Nestled in a ponderosa pine forest near French Creek, Blue Bell Campground accommodates large RV’s and tents.  Enjoy horseback riding, trout fishing, and relaxing under the pines.

Open: 
Campground and Cabins: May 1 - November 1

Lat: 43.705415
Long: -103.5

Location South on SD Hwy 87, adjacent to the Blue Bell Lodge and Horse Stables.

Camping Type: Modern
Campsites: $16/night per unit tent-only no electricity, $23/night per unit for site with electric hookup, $34/night per unit campsite with electric hookup
31 campsites - View Campsite Availability

Camping Cabins: $60/night
23 cabins - View Cabin Availability

Staffed: Camp attendant and on-site campground host.

Sanitation & Water: Flush toilets and showers (two facilities), dump station, drinking water, vault toilets

ADA and Accessibility: Restrooms, Camping Cabins BB14 and BB15 or Campsite 13E

Blue Bell Lodge is a hidden gem with a guest ranch feel and offers a Western experience sure to charm the boots right off’ya! 
Amenities: Full service restaurant, Hayride and Chuckwagon Cookouts, fishing licenses, horseback riding, laundromat, resort cabins, convenience store and gift shop, fuel. 

Center Lake Campground is located just above Center Lake with sites shaded by ponderosa pines.  This campground can accommodate smaller RVs and tents and all sites are available by same-day reservations.  There is a boat dock available on Center Lake as well as a swimming beach and excellent fishing opportunities.  Please be aware there is a no-wake rule for boats on the lake.

Center Lake Campground Map

Open: Open House Weekend through September 30

Lat: 43.807161
Long: -103.4

Location  On Playhouse Road off SD Highway 87 North, three miles north of US Highway 16A

Camping Type: Same-day reservations

Campsites: $16/night per unit tent-only with no electricity, $23/night per unit campsite with no electricity.
71 site - (no electricity) View campsite availability

Staffed: Camp attendant and traveling campground host.

Sanitation and Water: Vault toilets, showers, and drinking water.

ADA and Accessibility: Campsites 33 and 56

Legion Lake Lodge is five miles southwest of the campground and dates back to 1913 when Custer State Park was a game preserve within the Custer State Forest and the area was leased by the local American Legion Post.  The lodge was rebuilt in 2016 and offers the following amenities: Limited-service restaurant, resort cabins, convenience and gift shop, boat and water sport rentals, and fishing licenses

Located on the banks of French Creek, Horse Camp is designed specifically for campers with horses. Two corrals are provided with each campsite. No additional corrals are available. Keep your horse confinement area clean. Picketing and portable corrals are not allowed, electric fence is permitted in the designated areas.

French Creek Horse Camp Map

Open: May 1 - October 31 with full facilities with electricity
November 1 - April 29 for basic camping
Camping Cabins close November 1

Lat: 43.713366
Long: -103.5

Location: 2.5 miles east of Blue Bell Lodge on North Lame Johnny Road (CSP 4)

Camping Type: Modern

Campsites: $44/night per unit campsite with electric hookup, includes two corrals.
Restricted to one camping unit per site
28 campsites - View campsite availability

Camping Cabins: $60 per night
3 cabins - View cabin availability

Staffed: Camp attendant and on-site campground host.

Sanitation and Water: Flush toilets and showers, vault toilet, dump station, drinking water. Water for horses is available in French Creek.

Horse Health Requirements:
Horses brought in from out of state require:

• Health certificate within the last 30 days (Extended Equine Health Certificates (EECVI) are not accepted.)
• Negative Coggins or ELISA EIA test within the last 12 months
• Exceptions: Native horses from North Dakota and suckling foals traveling with a mare can travel on the mare's negative test. Colt traveling without the mare must have a negative test regardless of age. 
• Brand Inspection Papers
  • SD law requires anyone transporting horses out of the ownership inspection area to have their horses inspected by a Brand Inspector. Contact: SD Brand Board 1.800.529.2333, visit their website for more information or see the campground host.

Hay:
A person may not transport or possess any forage used to feed recreational livestock while in Custer State Park unless the forage has attached to it a tag or seal issued through the SD Department of Agriculture or another state that certifies the forage to be free of nonnative plant species. 

Centrally located in the park along US Highway 16A near the Visitor Center, Peter Norbeck Outdoor Education Center, Tatanka Barn, and State Game Lodge, the Game Lodge Campground offers a bit of everything.  Grace Coolidge Creek flows through the campground into a swimming beach near the playground. 

Game Lodge Campground Map

Open: May 1 - November 1 with full facilities (may change based on weather conditions)
Open House Weekend - October 1 with cold water laundry
November 2 - April 30 with comfort station closed, vault toilets and water hydrant available

Lat: 43.760274
Long: -103.4

Location: South of the Visitor Center, near the junction of US Highway 16A and Wildlife Loop Road

Camping Type: Modern

Campsites: $16/night per unit tent only with no electricity, $23/night per unit tent only with electric hookup, $27/night per unit campsite with no electricity, $34/night per unit campsite with electric hookup
59 campsites - view campsite availability

Camping Cabins: $60/night
11 cabins - view cabin availability

Staffed: Camp attendant and on-site campground host.

Sanitation & Water: Flush toilets and showers (2 facilities), dump station, drinking water, vault toilets

ADA & Accessibility: Camping Cabins GL 5 or Campsites (electric hookup) 3E, 4E, and 26E

State Game Lodge is ¼ mile west of the campground. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, State Game Lodge served as the Summer White House for President Calvin Coolidge in 1927. Coolidge General Store is 1 mile west of the campground.

Amenities: Full-service restaurant, Buffalo Safari Jeep rides, lodging and resort cabins, gift shop, laundromat, fishing licenses, convenience store and gift shop, and fuel

Tucked into the trees next to Grace Coolidge Creek an area along the north side of the highway is designated for tent camping only while the campground along the south side of the highway will accommodate all types of camping units.  Enjoy fishing at the Coolidge Walk-in Fishing Area or spend the day listening to the babbling of the creek.  

Grace Coolidge Campground Map

Open: Open House Weekend – Oct. 10 (may change based on weather conditions)

Lat: 43.776463
Long: -103.4

Location: ½ mile west of the Custer State Park office on US Highway 16A

Camping Type: Mixed
$16/night per unit tent only with no electricity, $23/night per unit tent only with electric hookup, $34/night per unit campsite with electric hookup
20 sites, 6 tent-only sites located across the highway - view campsite availability

Staffed: Camp attendant and on-site campground host.

Water and Sanitation: Flush toilets and showers (vault toilets only in tent-camping area), drinking water

ADA and Accessibility: Campsites 16E and 20E

State Game Lodge is 1.5 mile west of the campground.  Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, State Game Lodge served as the Summer White House for President Calvin Coolidge in 1927. 
Amenities: Full service restaurant, Buffalo Safari Jeep rides, lodging and resort cabins, gift shop. 

Coolidge General Store is 1 mile east of the campground.
Amenities: laundromat, fishing licenses, convenience store and gift shop, fuel.

Across the highway from the sheer rock walls and water of Legion Lake and the Legion Lake Lodge, this campground will accommodate large RVs and tents. The Badger Clark Memorial is within walking distance via the Centennial Trail, or you can enjoy the nearby fishing, swimming, boating, or hiking. The fishing dock located near the parking lot is accessible, but there is no boat launch area. Stop at the Lodge to rent a canoe or kayak.

Legion Lake Campground Map

Open: Open House Weekend - October 10 (may change based on weather conditions)

Lat: 43.762262
Long: -103.5

Location: On US Highway 16A across from Legion Lake and Legion Lake Lodge.

Camping Type: Modern
Campsites: $34/night per unit campsite with electric hookup
26 campsites - view campsite availability

Staffed: Camp attendant and on-site campground host.

Sanitation and Water: Flush toilets, showers, and drinking water

Legion Lake Lodge dates back to 1913 when Custer State Park was a game preserve within the Custer State Forest, and the area was leased by the local American Legion Post. Rebuilt in 2016, the lodge offers many amenities.
Amenities: Limited-service restaurant, resort cabins, convenience and gift shop, boat and water sport rentals, fishing licenses

Able to accommodate any camping unit, Stockade North Campground is near Stockade South Campground as well as the historic Gordon Stockade, the site where gold was discovered by the Custer Expedition in 1874, and the town of Custer. 

Stockade North Campground Map

Open: Open House Weekend – Oct. 1 (may change based on weather conditions)

Lat: 43.771983
Long: -103.5

Location  On the western side of Custer State Park off US Highway 16A, four miles east of the town of Custer.

Camping Type: Modern

Campsites: $16/night per unit tent only with no electricity, $23/night per unit tent only with electric hookup, $27/night per unit campsite with no electricity, $34/night per unit campsite with electric hookup
42 campsites - view campsite availability

Staffed: Camp attendant and on-site campground host.

Sanitation and Water: flush toilets, showers, drinking water, and vault toilets

Legion Lake Lodge, four miles to the east, dates back to 1913 when Custer State Park was a game preserve within the Custer State Forest and the area was leased by the local American Legion Post.  Rebuilt in 2016 the Lodge offers many amenities.
Amenities: Limited service restaurant, resort cabins, convenience and gift shop, boat and water sport rentals, fishing licenses

Able to accommodate mid-sized RVs, Stockade South Campground is tucked on the south side of Stockade Lake. Stockade North Campground as well as the historic Gordon Stockade, the site where gold was discovered by the Custer Expedition in 1874, and the town of Custer are nearby.

Stockade South Campground Map

Open: Open House Weekend – Oct. 1 (may change based on weather conditions)

Lat: 43.763781
Long: -103.5

Location: On the western side of Custer State Park, south of US Highway 16A along Stockade Lake Drive, four miles east of the town of Custer.

Camping Type: Modern

Campsites: $16/night per unit tent only with no electricity, $34/night per unit campsite with electric hookup
23 campsites - view campsite availability

Camping Cabins: $55/night
13 cabins - view cabin availability

Sanitation and Water: flush toilets, showers, and drinking water

Legion Lake Lodge is five miles to the east, and dates back to 1913 when Custer State Park was a game preserve within the Custer State Forest and the area was leased by the local American Legion Post.  Rebuilt in 2016 the Lodge offers many amenities.
Amenities: Limited-service restaurant, resort cabins, convenience and gift shop, boat and water sport rentals, fishing licenses

Just a short stroll from Sylvan Lake, the crown jewel of Custer State Park, Sylvan Lake Campground is the highest campground within Custer State Park at 6,200 feet. Sites within the campground are close together and are not suitable for large tents or RVs over 27 feet.

Sylvan Lake was created in 1881 when Theodore Reder dammed Sunday Gulch and offers an excellent opportunity for swimming, canoeing, kayaking, or fishing.

Sylvan Lake Campground Map

Open: Open House Weekend – Oct. 1 (may change based on weather conditions)

Lat: 43.763781
Long: -103.5

Location ¼ mile south of Sylvan Lake on SD Highway 87N (Needles Highway).  Due to low, narrow tunnels, large RVs or vehicles towing campers should avoid Needles Highway (SD Hwy 87N) and approach the area using SD Highway 89 north from US Highway 16A in Custer.

Camping Type: Modern

Campsites: $16/night per unit tent only with no electricity, $34/night per unit campsite with electric hookup
39 campsites - view campsite availability

Staffed: Camp attendant and on-site campground host.

Sanitation and Water: Flush toilets, showers, drinking water, and vault toilets

Sylvan Lake Lodge a mile from the campground, is a gem offering a breathtaking view of Black Elk Peak.
Amenities: Full-service restaurant, resort cabins, convenience and gift shop, boat and water sport rentals, fishing licenses

Group Camping

Group campgrounds are located near Stockade Lake and Game Lodge Campgrounds. Reservations are not available online, call 1.800.710.2267; available 1 year in advance.

Open: May 15 - September 30
Fee: $8 per person per night ($140 minimum)

Stockade Group Area: Accommodates a maximum of 40 people

• Facilities: Group picnic shelter (15 amp electricity), picnic tables, fire grates
• Sanitation and Water: Vault toilets, flush toilets, and showers are available in Stockade South Campground, ¼ mile away
• Directions: Located along Stockade Lake Drive, 4 miles east of the town of Custer on US Highway 16A.

Calvin Coolidge Group Area: Accommodates a maximum of 40 people

• Facilities: 5 gravel campsites (30/50 amp electricity), picnic shelter with electricity, picnic tables, and one central fire ring
• Sanitation and Water: Potable water available, vault toilets, flush toilets, and showers available at Game Lodge Campground
• Directions: Located southwest of the junction of US Highway 16A and Wildlife Loop Road

Non-profit Youth Camping Areas

The park offers two primitive areas, Shady Rest and Center Lake, for non-profit youth tent camping only.  Reservations are not available online, call 800.710.2267

Open: May 15 - September 30

Fee: $.50 per person or $6 per night (whichever is greater) Non-profit youth groups are eligible for discounted camping fees. 

A non-profit youth group is any organized group of youths, all under age 18, sponsored by a non-profit organization.  The group must be accompanied by a smaller group of adult leaders* that have been designated by the organization to provide supervision, guidance, and instruction.
*Any adult accompanying the youth group for the primary purpose of supervising the adult’s own children is not considered an adult leader of the group.

A park entrance license is not required for a resident non-profit youth group that enters the park if the group obtains an approved non-profit youth group permit from the park manager or a designee BEFORE entering the park. 

Center Lake

• Facilities: Tent camping only, no electricity, picnic tables, and fire grates
• Sanitation and Water: Vault toilets, water and showers are available at the shower house near the swim beach, shower area available between the hours of 1 and 4 p.m.
• Directions: Located within the Center Lake Campground complex off of SD Highway 87, three miles north of US Highway16A

Shady Rest

• Facilities: Tent camping only, fire grates, and picnic tables
• Sanitation and Water: Vault toilets, water must be brought in and is available at various locations throughout the park, showers are available at the Game Lodge and Grace Coolidge Campgrounds between the hours of 1 and 4 p.m.
• Directions: Located along US Highway 16A, approximately 2 miles west of the Custer State Park office

Lt. Colonel George A. Custer made French Creek famous during the summer of 1874, when gold was discovered by prospectors of the Custer Expedition. The specks of gold found sparked a flurry of gold seekers into the Black Hills. Today it attracts other prospectors, those seeking the golden opportunities to observe and interact with the natural world of French Creek Gorge.

The French Creek Natural Area is a 12 mile (19 km) back-country hiking trail. It was established to protect the abundant natural resources within the area while providing visitors the opportunity to experience the untouched beauty of the French Creek Gorge. Keep a sharp eye out for birds, mammals, and wildflowers. There is always a chance that you may see Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep scaling the canyon walls, an eagle circling above, or trout darting about in the stream.

The hiking trail follows the creek as the trail is not marked or developed, hikers generally cross the creek 42 times.  Approximately eight miles from French Creek Horse Camp the trail diverges from the horse trail at the sign to Fisherman’s Flat and becomes less defined.  Shortly downstream is the Narrows where the canyon pinches together and access is limited to climbing over the cliff, a 60-foot embankment, or swimming 100 feet through the creek. 

Open: Year-round

Location: West access is three miles from Blue Bell Lodge on North Lame Johnny Road (CSP 4), east access is four miles south of the Custer State Park Visitor Center on Wildlife Loop Road

Camping Type: Primitive, back-country hiking trail

Campsites: $8 per person per night - Campers need to register at the self-registration stations located at the east and west trailheads.
Reservations are not required

Sanitation and Water: Carry in only

Hiking and camping are encouraged; however, due to the natural state of the area, safety guidelines have been established.  Enjoy French Creek Natural Area, but please respect its beauty. 

•  Utilize low-impact camping methods: do not dig trenches or build shelters.
• Campsites are allowed within the canyon bottom but must be 50 feet from the creek.
• Open fires are strictly prohibited.
• Disposal of human waste should be a minimum of 200 feet from the nearest water source and should be buried at least 8 inches deep.
• Garbage receptacles are available at both trailheads for litter.
• Carry in your drinking water. The water of the creek and its springs is not suitable for drinking.
• Keep soaps and detergents out of the creek.
• Wear appropriate footwear with ankle support and long pants for protection against poison ivy.
• Plan for unpredictable weather conditions. Heavy thunderstorms are common, and temperatures can cool to the low 50s (10C) during the summer.
• Pets must be under the immediate control of the owner.  (Inside designated camping areas, they must be leashed.)
• Open carry of firearms is not permitted in Custer State Park, except by licensed hunters during established hunting seasons.
• Rattlesnakes live in this area, poison ivy is abundant, bison also utilize this space, please maintain a safe distance.