The best ranch campgrounds near Kadoka, South Dakota

Looking to camp near Kadoka, South Dakota? Hipcamp has over 23 options specifically catered to your ranch-style camping preference. With options as low as $25 per night and an average price of $35 per night, you'll find the perfect spot to immerse yourself in the beautiful South Dakota terrain. Check out top campsites like Francis H.’s Land (25 reviews), Golden Prairie Bison (19 reviews), and Steinke Ranch Buffalo (7 reviews). Enjoy popular amenities such as campfires, toilets, and trash disposal, and engage in activities like exploring historic sites, boating, and horseback riding. Happy camping!

97% (47) • 11 campsites

Top-rated campgrounds near Kadoka

1. Cheyenne River Bottom

94%

(50)

47mi from Kadoka · 4 sites · Tents, RVs

This ranch is the home of children's book author Cowgirl Annie. This property is a working Ranch. Some of the campsites are in an abandoned gravel pit so you will be parking on a sandy gravel base. I like to let my guests decide where they want to park. I may have to move guests to a different site than the one they booked depending on what is happening on the ranch or the weather. There are cottonwood stands close by that you can hike through to the river. A wide variety of wildlife live in this area, so no telling what you may see or hear. You will have a big area to yourselves. I have tried to plan areas so you won't be disturbed by other campers. I do not groom hiking trails. You will be at one with nature. You may want to bring bug spray, sometimes the mosquitos and horseflies are bad. Wall Drug and the Badlands National Park are about a twenty-minute drive. Mount Rushmore is about an hour and 15 minutes.

2. Cedar Canyon Campground

100%

(4)

16mi from Kadoka · 13 sites · Tents, RVs

We have a very quiet private campground with 12 full hookups sites. Your hosts Gene &Jo live in cabin onsite to answer any questions you might have. Private campsite with full hookups in a beautiful setting. Panoramic views , Enjoy the peaceful setting, hiking and wildlife on our family acreage. We are located just off of Hwy 44 and Hwy 73 in South Central SD. We are approximately 30 minutes drive from the South entrance to the Badlands National park at Interior, and 1.5 hours from Rapid City. Come with supplies, there is limited shopping approximately 10 miles from nearest shopping in Wanblee. This is a remote area, safe for single travelers. Picnic tables and covered camp shelter with electric available We are located 18 miles south of Kadoka SD on SD HWY 73 and 2 miles north of Junction SD Hwy 44 and SD Hwy73.

Looking to camp near Kadoka, South Dakota? Hipcamp has over 23 options specifically catered to your ranch-style camping preference. With options as low as $25 per night and an average price of $35 per night, you'll find the perfect spot to immerse yourself in the beautiful South Dakota terrain. Check out top campsites like Francis H.’s Land (25 reviews), Golden Prairie Bison (19 reviews), and Steinke Ranch Buffalo (7 reviews). Enjoy popular amenities such as campfires, toilets, and trash disposal, and engage in activities like exploring historic sites, boating, and horseback riding. Happy camping!

97% (47) • 11 campsites

Top-rated campgrounds near Kadoka

1. Cheyenne River Bottom

94%

(50)

47mi from Kadoka · 4 sites · Tents, RVs

This ranch is the home of children's book author Cowgirl Annie. This property is a working Ranch. Some of the campsites are in an abandoned gravel pit so you will be parking on a sandy gravel base. I like to let my guests decide where they want to park. I may have to move guests to a different site than the one they booked depending on what is happening on the ranch or the weather. There are cottonwood stands close by that you can hike through to the river. A wide variety of wildlife live in this area, so no telling what you may see or hear. You will have a big area to yourselves. I have tried to plan areas so you won't be disturbed by other campers. I do not groom hiking trails. You will be at one with nature. You may want to bring bug spray, sometimes the mosquitos and horseflies are bad. Wall Drug and the Badlands National Park are about a twenty-minute drive. Mount Rushmore is about an hour and 15 minutes.

2. Cedar Canyon Campground

100%

(4)

16mi from Kadoka · 13 sites · Tents, RVs

We have a very quiet private campground with 12 full hookups sites. Your hosts Gene &Jo live in cabin onsite to answer any questions you might have. Private campsite with full hookups in a beautiful setting. Panoramic views , Enjoy the peaceful setting, hiking and wildlife on our family acreage. We are located just off of Hwy 44 and Hwy 73 in South Central SD. We are approximately 30 minutes drive from the South entrance to the Badlands National park at Interior, and 1.5 hours from Rapid City. Come with supplies, there is limited shopping approximately 10 miles from nearest shopping in Wanblee. This is a remote area, safe for single travelers. Picnic tables and covered camp shelter with electric available We are located 18 miles south of Kadoka SD on SD HWY 73 and 2 miles north of Junction SD Hwy 44 and SD Hwy73.

Recent reviews from the Hipcamp community

J

Jack

2 weeks ago

16 ft car

2 nights at Cheyenne River Bottom

All around fantastic experience. Great communication, great spot to camp. It wasnt even that far off the road but it felt extremely isolated at night.

N

Nathan

October 2025

16 ft car

With kids

2 nights at Cheyenne River Bottom

Loved the views of the night sky and the open ability to hike around the camp area. Hospitality was awesome, and was helpful with knowledge of the surrounding areas and wildlife. Would absolutely stay again

Oliver

September 2025

16 ft travel trailer

Weekend Trip to Cheyenne River Bottom

Nice private and quiet spot. Close to Wall and Badlands NP.

C

Chris

September 2025

Tent

With pets

1 night at Cheyenne River Bottom

Peaceful. Plenty of space to find the perfect spot. Host was super helpful with navigating construction detour. This will be my recommendation to any one visiting the Badlands area. No crowds.

C

Cindy

September 2025

35 ft fifth wheel

With pets

Weekend Trip to Cheyenne River Bottom

We absolutely loved it!! Very peaceful and beautiful. We had our 5th wheel camper so self contained. Angela was super and very helpful!!! Wasta Bar was cool as can be! Go Bill! Was a great break from crowded campgrounds to be able to enjoy the land

Mark

September 2025

Tent

Weekend Trip to Cheyenne River Bottom

I would definitely recommend Cheyenne River bottom it’s easy access plenty of room. Nice views and room to walk around and explore.

Jessica

September 2025

Tent

With kids

1 night at Cheyenne River Bottom

This is definitely one of the most beautiful campsites! The views were absolutely stunning! This site is very true to its name— cowboy country! It’s more rugged and very secluded (outside of the other campers)— so come prepared. We saw turkeys and deer. The camp toilet was helpful. There is a single hammock available for resting. The host was very responsive and clear on instructions. She offered directions and tips in advance of our stay and even provided a contact number in case we needed something. It was a fun touch to buy her book ahead of time to connect my kids to the land a little bit too! Quick and easy set up once we got to our spot and the ground was surprisingly not too uncomfortable in spite of being on gravel. We feel it’s best for more experienced campers if you are tent camping.

Mia

September 2025

20 ft pop-up camper

Group trip

Weekend Trip to Cheyenne River Bottom

Such beautiful and quiet land. We loved staying here!

N

Nolan

August 2025

Tent

Weekend Trip to Cheyenne River Bottom

My brother and I spent 3 nights tent camping in one of the gravel pits here and it was quite nice! The land was quite expansive so there was a lot to explore, it was really pretty, and there was a decent amount of wildlife (deer, vultures, etc.). There are also a lot of trees/cover to provide shade. The local amenities like gas, food, etc. were also nice to have despite being in such a rural spot too. Last but not least, the access to the national/state parks nearby was unbeatable. I also liked having a super chill host who was very flexible and accommodating to our needs! I'm a stargazer and the night skies were incredibly dark; I could easily spot the Andromeda galaxy with the naked eye, let alone the milky way (in late August)! Looking through any telescope of any size yielded many ooos and ahhs. This is easily a bortle 1, maybe a low 2 if you're pessimistic. Unfortunately the weather didn't cooperate as it is very unpredictable in this part of the country. We were offered another night to increase our chances of good weather though, which was much appreciated. The only real downside of the site were that as it is often used as cattle ranchland, and also being by a river, there were flies. A LOT of flies. Mosquitoes too. Of course, that's not really anyone's fault, but bring your best bug mitigation tools if you camp here. Also, a few more signs to designate where the campsites are would have been useful.

S

Sue

August 2025

29 ft travel trailer

With pets

3 nights at Cheyenne River Bottom

Cowgirl Annie went above and beyond to make my stay memorable. Very friendly and accommodating. Was available if I needed anything. Plenty of space for my 30' travel trailer. Great place to stargaze. Saw a bald eagle on the gravel road coming in. It's primitive, but peaceful. Would gladly stay there again.

g

garrett

August 2025

16 ft car

With pets

1 night at Cedar Canyon Campground

Owners were extremely nice. Site was quiet and everything well kept. Communication was quick also. Would stay again if in the area it was a beautiful place

K

Kevin

July 2025

Tent

7 nights at Cheyenne River Bottom

Picturesque views and beautiful sunrises from B.Gravel Pit. Quiet and somewhat private Hipcamp as there are a few sites to choose from on the same land plot but also lots of room. The toilet was a situation as it was just a bivvy with a camp toilet. Not conducive for a day of relaxing or for more than two people. We ended up driving to a rest area about a mile and a half down the highway to do our main business. People at the Wasta Bar and Grill were very friendly, food was yummy and affordable. We do intend on visiting here again despite the toilet situation.

Sabrina

July 2025

20 ft travel trailer

With kids

Weekend Trip to Cheyenne River Bottom

Great place with lots of options for set up location. Host was very kind and helpful! We were just passing through for one night but did set up prior to visiting the Black Hills which was very close by.

K

Kdee

July 2025

Tent

With pets

Weekend Trip to Cheyenne River Bottom

Great location if you’re visiting the Badlands — easy to get to from the interstate and lots of space. I’d recommend bringing bug spray, though, as there were quite a few mosquitoes.

T

Trisha

July 2025

39 ft Class A

With kids

Weekend Trip to Cedar Canyon Campground

We enjoyed staying the night on Jo’s land. The hookups were great for our 39 foot class A with 3 AC units. Jo and Gene greeted us, along with some of their visiting family members. We recommended getting off the beaten path to enjoy the quiet surroundings, friendly owners, and beautiful sunset!

H

Haley

July 2025

Tent

Weekend Trip to Cheyenne River Bottom

We car camped at this site and it was very nice! Secluded, easy to find with the directions, and peaceful. Would recommend if you need a place to stay near Wall but not in Wall, SD.

R

Rebecca

July 2025

16 ft car

With pets

1 night at Cheyenne River Bottom

Easy to find and access off 1-90. Private, quiet, and secluded. Host stopped by to make sure all was OK and to let me know that the bar in town had good tacos and margaritas on Tuesday night. Great spot if you are self-contained and just need a good night’s sleep in nature.

T

Thomas

July 2025

40 ft travel trailer

With pets

2 nights at Cheyenne River Bottom

Nice, private, flat area for setting up our trailer and screen tent. Flies were present and the screen tent did the job so we could be comfortable out of the trailer. Doves, turkeys, and deer shared the camping area. 👍. Great site but need the Hipcamp site location pin be moved from Crooked Creek Rd. to the driveway next to the white trailer residence to make it easier to find the camp area.

M

Mark

June 2025

20 ft Class B

1 night at Cheyenne River Bottom

This was a great place to camp just a few miles from the highway. There's plenty of space and great views.

J

Jason

June 2025

42 ft toy hauler

With pets

Weekend Trip to Cedar Canyon Campground

We had an great stay. Lisa was excellent with communication and directions and Jo was waiting on porch when we arrived and helped us get situated. We have a 43 ft toyhauler and there was plenty of room to get around and backed into site. And a nice gravel lane getting to the camping area. Sites are very nice. 50 amp hookups as well as water and sewer. Everything appeared very well taken care of and in good condition. We had 2 dogs with us and they loved running and playing with the hosts dogs. Campground is secluded and away from highway so no traffic noise. Thank you again Jo and Lisa