Horsethief Lake Campground

We parked our camper here so we could sleep and explore during the day. It served its purpose well.

Good campsite though no designated tent pad in most sites. Has a small “beach” front to the lake for swimming, fishing, and other activities. No flush toilets. Water spigots and trash designated areas weren’t far from any of the sites. Ice was a bit overpriced.

Great location and beautiful environment. Lake near by is a bonus.

Good camp for 1 to 2 nights, no showers

What a great campground with easy access to the lake and 5 minutes from Mt. Rushmore. The camp hosts, Helen & Leland, were amazing and assisted me with a major medical event requiring ambulances and hospital nights. They took care of our rig and dogs while finding us a couple of extra nights while we navigated the medical event. Our appreciation goes beyond words and we've made friends for life. Park is in impeccable condition, quiet and very family friendly.

We wanted to try this campground again since it had been awhile since the last time we camped here, however, things have changed in the four years since we were here before. Or maybe we just got lucky before. They had to add a fee booth to the entrance so I suspect that increased traffic was the reason for that!

We camped in site 18, which fit our 11x11 dome tent on the driveway. It was a nice site and bonus was that we could see our tent from across the lake when we went around over there to look for it!

That's where the fun ends and the noise begins. The concept of quiet hours did not reach the old-enough-to-know-better young man yelling "Marco, Polo" at 11pm or his giggling girlfriend. Thankfully, they must have left because we heard a car drive away around 11:30pm and then it was quiet...or so we thought.

Somewhere nearby, there is a kennel, or someone's empty garage, that had several dogs that barked non-stop for much of the night. Granted this wasn't the campground's fault, but it's something to consider when choosing a campground for tent camping. I half wished for a generator to start running, if that tells you anything!!

I doubt we'll camp here again. There are just too many people in the Black Hills for my taste. It's no longer easy to quickly pop in to survey the situation before grabbing a first come, first served site in the Black Hills. Reserving this site online costs $34 with the fee, which is rather expensive for a tent site.

Beautiful campsite. Loved the lake and the super accessible hiking trails!

Super close to Crazy Horse, Mount Rushmore, and Custer Stater Park. Incredible central location in the Black Hills, with well-maintained sites and facilities, ready with ice and firewood in case you need more during your visit!

a secret oasis. we love it