Best Tent Camping in South Dakota

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.

This is a nice little campground to get away from the hussle of the city. The tent sites are level and great for tent camping. The is a little creek in the park and at the time we were there it was flowing big. Nice area, would go back.

We didn’t stay long due to some severe storms that came through the area, but we had a beautiful tent campsite in the woods very close to some trails and the river. Just be prepared for a short walk from parking to some of the tent sites. The cabins and RV sites looked nice, too. If we’re in the area again we wouldn’t hesitate to stay here.

Stayed here as an overnight stop and it was perfect for what I needed! The tent camping loop is a road through a large field with some picnic tables and trees. You can pull off and pitch your tent anywhere you like. The grass was very plush and I slept very well.

For a tent site, it was $12 cash in the drop box because I got there after hours (not sure if they accept card during office hours).

Tent camping in the Badlands is a one of a kind experience. The sites are basic, but the views are amazing. We stayed at tent site 81 and had unobstructed views. We read about the wind before going and those campers were not joking. A storm swept through with lightning like we’ve never seen before and the wind continued all night. Be prepared for the wind! Fires are not allowed due to the wind. Bathrooms were ok and they had a dishwashing station which was nice. Enjoy this unique campground!

Overall the campground was great. Showers, washing machines, places for kids to play, pool area, kind neighbors. We did run into a couple problems when it came to tent camping here. The bathroom closest to us had 2 toilets and 2 showers which were nearly always full and we had to walk across the campground to another bathroom. Another thing, some of the tent sites are slanted. The blood was either rushing to my head or I was sliding down the bottom of the tent. It is a little bit awkward and not ideal. Having a campfire was a nice plus though (they even had water to put it out with).

Very friendly staff. All the amenities needed. Clean bathrooms and showers. Ample laundry facilities! Don’t forget your roll of quarters! (They have change too) We tent camped in 106 (closest to bathhouse so you can hear air hand dryer but quickest bathroom access). All the tent sites appeared to be very nice. They are drive up! Surrounded by mountains and deer walk right through campground. Location was perfect and within miles of all attractions! We saw some of the other campgrounds in the area and are more than pleased we chose this one! RV sites in the front appeared a little more crowded than those towards the back. Also, had some small cabins and there was ample room for the tent in front of it. We would choose this campground at our next visit! Kids loved the on-site “gold mining” activity!

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!

Great city campground and super peaceful spot. Not too far off of I-90 (30 mins.) when traveling through South Dakota. 

Tent camping center of town without electric is free. Pads with electric are$15. Free pool, nice small lake across from site, concrete sidewalk around lake. Bathrooms in pool house, water on site. Picnic tables on site. 1-5 campsites available.

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.

So you're going to Mount Rushmore.... I discovered during my trip to the area June 2015 that hotel rates in the area are very high for what you get & hard to find availability. The solution is to camp! Make the most of your South Dakota vacation by spending it camping. My group tented and had a great time. Keep in mind though for those coming from other areas of the country, South Dakota does experience rain and thunderstorms. Pack and camp accordingly. This campground is nearby many SD attractions, within easy driving distance and minutes of Hill City, Custer, Keystone, Rapid City, Mount Rushmore. There are many options at the campground such as purchasing firewood to renting bikes. Check out KOA's campground map for campground layout. RV hookups, tent sites, heated pools, splash pad, and much more to keep everyone entertained. Remember that this area of South Dakota hosts high volumes of tourists each season, especially summer and during Sturgis Motorcyle Rally. I highly recommend making reservations far in advance!

The view is pretty and just a decent place to spend the night. It's a little bit outside Custer and the the road goes about a 2 miles in before you get to the spot. I camped in a tent but there were others in a 5th wheel, a class A, and a subaru. No amenities but a nice quiet place to camp. It connects to other trails so there are occasionally other vehicles that drive by.

We thought we had found a great place to stay. Made a reservation. Paid the $25 deposit did some research and looked at the reviews. Let me tell you how let down we were. 

We were driving up to where it was and we could see from the main road our tent site. We thought hey maybe it's one further back and not right next to the road. So we go and check In and we are right next to the road.andnot even just a road to get to the place but like a main road right off the town houses across the street busy road. Also there little plots are small, like very small. Big enough for our 6 person tent & SUV? yes. After that however, not much room for anything else. Super small fire pit and our neighbors were right next to us. Like so close we could hear them chatting. Maybe if you have an RV go for it. If you are tent camping though I wouldn't recommend. We paid the $100.00 cause they are very strict about refund and well let's get honest they do give them even though there was a ton of tent spots left. Even after we knew we weren't getting out money back decided to forfeit the $100.00 and find a different camp site. So many better camp sites. More space, and not right off the main road where you can listen to cars all night and have lights shining in at you. If you really need a place that has a shower, play ground for kids and a dog run then go for it. However if you are like us and like to camp and don't really need a playground or a dog run and would like some space fr ol m your neighbor camper then please find somewhere else. They have so many just take a drive or Google other sites. Your inner Camper will thank you. In the photo, the trees right there are after a 2 lane road the fence is the edge of Ft. Welikit and other edge of that road. Way too close.

We stopped here on our way through south Dakota headed back to Colorado. The staff were really friendly when we pulled in. Got us checked in right away, gave us directions to our site and sent us off. Thry also sell firewood for $5 a bundle. We are in tent site 4. There are only 4 strictly dedicated tent sites. you park across the street and walk a very short distance, maybe 200 feet to the site. The bathroom is in the parking lot along with a water source. The lake is on the other side of the parking lot. There is also a dumpster there in the parking lot.

The camp site is extremely spacious. plenty of room for tents if you have more then one. It's nice and mowed out with the bordering area still long providing an edge to the site. The four sites are clustered fairly close but the way it's landscaped, you won't see your neighbornuntil you step out to the path to your car. They all have fire rings with a grate to cook on. The picnic table has a nice shade canopy over top. The bathroom surprised me a little. most pit toilets are dark at night but this one has a light! it also has a trash can and hand sanitizer! it smells decent and it's very clean. it will quickly become BYTP but we are only here the one night so hopefully it won't run out. The lake is gorgous! it's a huge long lake and seems to be a favorite boat spot. water skis were abundant, which also meant it got pretty loud with boats buzzing, people partying and music blaring. this is why it lost a star. it was pretty loud up until probably 9 pm. The mosquitos are bad, bring bug spray!

good campground with amenities - free showers! very few tent sites. mostly RV’s. Our tent site 21E was VERY close to the neighbors. close to stockade lake which was much more peaceful than sylvan lake.

The camp sites were very spread out and decently flat for tent camping

The lake is great for boats if you prefer to bring one. Only issue that I may have is if you get a tent site make sure that your tent will fit. We have a rather large tent and there are a couple of spots that it will not fit. Hosts are pretty nice. I love that the marina isn’t to far from the tent sites and they do have lots of trees to help keep your tent well shaded during the heat of the day.

I was tent camping and it was great how they have special sites to put the tents straight. So much wildlife to see! Very clean restrooms. Wildlife all arround...

The location is right outside of the national park, and is a motel / campground. You could get a room, RV or tent site. We reserved a tent site and picked once we arrived. The staff was friendly and they do have a store with ice / wood / etc if needed. They also had a breakfast option.

The tent sites are just on a field of grass. They are right next to one another without any separation so proximity to neighbors is very close. However, the view was great as you could see the badlands.

The bathrooms and showers were rough, and we refrained from using them. Not very well maintained or cleaned often it seems. Also, bugs. Especially at night when the beatles come out.

For RV users, looks like they had full hookups but unsure of the amps. Probably the usual 50.

Overall we wouldn’t mind coming back!