Best campgrounds in South Dakota

South Dakota offers a multitude of amazing camping options — these are some of our family favorites.

Elk Mountain Campground at Wind Cave National Park

Wind Cave National Park features one of the world’s longest and most intricate caves, as well as nearly 29,000 acres of mixed-grass prairie, Ponderosa pine forest and associated wildlife. Be sure to check out the display of “boxwork,” a cave formation that looks like honeycombs.

The area is ideal for camping, hiking, bird watching and much more. Scheduled cave tours are available all year.

Location: 26611 US Highway 385,Hot Springs, SD 57747

Phone: 605-745-4600

Rates: $10 per night from April 1 through mid-May, and $5 from mid-September through October 26

Website:wind.cave.national-park.com/camping.htm

Buffalo Chip Campgrounds, Black Hills North Area

Just four miles from Sturgis, Buffalo Chip camgrounds offers tent and RV camping, access to Sturgis activities and events like concerts, clean showers, toilets and laundromats at theservice buildings, and close proximity to restaurants and shops.

Location:20622 131st Avenue, Sturgis, SD 57785

Phone: 605-347-9000

Rates: Rates vary and include Sturgis admissions/event packages

Website:buffalochip.com

Jellystone

Hey Boo-boo! How could you and your family miss the opportunity to find yourselves a pic-a-nick basket at Jellystone Park? These fully equipped grounds are home to 104 campsites, cabins, a zoo, museums, Wild West Water Park and the USS South Dakota Battleship Memorial. This is the perfect family camping spot.

Location: 26014 478th Ave., Brandon, SD, East of Sioux Falls on I-90?

Phone: 605-332-2233

Rates: Range from $35 to $120, depending on site/amenities

Website:jellystonesiouxfalls.com?

Horse Thief

This family-owned and operated campground and resort set in the heart of South Dakota’s Black Hills offers proximity to Custer State Park, Needles Highway, Sylvan Lake, Mount Rushmore and more. Amenities include a bathhouse, sleeping cabins, fire rings and a table at each site, a playground, a heated swimming pool and more.

Location: 24391 Highway 87, Sylvan Lake Road, Hill City, SD 57745y SD 57745

?Phone: 605-574-2668

Rates: Range from basic tent camping for $10 a night to RV 50 AMP hook-up for $43 a night.

Website:horsethief.com

Cottonwood Creek Campground

These Sturgis-friendly grounds feature shaded and open camping and 32 sites with full hook-ups, private showers and clean toilets, free pig roast party for guests, horseshoe pits, picnic tables and more.

Location: 12953 194th Street, Vale, SD, 57788

Phone: 605-347-1418

Rates: Prices for tent and RV camping start at $75 per person for up to a 7-day stay including Sturgis rally admission

Website:sturgiscamping.com/ccc/

Image by Dave Bunnell (Own work) [CC-BY-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

More about South Dakota

Free activities in South Dakota
Best campgrounds in South Dakota
Family attractions in South Dakota