Hiking

Powder River Campground

3 RV Sites, 8 Tent Sites

Powder River Campground in Kaycee, Wyoming, offers full-hookup RV sites with 20, 30, and 50-amp service and tent camping just off Interstate 25, with rigs accepted to 50 feet on a big-rig-friendly layout. Fire pits, picnic tables, laundry, and site WiFi serve travelers in the heart of Johnson County's Powder River Basin. Back-in sites carry water, sewer, and electric on 20, 30, and 50-amp, sized to 50 feet, with fire pits and picnic tables. Tent sites cover simpler camping. A dump station, laundry, restrooms, showers, firewood, a boutique shop, and WiFi handle the practical side. Passport America and military discounts are honored. One vehicle is allowed per site, with an extra vehicle fee of $5 per night on arrival, and refunds do not include service and credit card processing fees. On-site facilities are practical rather than programmed. Hiking and boating run from the area, and off-roading is nearby — this is a base for the surrounding country rather than a destination in itself. Pets are welcome. Kaycee sits in the Powder River Basin, cowboy country in the most literal sense, where nineteenth-century open range cattle culture played out in the same red-bluff canyon and sagebrush landscape that surrounds the campground today. The Big Horn Mountain foothills are close, and Johnson County remains one of Wyoming's least-visited but most historically layered communities — the Johnson County War played out here, and the tourism development that reshaped other I-25 and US-87 towns largely passed it by. Summer interstate traffic is the peak. Reserve ahead for July and August.

from $25/night

Windy Waters at Alcova

18 RV Sites

At 21500 Kortes Road alongside the red-hued sandstone bluffs of Alcova Reservoir in Alcova, Wyoming—in Natrona County in the high Wyoming desert where the North Platte River's impoundment behind Alcova Dam created the 2,470-acre reservoir with 117 miles of shoreline that Wyoming's fishing, boating, and windsurfing community built one of the state's most active freshwater recreation cultures around, in the specific empty-sky, red-rock landscape that defines Wyoming's geographic character at an elevation and aridity that no other state quite replicates—Windy Waters at Alcova provides full hookup RV sites on oversized lots with three boat ramps, bathhouses, laundry, WiFi, and two park model rentals in the year-round configuration that serves everything from one-night fishing camp stays to annual seasonal RV residents who spend the Wyoming summer at Alcova's waterfront. The three boat ramps, the oversized lots with boat trailer capacity, and the reservoir's direct adjacency define what Windy Waters is for. Oversized lots—formerly mobile home lot dimensions, providing space substantially larger than standard RV campground sites—accommodate a large motorhome or fifth wheel alongside the truck that towed it and a boat trailer without requiring any three to compete for the same footprint. Full hookup connections with 30 and 50-amp electric, water, and sewer serve the full range of RV electrical requirements. Three boat ramps on the property provide the most direct private reservoir launch access available at any Alcova campground, eliminating the state park boat ramp wait and the parking logistics that the Alcova State Recreation Area's high-traffic summer launch imposes. Bathhouses with toilet and shower facilities, washer and dryer laundry, a general store, and WiFi complete the daily infrastructure. Two fully furnished park model rentals serve guests without RVs or those transitioning between camping setups. Daily, weekly, monthly, seasonal, and annual site rental options reflect the range of guest relationships the property serves. Alcova Reservoir's 117 miles of sandstone and red shale shoreline provide the geological context that makes the lake visually distinctive from the conventional Great Plains reservoir. The reservoir's warm-water fish population—walleye, smallmouth bass, rainbow trout, and perch in the varied thermal layers—along with the wind conditions that the Wyoming high desert reliably generates make Alcova a dual-use water recreation site for both the fishing and the sailing and windsurfing community that the reservoir's specific fetch and prevailing southwest winds make ideal. The walleye fishery is among the most productive in Wyoming, and the spring walleye run draws the state's dedicated walleye fishing community to Alcova from across the region. Pathfinder Reservoir—adjacent to Alcova via the Fremont Canyon corridor—provides the second major reservoir fishing opportunity in the same North Platte River system, with brown trout in the freestone reaches below Pathfinder Dam and the cold tailwater fishery that the Miracle Mile section of the North Platte—one of the most celebrated dry-fly trout stretches in the Rocky Mountain West—extends downstream. Casper, 32 miles northeast, provides the commercial services and the historic Wyoming character that the state's oil-and-ranching culture built into the state's second-largest city. Windy Waters at Alcova is open year-round on the daily-through-annual rate schedule. Summer from June through August represents the peak reservoir recreation season for boating, fishing, and the swimming beaches that Wyoming's high desert sun warms to comfortable temperatures by late June. Ice fishing on Alcova Reservoir in December through February provides the cold-season recreation that Wyoming's long winters make viable for the dedicated ice fishing guest. Book the oversized lot, launch the boat at the private ramp, and let the red-rock reservoir earn the Wyoming high-country lake reputation that 117 miles of sandstone shoreline supports from every approach.

from $50/night

Shell Campground

7 RV Sites

Shell Campground in Shell, Wyoming, offers seven full-hookup RV sites with 30 and 50-amp service and rigs accepted to 50 feet, at the base of the Big Horn Mountains on Highway 14. Open all year with cabins, a general store, and a community fire pit, it is the closest full-hookup campground to the range's dramatic western escarpment. Seven sites carry water, sewer, and electric on 30 and 50-amp in back-in and pull-through configurations, sized to 50 feet. Cabins round out the accommodations. A general store, propane fills, laundry, restrooms, showers, firewood, and WiFi handle the practical side, and the campground stays open year-round — genuinely useful on a mountain route that sees traffic in every season. With seven sites, reserve rather than counting on availability. Pets are welcome. A community fire pit anchors the evenings, with picnicking on the grounds and mountains rising immediately west. The Old Shell Store is a block and a half away, serving what the locals will tell you are the best burgers around. The position is the point. Highway 14 is the principal western approach to Bighorn National Forest and the main route connecting the Big Horn Basin to Yellowstone and Grand Teton. Shell Falls is 15 minutes up the highway, the Big Horn National Forest five minutes, and the Antelope Butte Recreation Area 20 — with skiing there in winter and a national park within reach. Summer drives the heaviest traffic on the mountain route. With seven sites at the base of Shell Canyon, reserve well ahead.

from $40/night

Grandview Campground & RV Park

51 RV Sites, 15 Tent Sites, 1 Onsite RV/Trailer

Grandview Campground and RV Park in Hardin, Montana, offers 52 RV sites and 15 tent sites with 20, 30, and 50-amp service, ADA-accessible sites, and rigs accepted up to 100 feet on a big-rig-friendly layout, behind a gated entrance. Full-hookup, electric-only, and dry back-in categories join deluxe and pull-through tiers, with a game room, sports courts, and boutique shop. Fifty-two sites span back-in full hookup, back-in 30/50-amp electric only, deluxe back-in full hookup, dry site back-in, and pull-through full hookup categories, carrying water, sewer, and electric where noted with site WiFi, sized to 100 feet, with picnic tables. Read the category carefully — the electric-only and dry tiers carry no water or sewer at the site, and they price accordingly. Accessible sites are available, and 100 feet handles the longest coaches. Fifteen tent sites, cabins, camper rentals, and trailer rentals round out the lodging. A general store, boutique shop, laundry, dump station, restrooms, showers, and recycling handle the practical side. A game room, sports courts, tennis, billiards, walking trails, a playground, and picnicking fill the grounds, with a river nearby, wine and beer tasting, and planned activities through the season. Hardin is the seat of Big Horn County and the gateway to the Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument. The campground is third-generation family run. Summer is the short, intense Montana season, with the June battle anniversary and reenactments drawing crowds. Reserve well ahead.

from $35/night

Bearded Buffalo Resort

Two miles from the entrance to Custer State Park in Custer, South Dakota—in the heart of the Black Hills where the granite dome geology, the open-range bison herd of nearly 1,400 animals in Custer State Park, and the concentrated national monument and cave heritage that positions Custer County as the most historically significant single county in South Dakota—Bearded Buffalo Resort provides 35 full hookup RV sites with 30 and 50-amp service, four spacious cabin rentals with full kitchens and private bathrooms, a general store, a turf play area with lawn games, and the Black Hills access that Mount Rushmore, Crazy Horse Memorial, Jewel Cave, Wind Cave, and the 1880 Train make available within a radius that no South Dakota campground can match more completely than the Custer area concentration. The two-mile Custer State Park proximity and the four-cabin full-kitchen configuration define the resort's appeal for the family group that wants both the Black Hills outdoor access and the enclosed accommodation comfort. Thirty-five full hookup RV sites with 30 and 50-amp electric, water, and sewer in daily and seasonal configurations serve the RV camping market. Four cabin rentals—each with air conditioning, WiFi, a full kitchen, private bathroom, in-unit washer and dryer, two-vehicle parking, and provided linens and towels—provide the complete domestic setup for families or groups who want the Black Hills base camp in an enclosed space that the South Dakota weather system makes reliably practical from the Dakotas' spring to fall. A general store stocked with supplies and gifts serves the daily practical needs. A turf play area with lawn games provides the outdoor recreation for the youngest visitors. Dog park, pickleball courts, and a fire pit planned as additions will expand the recreation and social gathering options. The pet-friendly policy accommodates the canine travelers. Custer State Park's 71,000 acres contain the most ecologically diverse wildlife habitat in South Dakota's Black Hills managed for public recreation: the nearly 1,400-animal bison herd that roams the park's open-range interior grasslands in the largest publicly owned bison herd in the United States, the Prairie Dog Town that its anthropomorphic inhabitants populate in the specific social complexity that prairie dog colonies maintain in concentrated surface display, and the Needles Highway and Wildlife Loop Road scenic drives that produce the granite spire and wildlife encounter experience within a single state park that most national parks spread across hundreds of miles. Mount Rushmore National Memorial—30 minutes north—provides the presidential sculptural monument that Gutzon Borglum's 14-year carving project produced from 1927 to 1941, with the evening lighting ceremony from Memorial Day through Labor Day that illuminates the 60-foot faces in the context of an outdoor patriotic program. The Crazy Horse Memorial—continuing in construction since 1948 under the Ziolkowski family's direction as the world's largest mountain carving in progress—provides the specific counterpoint to Rushmore's presidential theme in the Lakota warrior's Korczak Ziolkowski-designed monument to Indigenous heritage. Jewel Cave National Monument's 212 miles of mapped passages make it the world's third-longest known cave system, with guided tours of its boxwork calcite crystal formations providing the most geologically specific cave tour in the Black Hills. Bearded Buffalo Resort is open seasonally through the Black Hills' camping calendar. Summer from Memorial Day through Labor Day fills the Custer area to capacity. The Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in August draws 700,000-plus riders to the Black Hills region annually—the single largest campground demand event in South Dakota. Reserve the cabin or hookup site well in advance for summer season, plan the Wildlife Loop Road bison drive at dawn, and let Custer County's two-mile park proximity earn the Black Hills concentration that South Dakota's most monument-dense corner genuinely delivers.

Elkhorn Ridge RV Resort & Cabins

100 RV Sites

Elkhorn Ridge RV Resort and Cabins in Spearfish, South Dakota, offers 100 full-hookup RV sites on the historic Frawley Ranch, with 20, 30, and 50-amp service, cable TV, and rigs accepted up to 140 feet on a big-rig-friendly layout. Back-in and pull-through categories join an outdoor pool, hot tub, disc golf course, and tennis at the northern gateway to the Black Hills. One hundred sites run in back-in and pull-through categories, both carrying water, sewer, and electric on 20, 30, and 50-amp with cable TV and site WiFi, sized to 140 feet. One hundred forty feet is among the most generous length allowances anywhere and accommodates anything on the road — worth knowing if you tow a trailer behind a long coach. The paved, level pads back up the resort's reputation. A general store, laundry, propane fills, showers, and on-site dining handle the practical side. An outdoor pool and hot tub and sauna anchor the property, with a disc golf course, sports courts, tennis, pickleball, volleyball, basketball, horseshoes, golf cart rentals, walking trails, biking, a playground, and dog park filling the rest. Planned activities run through the season, and a golf course is nearby. The Frawley Ranch carries more than 140 years of pioneering heritage and National Historic Registry status, which gives the grounds a genuine western character that most resorts manufacture. Spearfish Canyon, Deadwood, Mount Rushmore, and Devils Tower are all within reach. Summer is the short, intense Black Hills season, and the Sturgis rally fills the entire region. Reserve as early as you can for August.

from $55 $48/night

Hidden Lake Campground and Resort

18 RV Sites, 8 Cabins

Hidden Lake Campground and Resort in Hot Springs, South Dakota, offers 18 RV sites and eight cabins on a private lake in the Black Hills' southern tier, with 20, 30, and 50-amp full hookups and rigs accepted to 75 feet. Boat, kayak, and bike rentals sit on a property offering a more intimate alternative to the Hills' larger commercial campgrounds. Eighteen sites carry water, sewer, and electric on 20, 30, and 50-amp in back-in and pull-through configurations, sized to 75 feet, with fire pits and picnic tables. Eight cabins serve guests without a rig. A general store, laundry, propane fills, restrooms, showers, firewood, and WiFi handle the practical side. The private lake anchors the experience. Boat rentals, kayak rentals, and paddle boats put guests on the water, with fishing, swimming, boating, canoeing, kayaking, and paddle boarding from the shoreline. Bike rentals, walking trails, hiking, biking, horseshoes, corn hole, a playground, and planned activities fill the rest, with strong stargazing and birding across the property. Pets are welcome. Hot Springs sits in Fall River County where the Black Hills give way to the high plains. Wind Cave National Park preserves the transition zone's grassland and underground cave ecology just north, with a state park nearby and the full Black Hills circuit within reach — but far enough from the core tourism corridor that the campground stays quiet. Summer is peak across the Black Hills, and the August Sturgis rally tightens availability regionally. With 18 sites and a private lake, reserve well ahead for July and August.

from $38/night

Black Hills Vista RV Park

175 RV Sites

Black Hills Vista RV Park in Sturgis, South Dakota, offers 175 full-hookup RV sites on a hilltop with 20, 30, and 50-amp service and rigs accepted up to 90 feet on a big-rig-friendly layout, behind a gated entrance. North and south back-in and pull-through categories give panoramic Black Hills views from a ridge position in Meade County. One hundred seventy-five sites run in north back-in, north pull-through, and south pull-through categories, all carrying water, sewer, and electric on 20, 30, and 50-amp with site WiFi, sized to 90 feet. The 90-foot capacity handles any rig arriving for rally week. A laundry, restrooms, and showers handle the practical side. Check-in is 3pm and check-out 11am, and wristbands are issued for park entry. The park is LGBTIQA+ friendly and open April through October. The amenity set is deliberately practical — this is a ridge-top base for the Black Hills rather than a destination resort, and the viewshed is the feature. Off-roading is nearby and a national park is within reach. Sturgis is the draw. The town anchors the most celebrated motorcycle rally and outdoor adventure destination in the northern plains, with the full Black Hills circuit — Mount Rushmore, Deadwood, Spearfish Canyon, Bear Butte — spreading out from it. The August Sturgis Motorcycle Rally books out far in advance at premium rates and defines the park's year. If your stay falls anywhere near rally week, reserve as early as you possibly can. The rest of the April-to-October season runs on Black Hills park traffic.

from $45/night

Sturgis View Campground

Sturgis View Campground offers full-hookup RV sites with water, sewer, and electric, plus cabins, on a hillside 1.5 miles from Sturgis's Main Street, with 360-degree views of the Black Hills. An outdoor pool, hot tub, bar, and on-site dining have served motorcycle rally attendees since 2004. Full-hookup back-in sites carry water, sewer, and electric with fire pits, picnic tables, and site WiFi. Cabins round out the accommodations. A general store, dump station, restrooms, showers, and a pavilion handle the practical side, with on-site dining and a bar for evenings. The property also serves as a wedding venue and includes a barn. An outdoor pool and hot tub anchor the property, with walking trails, hiking, picnicking, and swimming from the grounds and stargazing across the open Hills sky. Planned activities run through the season. Wine tasting is nearby. Pets are welcome. The hillside position is the whole idea. Elevated and set back just enough to catch a breeze and some perspective, the campground puts riders close to the rally without being swallowed by it — which is why it has held a loyal following since 2004. Downtown Sturgis is 1.5 miles away, with Mount Rushmore, Devils Tower, Badlands National Park, Crazy Horse Memorial, and Bear Butte State Park all within day-trip range. The August Sturgis Motorcycle Rally is the defining event and books out far in advance at premium rates — if your stay falls anywhere near rally week, reserve as early as you possibly can. The rest of the Black Hills summer runs busy on park traffic.

from $15/night

Days End Campground & RV Park

168 RV Sites, 35 Cabins, 12 Tent Sites, 7 Glamping Sites

Days End Campground & RV Park in Sturgis, South Dakota, offers 168 RV sites, 35 cabins, 12 tent sites, and seven glamping sites just off Interstate 90 at Exit 30, with 30 and 50-amp service, cable TV, and rigs accepted up to 120 feet — one of the largest and most rig-friendly properties at the Black Hills' northern gateway. One hundred sixty-eight sites range from electric-only and water-and-electric back-ins to full-hookup back-in and pull-through configurations, all carrying 30 and 50-amp service and sized to 120 feet, with fire pits and picnic tables. Thirty-five cabins, seven glamping sites, and trailer rentals serve guests arriving without a rig, and 12 tent sites cover simpler camping. Cable TV and WiFi reach the sites, and a general store, laundry, dump station, restrooms, and showers handle the practical side. On-site facilities are built for volume and turnover rather than resort programming. A pavilion hosts planned activities, and the campground's Exit 30 position means guests spend most days out in the Hills. Pets are welcome. Sturgis sits equidistant between Rapid City and Spearfish, putting Mount Rushmore, Deadwood, Bear Butte State Park, and Spearfish Canyon within comfortable day-trip range, with the Badlands south and Devils Tower northwest. The campground operates through the Black Hills season. The August Sturgis Motorcycle Rally draws over 500,000 attendees and books out far in advance at premium rates — if your stay falls anywhere near rally week, reserve as early as possible. The rest of the summer runs busy on Mount Rushmore and Black Hills National Forest traffic.

from $34/night

Cloud Nine Camping

Cloud Nine Camping in Hermosa, South Dakota, offers RV sites, tent camping, and cabin accommodations across 33 private acres enclosed by Black Hills National Forest on three sides, one mile off the highway between Rapid City and Custer. A general store, community fire pit, dump station, and sports courts serve a campground built around forest quiet rather than resort programming. RV sites and tent sites occupy the wooded acreage, with cabin accommodations for guests traveling without a rig. A dump station serves RV guests, and a general store stocks basics with firewood available on site. Restrooms and WiFi cover the practical needs. This is ponderosa pine country at roughly 4,800 feet, where the trees are large enough to give genuine shade and the national forest boundary begins at the property line. Pets are welcome. The forest setting is the draw. Hiking trails run off the back side of the property directly into national forest land, with walking trails on the grounds and sports courts and volleyball for on-site recreation. The dark, high-elevation sky makes for excellent stargazing, and the surrounding pine forest supports strong bird and wildlife watching. The campground positions itself explicitly as an alternative to the crowded, heavily developed campgrounds nearer the major attractions — guests get forest privacy without the remoteness penalty that adds an hour to every drive. Custer State Park is three miles south, Lakota Lake three miles, Center Lake six, and Mount Rushmore and Keystone seven. Grocery stores are in Hermosa and Hill City, with smaller convenience stores in Keystone. The campground serves the Black Hills summer season, when Mount Rushmore and Custer State Park traffic peaks. Reserve ahead for July and August, and note that the August Sturgis rally tightens availability across the entire region.

from $30/night

Bulldog Creek Campground

137 RV Sites, 5 Cabins, 114 Tent Sites

Bulldog Creek Campground in Sturgis, South Dakota, offers 136 RV sites, five cabins, and 114 tent sites across 43 acres in the Black Hills, with 20, 30, and 50-amp service and rigs accepted up to 130 feet on a big-rig-friendly layout. Full-hookup back-in categories at both amperages join pull-through and water-and-electric tiers, with a general store, laundry, and on-site dining. One hundred thirty-six sites span back-in 30-amp, back-in 50-amp, pull-thru, and pull-thru water-and-electric categories, carrying water, sewer, and electric where noted, sized to 130 feet. One hundred thirty feet accommodates anything on the road with room to spare, which matters enormously during rally week. Confirm your tier, as the water-and-electric pull-through does not carry sewer at the site. Five cabins and 114 tent sites make the tent inventory exceptional. A general store, laundry, dump station, restrooms, showers, and on-site dining handle the practical side. Grass, shade trees, and the namesake Bulldog Creek running through the property give the grounds genuine Black Hills character. Biking and offroading are nearby, and the dark sky makes for excellent stargazing. Pets are welcome. The campground sits just off I-90 exit 37, five minutes from Sturgis and 20 from Rapid City, with asphalt to the front gate. Mount Rushmore, Deadwood, Spearfish Canyon, and Badlands National Park are all within reach. The Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in early August fills the entire region a year in advance. Reserve as early as you possibly can for that week, with far easier availability otherwise.

from $10/night