The best river, stream, or creek campgrounds near Hot Springs, South Dakota

Welcome to Hipcamp! Looking for a camping experience near Hot Springs, South Dakota, with a focus on rivers? You're in luck! We have over 100 options specifically tailored to your preference. From riverside campsites to cozy cabins, we've got you covered. With an average price per night of $40 and options as low as $20, you'll find something that fits your budget. Looking for recommendations? Check out our top campsites: Custer's Last Chance Rv Park (108 reviews), Redwater Revival Campground (79 reviews), and Black Elk Resort (39 reviews). Our popular amenities include pet-friendly locations, trash disposal, and cooking equipment. And if you're into off-roading, fishing, or climbing, you'll find plenty of opportunities for those activities as well. So start planning your river adventure today!

96% (716) • 64 campsites

Top-rated campgrounds near Hot Springs

Welcome to Hipcamp! Looking for a camping experience near Hot Springs, South Dakota, with a focus on rivers? You're in luck! We have over 100 options specifically tailored to your preference. From riverside campsites to cozy cabins, we've got you covered. With an average price per night of $40 and options as low as $20, you'll find something that fits your budget. Looking for recommendations? Check out our top campsites: Custer's Last Chance Rv Park (108 reviews), Redwater Revival Campground (79 reviews), and Black Elk Resort (39 reviews). Our popular amenities include pet-friendly locations, trash disposal, and cooking equipment. And if you're into off-roading, fishing, or climbing, you'll find plenty of opportunities for those activities as well. So start planning your river adventure today!

96% (716) • 64 campsites

Top-rated campgrounds near Hot Springs

1. Plenty Star Ranch Retreat

93%

(281)

16mi from Hot Springs · 35 sites · Tents, RVs, Lodging

Property description Our property is nestled between Hwy 385, the Mickelson Trail, and the National Forest. We are located between Custer State Park and Wind Cave National Park along Hwy 385 and the Mickelson Trail; about 30 minutes from Mt. Rushmore and Crazy Horse Mountain. The nearest towns with restaurants are Pringle, (2 miles S); Hot Springs, (24 miles S), Custer, (9.5 miles N).; Hill City, (24 miles N), and Rapid City, (50 miles N). The blacktop driveway grants easy access for every type of vehicle. A couple of ponds, creeks, and dispersed willow, pine, and aspen trees enhance the diversity and beauty of the landscape. It is peaceful here and we enjoy sharing it with our guests during the spring, summer, and fall seasons. Plenty Star Ranch Retreat has our home, a big pole barn (RV storage), a garage/wood workshop with an attached restroom for all guests, a regular hot water shower cabin, 2 small home-built camping log cabins, 7 RV sites, 9 clearly marked tent and car-camping sites, and several water hydrants fed by our well, providing great quality drinking water. 2 pets maximum per campsite, no pets allowed when booking a cabin. Check-In is 2 pm to 9 pm; Check-Out is 10 am for the cabins and 11 am for all other sites.

2. Horse Creek Resort

97%

(166)

38mi from Hot Springs · 29 sites · Tents, RVs, Lodging

theHCresort.com Centrally-located on 18 acres between two of the Hills’ largest and most beautiful lakes, and less than 15 miles from Rapid City and Mount Rushmore, Horse Creek Resort is the perfect creekside oasis for your next adventure. The resort is located off Highway 385, the main thoroughfare through the Black Hills National Forest, yet is peacefully nestled in a quiet valley, completely surrounded by national forestland with a tranquil year-round creek meandering throughout the property. Rock outcroppings, hiking trails and offroad trails are within footsteps of every cabin. The serene space is an outdoor sanctuary centrally-located within 20 miles of Custer State Park, Crazy Horse Memorial, Needles Eye Tunnel / Highway, and Black Elk Peak. Your adventure will also take you near Hill City, Keystone, Custer, and Historic Deadwood. Drive a little further, and end up in Badlands National Park, Wind Cave National Park, Jewel Cave National Monument, Sturgis, or Devils Tower National Monument.

3. Horse Creek Resort RV Sites

97%

(229)

38mi from Hot Springs · 18 sites · Tents, RVs, Lodging

theHCresort.com Centrally-located on 18 acres between two of the Hills’ largest and most beautiful lakes, and less than 15 miles from Rapid City and Mount Rushmore, Horse Creek Resort is the perfect creekside oasis for your next adventure. The resort is located off Highway 385, the main thoroughfare through the Black Hills National Forest, yet is peacefully nestled in a quiet valley, completely surrounded by national forestland with a tranquil year-round creek meandering throughout the property. Rock outcroppings, hiking trails and offroad trails are within footsteps of every cabin. The serene space is an outdoor sanctuary centrally-located within 20 miles of Custer State Park, Crazy Horse Memorial, Needles Eye Tunnel / Highway, and Black Elk Peak. Your adventure will also take you near Hill City, Keystone, Custer, and Historic Deadwood. Drive a little further, and end up in Badlands National Park, Wind Cave National Park, Jewel Cave National Monument, Sturgis, or Devils Tower National Monument. There are 8 open creek side RV sites (Sites 1 -8). You will receive site assignment the day prior to your stay.

4. Angostura Recreation Area

100%

(2)

203 sites · Hot Springs, South Dakota

Angostura Recreation Area: A Haven for Outdoor Enthusiasts.

Pets

Toilets

Campfires

5. Black Hills National Forest

98%

(51)

337 sites · South Dakota

Beyond Mount Rushmore, explore 1.2 million acres of forested mountains.

Pets

Toilets

Campfires

6. Lower French Creek Camp

21mi from Hot Springs · 2 sites · Tents, RVs

Nestled in the forest southeast of Custer, SD, and surrounded by USFS land on three sides, this site makes an excellent ATV/UTV home base with plenty of nearby trails, as well as hiking routes that follow old Forest Service fire and logging roads. The property is extremely close to Custer State Park, Stockade Lake, Bismarck Lake, and Wind Cave National Park. Jewel Cave National Monument, Mount Rushmore, and Crazy Horse Memorial are all within easy driving distance. The camping pad has an overall depth of about 80 feet and a width of about 50 feet. It shares the property with a small A-frame vacation rental, but the two are nearly 450 feet apart, offering plenty of privacy. Please message me with any questions.

7. Black Elk Resort

96%

(69)

35mi from Hot Springs · 1 site · RV

Black Elk Resort is one of the finest cottages and RV resorts in South Dakota, nestled in a beautiful wooded setting and only a short drive to Mount Rushmore. We feature 9 cottages sleeping 2 to 5 people, 8 Full Hook-up Pull-Thru 50 ft. RV sites with 30/50 Amp, picnic tables, & park style charcoal grills available for the ultimate RV experience. Whether taking advantage of our cottages, RV sites or the Palmer Creek Taproom, our long list of amenities are available for your use and enjoyment. We are proud of our family-oriented reputation and continually strive to make the Black Elk Resort as beautiful as the nature that surrounds it.

8. Custer's Last Chance Rv Park

92%

(219)

24mi from Hot Springs · 32 sites · Tents, RVs

Custer's Last Chance RV Park Conveniently located on the East side of Custer with easy access to the Custer Spur bike trail. The French Creek runs through the property, lots of wildlife frequents the area. The creek features a couple of wide pools. The rest of the creek is fairly narrow with slow moving water. The kids will have a great time exploring the lower acreage. Full hookup sites are available with 50, 30 or 20 amps. We still have dry camping sites as well. We hope you enjoy your stay!

9. Camp Custer in Star Valley

95%

(20)

20mi from Hot Springs · 1 site · Tent, RV

Dry camping RV spot located in the southern Black Hills on 3 acres. Enjoy beautiful sunsets, visiting wildlife and occasional hot air ballons from the fire pit & picnic table just steps from your RV. Located 5 miles South of Custer. Enjoy your days visiting nearby Custer State Park, Crazy Horse Memorial, Mt. Rushmore, Wind Cave National Park, Jewell Cave. Walk, bike or run on the 109 mi Mickelson trail. We are also 2 hours from Badlands National Park. This area is rich in beauty and history so be sure to get out and explore!

10. Castle Creek Horse Cabins

48mi from Hot Springs · 1 site · Lodging

Dry cabin rentals with access to kitchen and bath in main cabin. Electric for trailers with living quarters. Paddocks and/ small pasture. Ride from the property or trailer to one of many horse trails in the BlackHill, SD. 972-989-0840

Recent reviews from the Hipcamp community

T

Teresa

2 weeks ago

17 ft Class C

Weekend Trip to Custer's Last Chance Rv Park

Very easy to find. Terrific communication from the site owners. Roomy spot. I would definitely recommend to others and would stay there again if ever back in that area.

P

Paul

October 2025

26 ft Class B

With pets

2 nights at Black Elk Resort

Really nice spot , convenient to all the things we wanted to see. Level site, good power , water! Clean shower.

D

Danielle

September 2025

Group trip

1 night at Plenty Star Ranch Retreat

The cabin on the property is quite lovely! It was a great place to rest for the night from the Mickelson trail. Lovely views!

Chrissy

September 2025

30 ft travel trailer

Weekend Trip to Custer's Last Chance Rv Park

Megan was a great host. We had a great time there.

Chrissy

September 2025

45 ft travel trailer

Weekend Trip to Custer's Last Chance Rv Park

Megan was incredibly helpful and we had a great visit. Thank you

D

Dan

September 2025

26 ft Class C

3 nights at Horse Creek Resort RV Sites

Loved our stay! Beautiful views, quiet and our site was very private. Everything was well maintained and clean. Highly recommend 👍

c

christina

September 2025

33 ft Class C

With pets

1 night at Horse Creek Resort RV Sites

Awesome trails to walk, creek next to campsites. Well taken care of.

S

Simon

September 2025

25 ft Class C

1 night at Horse Creek Resort RV Sites

Well cared for campground with a cozy feel. Garret, our host, was very accommodating and communicative. There is a neat little rock outcropping hill that stands behind the resort which is a great spot for a hike with a view. Nice facilities. Would recommend and stay again!

R

Raymond

September 2025

Tent

1 night at Plenty Star Ranch Retreat

My friend Ben and I were riding / bike camping along the George Mickleson gravel trail from Edgemont SD to Deadwood SD. We chose Plenty Star ranch due to nearest camp/cabins northbound deadwood SD. Off season it was not busy, the Point of Contact Isa was nice. Shower and restroom clean! WiFi! At camp wow!

D

Demauri

September 2025

19 ft travel trailer

With pets

8 nights at Horse Creek Resort RV Sites

The ambiance Horse Creek Resort presents is unlike any other campground in the Hill City area of the Black Hills. The niche fire pit and hammock's are cozy. Horses in the foreground create a serene experience. We were nestled amongst friendly seasonal residents with lots of local knowledge to help us get the full South Dakota experience. Joey, the host, is a salt of the earth kind of guy. If you love horses he’s your guide. Garret, Joey and Matt excel at hospitality!

A

Adriana

September 2025

29 ft travel trailer

Group trip

Weekend Trip to Horse Creek Resort RV Sites

Very quiet peaceful campground, there was a little rattle snake on our campsite when we got there so just wear good shoes and they left us alone.

R

Robin

September 2025

Tent

With pets

1 night at Horse Creek Resort

Camping perfection - beautiful, clean, quiet, plus horses made this a wonderful stop on our cross country journey!

Ranch/Campground View from Hwy 385/driveway

M

Milissa

August 2025

26 ft Class A

Weekend Trip to Plenty Star Ranch Retreat

Fabulous, quiet, clean, great location. The host was helpful and kind.

M

Milissa

August 2025

Tent

3 nights at Plenty Star Ranch Retreat

Lovely location. Well kept and maintained property. Host was above expectations with her communication. If wanting Wind Caves or Custer State Park close this is definitely the best choice in the area.

R

Ruth

August 2025

Weekend Trip to Plenty Star Ranch Retreat

This was the perfect location for our 3 day Mickelson trail bike ride. Our cabin was clean and cozy, and even though located on the highway, traffic sounds were almost non-existent at night.

Arrival, overlooking the property from the driveway. Looking toward the North

Kimberly

August 2025

Tent

1 night at Plenty Star Ranch Retreat

I am super happy that I booked the Teepee site on top of the hill. We enjoyed the privacy and proximity to the amenities. The stars were spectacular and we enjoyed how close Custer was to our tourist destinations (Mount Rushmore and Deadwood). The bathroom was clean and the shower was hot with great water pressure. The only drawbacks I would point out are road noise and the dry pond, (Clearly outside of their control), but I was glad I didn’t book the tent site near there. I would definitely stay there again and recommend it to others.

K

Kendra

August 2025

20 ft travel trailer

With pets

6 nights at Camp Custer in Star Valley

Perfect spot for visiting the Custard area! Had to leave unexpectedly for a couple days and hosts reached out to check on us. Easy directions to get to the location & they helped us pull our RV in and out of their site! Definitely recommend if visiting the custard area :)

T

Tauny

August 2025

20 ft Class B

With kids

Weekend Trip to Horse Creek Resort RV Sites

We didn’t stay long as we were passing through but this place was absolute paradise! Garret is super responsive and was a fantastic host! The view is unbeatable. My favorite part is there was no bugs. The bathroom and showers were perfect for our family and although we didn’t need it they do have onsite laundry which I’ve found can be hard to come by. The surrounding area is stunning, with Lake Sheridan just around the corner. Would definitely stay again!

Catherine

August 2025

25 ft Class C

With pets

2 nights at Plenty Star Ranch Retreat

Beautiful secluded spot. Nice flat sites, plenty of space between, and beautiful surroundings.

P

Pilar

August 2025

Tent

Weekend Trip to Plenty Star Ranch Retreat

It was a nice location. We were able to find it easily. We were unable to stay since it was raining and we had a roof top tent we could not get wet. We did get our farm fresh eggs and Martin was very responsive and understanding when we had to change our plans.