. Beware that SD gets some pretty epic storms and two nights were slightly scary being in a canvas tent with wind gusts of 50 plus mph but they held up well! The teepees on the other hand 😆 not so much. Glad we upgraded! The pool.....there is a kid side and adult side which was awesome! The kid pool was super gross so I was glad to have a spot to go with crystal clear water! It was crowded later in the day. The pool stays open and extra hour for adults which is nice 9-10pm. The facility could use a couple more washer and dryer units as a lady pissed and moaned at me that she couldn’t do her laundry because they were in use by me. Our first vaca Karen and she did not disappoint lol. The little store in the lodge is adorable and has a nice little area to chill, play games and a deck to outside with a nice grill for guests to use. They offer popcorn and coffee all day. Let some of the nicest people and we made so many memories at this property. I’ll be sure to share with clients who head to SD!

• 

  Laura M.

  Legend

  

  Oct. 5, 2023

  Allen Ranch Campground

  It'll do

  We stopped at this campground because we were tired of driving and wanted to get out of the heat, plus the 50% Passport America discount which brought the cost to $20/night for an RV site with power (30 and 50 amp) and water. There is a dump station on site as well, but getting to it can be tricky as there are low hanging branches around it. 

  This place is pretty run down, but nice and simple and friendly. Definitely not worth the full price of $40/night. The back in sites are along the creek and are nice and green and shaded. 

  The pull through sites are up on a sparse dirt lot along the main road, in full blazing sun. Highly recommend a back in site over one of the pull throughs. They do take reservations here, but there were several open sites for us to choose from on a Monday in late September. 

  The campground is an odd setup, and may be difficult for larger rigs to navigate. The back in sites are all in one stretch, with the office at the end of it. So you drive to the end, check in and look for open sites via self registration at the office, then you have to turn around and drive back out to your site, and awkwardly back in against the angle (or drive up to the pull through area and loop back down).  Recommend maybe parking at the pull through area and walking to the office so you can avoid the awkward turnarounds. 

  There are toilets and free showers here, but no laundry. They also offer teepee and tent sites, as well as “glamping” sites. We met a very friendly employee on the way in (Tim or Tom?) who said he makes a great breakfast in the morning. Good cell reception for all three carriers.

• T

  Tammy A.

  Traveler

  

  Aug. 6, 2021

  Big Sioux Recreation Area — Big Sioux

  Shady and relaxing

  Beautiful campground! Sites are well spaced. Lots of trees for great shade in the hot summer. Very nice bathroom and shower house. Easy drive in to Sioux Falls. Several trails around the park. This was our final stop on our South Dakota trip. It was a wonderful and restful campground for us. After we arrived, Park staff came around and shared maps and info on things to do in the area. The first night a storm rolled through and the host drove thru and knocked on doors to check on people and let them know where shelter was just in case. Definitely will keep this campground on our list for future trips.

• 

  Quinn Z.

  Ranger

  

  Sep. 28, 2020

  Pactola Reservoir Campground

  Large, near the water, easily accessible. Summer only though! :(

  I should have checked Recreation.gov to confirm this campground is open before heading there, it would have saved me some time. It closed as of September 11th 2020, and is reopening in May 2021. Looks like May - Sept. is what's planned for next year as well. Boo! Still, glad I did actually go because now I know where I might head next time I'm in the area. Noticed some other campsites in the Black Hills are closed as well, so I might have timed my camping trip to the area poorly. Live and learn. Anyway, about the campground…

  Easy to get to, good LTE reception on Verizon throughout, BIG area with what looks like four different loops, some closer to the water than others. A tent-only area, which I appreciate - those tend to be quieter than the RV spots, and the tent area was close to the reservoir. Standard campsite amenities - tables, fire pits, bathrooms. Swimming seems like an option. Plenty of trees for us hammock dwellers.  Could easily see myself spending a few days here when it is open, assuming it isn't too much of a zoo, which large sites like these can devolve into.

  NOTE - as of 9/28/2020 the GPS coordinates for this are wrong on Dyrt. I submitted a correction, so that might be changed soon, but just a heads up. Dyrt currently has another listing with fewer reviews simply called "Pactola Campground" that is also this campground and has accurate GPS coordinates. You can find that listing here: https://thedyrt.com/camping/south-dakota/pactola

  To avoid potentially heading to the wrong spot, just fire up Google Maps and plug in "Pactola Reservoir Campground" and it'll take you right there.

  EDIT / UPDATE - as of 10/7/2020 the GPS coordinates for this campground are now correct.

• 

  Wendy

  Scout

  

  Aug. 31, 2020

  Chris' Campground

  quiet place, but a few fyi's

  They advertise that they have Wi-Fi but it's almost like they shut it off at 10 o'clock at night when quiet time starts which is a great time for looking up directions or places to see, we could never connect for long and streaming- which means no Netflix its against the rules(which we never saw only overheard). They allow fires but make sure you get a metal ring because it's illegal to have a fire in south Dakota if you don't have one they have them but they don't leave them at the sites or let you know they are available. Also no petting zoo we specifically came here thinking they had one because they advertised and after we arrived they informed us it was turned into a dog park i have no pictures but there's not much to see here

• M

  May M.

  Traveler

  

  Aug. 1, 2018

  Lake Vermillion Recreation Area

  Nice but pricey

  South Dakota charges a day use fee ($6) plus a fee for tent camping ($17); I opted to pay for an Annual Pass of $30 since I plan on doing more SD camping this year. The park had East and West areas, the tent sites (4) are only in the West side. As typical, the more scenic lakeside camping is for RV's, with flushing toilets and showers, but the trade off for privacy and seclusion at the tent site was worth it. Picnic tables have built in sun covers which were really great and with winds I didn't experience any bugs or mosquitoes. There is no tree cover so I enjoyed the night sky. The staff is friendly and helpful. There was only one trail, Otto Stream (no stream, no otters), which is about 1.5m trail thru restored prairie.

• 

  Shannon G.

  Legend

  

  Aug. 31, 2019

  Clay County Park — Clay County

  Secluded and peaceful

  Clay County Park is located 4 miles outside of Vermillion South Dakota. It is secluded and peaceful. There were a few down falls. A lot of the sites were taken by either people who lived there full time or people who leave their camper there for the whole summer. Also the camp ground hosts weren’t friendly like all the other camp grounds we visit. But it was peaceful and pretty. The sites were very nice sized. You didn’t feel like you were right on top of each other. They are Electric only and there is drinking water and sewage dump close by. There was 2 nice restrooms and 1 vaulted toilet. There was a few trails, 1 leading to the Missouri River. Down the road (not far) is a nice shelter next to the river and a boat ramp.

• 

  James D.

  Guide

  

  Oct. 1, 2016

  Cottonwood Campground

  Another great park in the Missouri River Valley!

  Great place for RV camping. My Uncle and I went through here back in 2011. All sites were reservable on-line. Every site had electric hookups. There is access to water and restrooms in each loop. Some of the sites are right near Lake Yankton. There was decent fishing but nothing too special. The park itself is very close to South Dakota, and you can visit the old time capitol of the Dakota Territory. I love the little history pieces like this so it was worth the side trip for me. It is also right near Lewis and Clark Lake which has really good fishing in the early morning. People we met were using the spot as they were passing through the area or for taking kids out for the weekend. Pets were allowed here too.

• 

  Morgan Y.

  Ranger

  

  Nov. 6, 2020

  North Point Recreation Area

  Camping on the River

  This was a very pleasant surprise. I normally do not go to campsites (that is put in for context) but was passing through on a business trip and needed a place with electric hookups. After a Harvest Host disaster I found this. Like I said, very pleasantly surprised. While there were a lot of campers who seemed to be setting up elaborate sites with everything you would need to live there for a year (laundry lines, flag poles, pens for their dog), I was able to get a spot that backed right up to the beautiful river and had plenty of space on all sides. The campsite was surprisingly quiet for how large it was. The sunset paddle boarding on the river was a real treat. Kinda cool to say you SUP'd from South Dakota to Nebraska with a beer on the board. 

  Bathrooms were clean and had showers. Garbage and recycling on premises. AT&T signal was strong.

  Leave no trace.