Affordable South Dakota Camping Spots

Nestled on the eastern side of Angostura Reservoir in Fall River County, Angostura State Recreation Area is a water-lover's haven with 36 miles of shoreline lined with beautiful sandy beaches, clear waters, breathtaking, scenic views, and an array of water sports and summer fun activities such as camping, hiking and mountain biking.

The area has several campgrounds with sites for tents, vans, trailers, and RVs with picnic tables, fire rings, restrooms with hot showers and flushing toilets and potable water. There are also rustic log cabins available with heating, air-conditioning, electricity, and a porch. Amenities at Angostura Recreation Area include a marina, a children’s playground, a picnic shelter, and a visitor center.

13157 N Angostura Rd, Hot Springs, SD 57747, Phone: 605-745-6996

Badlands National Park is a national park in southwestern South Dakota that is renowned for its dramatic rock formations, towering spires, steep canyons, and sprawling grasslands teeming with bison, bighorn sheep, and prairie dogs.

The 242,756-acre park features several attractions, including the Fossil Exhibit Trail, a boardwalk displaying fossils uncovered in the park; the Badlands Loop Road (Highway 240), which winds past numerous scenic lookouts; and interesting hiking trails near the Ben Reifel Visitor Center. The park features several campgrounds, including the Cedar Pass Campground, which is located near the Ben Reifel Visitor Center and offers 96 level sites with scenic views of the surrounding rock formations; the Sage Creek Campground, which provides first-come, first-served primitive camping sites, pit toilets, potable water and covered picnic tables. Backpackers are allowed to camp anywhere in the park.

25216 Ben Reifel Road, Interior, SD 57750, Phone: 605-433-5361

The Buryanek State Recreation Area is spread along the Missouri River and boasts breathtaking scenic beauty.

The area is popular with water-lovers and offers an array of water-based activities such as boating, fishing, canoeing, kayaking, and swimming. Famous for an area that the world-renowned Lewis and Clark expedition traveled through, the area has 50 RV and trailer camping sites with electricity and water hook-ups, as well as tent sites with picnic tables, fire rings, restrooms with hot showers and flushing toilets and potable water. Three cozy overnight cabins have heating, air conditioning, and electricity, as well as an outdoor fire grate and picnic table, and the area has several amenities such as a boat ramp, beach, a fish cleaning station, a dump station, a children’s playground, and a day-use picnic shelter.

27450 Buryanek Rd, Burke, SD 57523, Phone: 605-337-2587

Romantic Camping Ideas

Tucked away in the Black Hills of southwestern South Dakota, Custer State Park is a state park and wildlife reserve named after Lt. Colonel George Armstrong Custer. South Dakota's most significant and first state park, Custer State Park, encompasses 71,000 acres of spectacular terrain is one of the last remaining wild sanctuaries in the country where buffalo roam freely. Custer State Park Game Lodge Campground has numerous sites for tents, vans, trailers, and RVs with picnic tables, fire rings, restrooms with hot showers and flushing toilets and potable water.

Enjoy a variety of recreational activities from hiking to hay wagon riding, horseback riding, or mountain biking and soaking up the natural beauty of the area from your camping chair.

13399 US-16A, Custer, SD 57730, Phone: 800-710-2267

South Dakota's largest and first state park, Custer State Park encompasses 71,000 acres of spectacular terrain is one of the last remaining wild sanctuaries in the country where buffalo roam freely. Named after Lt. Colonel George Armstrong Custer, Custer State Park is a state park and wildlife reserve tucked away in the Black Hills of southwestern South Dakota. Custer State Park Stockade North Campground features 43 sites for tents, vans, trailers, and RVs with picnic tables, fire rings, restrooms with hot showers and flushing toilets, and potable water.

Custer State Park is packed with fantastic recreational activities, from hiking to hay wagon riding. Hit one of the many trails on foot, horseback or mountain bike and soak up the natural beauty of the area. Buffalo Jeep Safaris travel through the park in open-air jeeps in search of buffalo, elk, and pronghorns and can be combined with a Chuck Wagon Cookout at the end of the safari.

12655 US-16A, Custer, SD 57730, Phone: 800-710-2267

Iron Creek Horse Camp, South Dakota offers a peaceful setting for camping in Southeastern South Dakota's Black Hills National Forest.

Located 13 miles south of Custer, Iron Creek Horse Camp is set along the banks of Iron Creek and makes an ideal base for both hikers and horseback riders to explore the local historical sites and wilderness areas. The campground has nine equestrian sites and corrals for up to three horses and boasts picnic tables, campfire rings with grills, and vault toilets.

There is no electricity or potable water at the sites, however, there are water tanks specifically designed for horses. Black Hills National Forest boasts a variety of diverse landscapes ranging from deep blue lakes and tumbling streams to rugged rock formations and rolling grasslands, which are home to a myriad of wildlife. The surrounding area offers a multitude of year-round recreational opportunities such as hiking, horseback riding, mountain biking, fishing, as well as snowshoeing, skiing, and snowmobiling in the winter.

Custer, SD 57730

Family Camping Ideas

Lake Herman State Park is a state park in Lake County that surrounds the 1,350-acre glacial Lake Herman, which is open for year-round recreation, including boating, camping, picnicking, and swimming.

Visitors to the park can enjoy hiking, mountain biking, and camping at 72 campsites with electric hook-ups, picnic tables, campfire rings with grills, potable water, and restrooms with showers. There are also two overnight cabins and recreational activities such as disc golf, horseshoeing, cross-country skiing, and snowshoeing. The park features rolling prairie grasslands and native oak woodlands, which teem with birds and wildlife and make for excellent bird and wildlife watching.

23409 State Park Dr, Madison, SD 57042, Phone: 605-256-5003

Created in 1932 from the damming of the south fork of Wolf Creek, Lake Louise is a 164-acre reservoir with a maximum depth of 25 feet that offers excellent fishing, boating, canoeing, and kayaking. Surrounding the lake is the Lake Louise State Recreation Area, which features year-round camping, hiking, mountain biking, wildlife watching, and seasonal hunting for pheasant and duck.

Campsites cater for tents, RV and trailers and come with or without electricity and water hook-ups, picnic tables cooking fire grills, and potable water. Rustic overnight cabins have comfortable furnishings, porches, and picnic tables, as well as air-conditioning and heating. Recreational activities in the area include the Pheasant Run Trail, Frisbee golf, horseshoes, and several Indian burial grounds that can be visited.

35250 191 Street, Miller, SD 57362, Phone: 605-853-2533

Lake Poinsett State Recreation Area is set along the shores of Lake Poinsett, one of the largest lakes in the state.

Named after former U.S. Secretary of War, Joel Poinsett, the lake and surrounding area offer a wide range of recreational activities, including excellent camping opportunities. Two campgrounds in the park at the park provide both electric and non-electric sites, along with comfort stations featuring hot showers, flushing toilets, and potable water. Camping cabins have air-conditioning and heating and are furnished with beds and outdoor fire grates. The Lake Poinsett Visitor Center and Museum offer insight into the history of the area, and recreational activities include hiking, mountain biking, fishing, boating, and canoeing on the lake.

45617 S Poinsett Dr, Arlington, SD 57212, Phone: 605-983-5085