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516 reviews
Horsethief Lake Campground offers a beautiful and peaceful setting, with clean facilities and friendly hosts, making it an excellent choice for camping near attractions like Mount Rushmore. Guests appreciate the proximity to nature trails, a lovely lake, and the surrounding Black Hills. Although some campers noted issues like lack of potable water and occasional noise from nearby highways or helicopter tours, the overall experience remains highly positive, with many expressing a desire to return.
Based on guest feedback
4.5
Based on 516 reviews
Showing 516 reviews
September 23, 2026 Stayed at: 008, Loop: HORS
We were pleasantly surprised by this campground. We chose it to get close to Mt Rushmore and it was a quick drive over, which was convenient to attend the nighttime lighting ceremony. We didn’t realize there would be a grassy area to picnic right by the lake! We enjoyed the lake and wished we had a kayak. Tent pads elevated made for a nice campground set up. Camp host was the kindest woman !
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September 20, 2026 Stayed at: 014, Loop: HORS
Site was very nice and clean. Sites are relatively close together although privacy is decent. We were charged a $2.00 per night “pet fee” which seems ridiculous for a campground
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September 18, 2026 Stayed at: 013, Loop: HORS
Beautiful campground. Well maintained by the host. Location is great for nearby attractions. Fun little lake to fish as well. We always try to get a spot here when in the area.
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September 18, 2026 Stayed at: 030, Loop: WALK
Campground was beautiful, though primitive, but reservation system was awful. We were bicycling/bikepacking and due to unforeseen conditions the date of our arrival changed and we had to pay a $10 fee to modify the date. This fee should not be applied to bikepackers. In fact, biker/hiker sites should guarantee that cyclists and hikers have a place to camp without reservation
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September 17, 2026 Stayed at: 017, Loop: LKSD
Nice location to Mt Rushmore. Spots are very close for a national forest campground.
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September 15, 2026 Stayed at: 028, Loop: LKSD
Beautiful campground right on the lake. Nicely forested well kept up. The host was very helpful, conscientious, and friendly. Strongly recommend.
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September 15, 2026 Stayed at: 008, Loop: HORS
Love this location! the camp host was wonderful and being that close to Mount Rushmore was so awesome getting to go to the night program and then visiting in the morning again.
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September 15, 2026 Stayed at: 014, Loop: HORS
Cindy is an awesome camp host! Grounds are kept in immaculate condition. I will return again soon.
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September 14, 2026 Stayed at: 011, Loop: HORS
If you are looking for a quiet get away to relax in nature. This is not the campground for you. The sites are quite close together and the turnover is daily.
It is very close to the monument, so there are helicopter tours flying overhead all day as well as motor traffic on the hwy which is fairly close.
Even the camp hosts resorted to using leaf blowers to clean up sites.
While the area is pretty, be prepared for a lot of activities and noise. Also be prepared for short bathroom trips as there is 1 bathroom for the main loop which has about 25 sites.
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September 12, 2026 Stayed at: 017, Loop: LKSD
We loved our stay at horse thief, campground. The walk around the lake is wonderful. Proximity to Mount Rushmore is excellent. The one drawback is that the campground does not have a dumping station for waste water.
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Forest Recreation Management, Inc, Hill City, SD 57745 United States
Elevation: 1,509 ft
From Hill City, take U.S. Rt. 16/385 south 3 mi to State Rt. 244. Turn left onto Rt. 244. Travel 5.9 mi to campground sign. Turn right at sign into campground.
Horsethief Lake Campground is accessible via U.S. Route 16/385 and State Route 244, with the closest major road being U.S. Route 16/385 located about 3 miles north in Hill City.
Last updated: October 24, 2026
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Population: 834
Nearby city: Rapid City, SD
Approx. 18 mi away (straight-line distance)
Elevation: 4,980 ft
Hill City, SD
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