Notable Campgrounds
- Best for viewing wildlife: Lots of wildlife can be found near Game Lodge Campground, which offers sites with RV hookups and a dump station, plus easy access to the State Game Lodge.
- Best for exploring park and area highlights: Located near the Needles Highway, Sylvan Lake Campground is also closest to Mount Rushmore and the Crazy Horse Memorial.
- Best for a taste of the Old West: Go horseback riding and enjoy a hayride and chuckwagon roast near Blue Bell Campground.
Tips for Snagging a Campsite Reservation
- Plan ahead. Most campsites at the park can be reserved up to one year in advance. Book online or by phone as soon as you know your travel dates. Sites for summer weekends tend to fill up almost immediately.
- If you can’t book anything ahead of time, try for a spot at the Center Lake Campground, which offers same-day reservations only, starting at 6am.
- If your plans are flexible, try going in the off-season. Game Lodge Campground and French Creek Horse Campground are open year-round, though facilities will be limited in the wintertime.
When to Go
Summer is the most popular season at Custer State Park, though the weather can be extreme, with afternoon thunderstorms that can bring lightning, high winds, heavy rain, and hail. A popular event is the annual Buffalo Roundup and Arts Festival held in late September. In the summer and fall, enjoy a wide range of naturalist and interpretive programs. The park is open year round, but many campgrounds, lodges, visitor centers, and even the Needles Highway, are closed over the winter.
Know Before You Go
- Several lodges inside the park offer restaurants, convenience stores, and gift shops. For additional supplies, the towns of Custer, Keystone, and Hill City are nearby.
- The Blue Bell, Sylvan Lake, Game Lodge, and Grace Coolidge campgrounds offer wheelchair-accessible sites and restrooms.
- Cell reception in the park can be very spotty, but wifi can be found in the lodges.
- Do not drink from any of the lakes, rivers, or streams in the park.
Custer State Park
Granite peaks, rolling prairie, and herds of wildlife roam free at this massive South Dakota park.
Nestled in the Black Hills, Custer State Park is a top destination for wildlife viewing. Herds of bison, “begging” burros, elk, antelope, and bighorn sheep freely roam the 71,000 acres that make up the park. Spot them from the many trails around the park, or get up close on a buffalo safari jeep tour. Don’t miss the iconic Needles Highway, one of several scenic drives. Active visitors can enjoy hiking, biking, horseback riding, rock climbing, and water play at several lakes and streams. With nine campgrounds offering RV and tent camping, historic lodges, and camping cabins, it’s easy to spend a few days here and explore all the park has to offer.
Nestled in the Black Hills, Custer State Park is a top destination for wildlife viewing. Herds of bison, “begging” burros, elk, antelope, and bighorn sheep freely roam the 71,000 acres that make up the park. Spot them from the many trails around the park, or get up close on a buffalo safari jeep tour. Don’t miss the iconic Needles Highway, one of several scenic drives. Active visitors can enjoy hiking, biking, horseback riding, rock climbing, and water play at several lakes and streams. With nine campgrounds offering RV and tent camping, historic lodges, and camping cabins, it’s easy to spend a few days here and explore all the park has to offer.
Activities in the park
9 campgrounds in Custer State Park
Lots of sites, modern amenities, outstanding wildlife watching. . . what’s missing? At Stockade North Campground, the only thing missing is you! This contemporary collection of sites sits just north of Stockade Lake, an attraction all its own. Bring your RV, bring a tent, bring the kids. . . but most importantly, bring a camera. While you’re hikin Read more...
The moment you get to thinking the only thing South Dakota has to offer is Mount Rushmore, you'll know it's time to venture out to Blue Bell Campground and find a relaxing getaway in the scenic Custer State Park. There’s a home amongst the ponderosa pine here for rugged tent campers and RV aficionados alike. Glampers too will find their niche in o Read more...
Stockade South Campground is a gem. Though a bit smaller than its northern cousin, Stockade South offers all the same scenery, wildlife watching, and access to Stockade Lake. Additionally, the sites here are a bit more private, giving you and yours a chance to enjoy the scenery your way. Set up camp here and live up a little Southern hospitality!Read more...
Sylvan Lake Campground is a great place to cool off in the summer. Located just off the highway, the pines of Black Hills Forest isolate this mid-sized group of sites from the road noise. RV campers will get a chance to know their neighbors, as the sites are nestled in nice and cozy with each other, whereas tent campers will be a little more remov Read more...
Does your ideal forest getaway somehow also include sandy beaches and crystal waters? It’s not so strange at Legion Lake Campground. This modest collection of full electric sites gives you easy access to everything Custer State Park has to offer, plus a little bit of beach action around sparkling Legion Lake. And wildlife? You can’t swing a bison Read more...
Saddle up and trot your way to the French Creek Horse Camp for a few nights' stay in this true equestrian oasis. This spot is reserved for horses only (well, and their riders, of course). Each campsite comes with its very own corral for your steed, and plenty of space for the two-legged guests to hang out after a long day of riding the park’s many Read more...
Wanna get up close and personal with the local wildlife? Game Lodge Campground offers you a home where the buffalo roam. Up-to-date sites with modern amenities keep you comfortable while you keep an eye out for bison, burros, and birds of all colors. There’s a lot of land to hike out there. You can even get in a little fishing if that’s your thing Read more...
Lovers of the backwoods will be dancing to the beat of their drums out in the French Creek Natural Area in Custer State Park. Only one way to your backcountry adventure: hiking the 12-mile nature trail that runs alongside the scenic and historic French Creek. Here, home is where you pitch your tent, so feel free to stroll around in search of that Read more...
Clean bathrooms, hot showers, scenic views, room service. . . wait. Not that last one. Other than that, Grace Coolidge Campground has a lot in common with a good hotel. Even the best hotels, though, don’t usually offer easy access to biking, fishing, hiking, and lots of other outdoor activities. Here, RV-ers and tent campers are equally welcome, a Read more...
Why can't I see these campgrounds when I search with dates?
Notable Campgrounds
Notable Campgrounds
Tips for Snagging a Campsite Reservation
When to Go
Summer is the most popular season at Custer State Park, though the weather can be extreme, with afternoon thunderstorms that can bring lightning, high winds, heavy rain, and hail. A popular event is the annual Buffalo Roundup and Arts Festival held in late September. In the summer and fall, enjoy a wide range of naturalist and interpretive programs. The park is open year round, but many campgrounds, lodges, visitor centers, and even the Needles Highway, are closed over the winter.
Know Before You Go
Public campgrounds (book externally) —