Horsethief Lake Campground

Forest Recreation Management, Inc, Hill City, South Dakota, United States
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Horsethief Lake
Rock with hole in it
Toilet
Lake Overview
Info Kiosk

Featured amenities

Picnic Table Picnic Table
Fire Pit Fire Pit
View all amenities

About Horsethief Lake Campground

Located 10 mi south of Hill City, South Dakota, Horsethief Lake Campground is a delightful setting for visitors seeking recreation and relaxation in Black Hills National Forest. This campground is 2 mi from Mount Rushmore National Memorial and adjacent to Horsethief Lake. Sites are tucked into a forest of towering ponderosa and lodgepole pine.

Available sites

22 total sites
RV Sites 12 sites Check Availability Tent Sites 10 sites Check Availability

Seasonal information

2026 (Current year)

2026 Season availability

Current season
Upcoming seasons
Past seasons
Closed periods
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Currently open - Oct 1 to Nov 1

Campground Amenities

Most popular amenities

Picnic Table Picnic Table
Fire Pit Fire Pit
Cooking and Fire

Cooking and Fire

  • Picnic Table
  • Fire Pit
Water Access

Water Access

  • Lake Access
Missing information?

Rates, Sites & Availability

Select check-in and check-out dates to see real-time availability for each site.

22 Sites Available

Site
Price
🚐 007, Loop: HORS RV
Pet Friendly · 58 × 20 ft · Gravel
🚐 008, Loop: HORS RV
Pet Friendly · 39 × 16 ft · Gravel
🚐 009, Loop: HORS RV
Pet Friendly · 38 × 24 ft · Gravel
🚐 010, Loop: HORS RV
Pet Friendly · 38 × 18 ft · Gravel
🚐 011, Loop: HORS RV
Pet Friendly · 38 × 12 ft · Gravel
🚐 012, Loop: HORS RV
Pet Friendly · 46 × 14 ft · Gravel
🚐 013, Loop: HORS RV
Pet Friendly · 48 × 15 ft · Gravel
🚐 014, Loop: HORS RV
Pet Friendly · 45 × 14 ft · Gravel
🚐 015, Loop: LKSD RV
Pet Friendly · 49 × 14 ft · Gravel
🚐 016, Loop: LKSD RV
Pet Friendly · 59 × 15 ft · Gravel
🚐 017, Loop: LKSD RV
Pet Friendly · 48 × 17 ft · Gravel
🚐 018, Loop: LKSD RV
Pet Friendly · 38 × 20 ft · Gravel
⛺ 023, Loop: LKSD Tent
Gravel · Pet Friendly · Campfire
⛺ 024, Loop: LKSD Tent
Gravel · Pet Friendly · Campfire
⛺ 025, Loop: LKSD Tent
Gravel · Pet Friendly · Campfire
⛺ 026, Loop: LKSD Tent
Gravel · Pet Friendly · Campfire
⛺ 027, Loop: LKSD Tent
Gravel · Pet Friendly · Campfire
⛺ 028, Loop: LKSD Tent
Gravel · Pet Friendly · Campfire
⛺ 029, Loop: WALK Tent
Gravel · Pet Friendly · Campfire
⛺ 030, Loop: WALK Tent
Gravel · Pet Friendly · Campfire
⛺ 031, Loop: WALK Tent
Gravel · Pet Friendly · Campfire
⛺ 032, Loop: WALK Tent
Gravel · Pet Friendly · Campfire

Reviews

516 reviews

Summary

AI generated

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

Overall rating

Based on 516 reviews

Write a review
5 stars 69.2% (357)
4 stars 18.8% (97)
3 stars 8.3% (43)
2 stars 3.3% (17)
1 star 0.4% (2)

Showing 516 reviews

Verified Only
Sort by: Newest First
Newest First Oldest First

Stace V

Verified

September 6, 2023 Stayed at: 008, Loop: HORS

We stayed at site #8. The location of the campsite was one of the best things about the campground, close to Mount Rushmore and not too far from the Crazy Horse Monument. The campgrounds are very busy but still beautiful. My favorite thing about the campgrounds was the trail around the lake. There are spots to fish or to just sit and enjoy nature. The tent pad was perfect for our 10' X 11' tent, perfectly flat and easy to set up. Site #8 is very close to the restroom, which is great for accessibility, but we could smell the restroom. I hope to come back in a few years and would love to stay in sites #23 - 28, which are further back near the lake. Even the walk-in sites on that side of the lake look very inviting as they overlook the lake too.

Helpful

Stace V

Verified

September 6, 2023 Stayed at: 008, Loop: HORS

We stayed at site #8. The location of the campsite was one of the best things about the campground, close to Mount Rushmore and not too far from the Crazy Horse Monument. The campgrounds are very busy but still beautiful. My favorite thing about the campgrounds was the trail around the lake. There are spots to fish or to just sit and enjoy nature. The tent pad was perfect for our 10' X 11' tent, perfectly flat and easy to set up. Site #8 is very close to the restroom, which is great for accessibility, but we could smell the restroom. I hope to come back in a few years and would love to stay in sites #23 - 28, which are further back near the lake. Even the walk-in sites on that side of the lake look very inviting as they overlook the lake too.

Helpful

Kathleen P

Verified

August 23, 2023 Stayed at: 024, Loop: LKSD

Very nice campground hosts. Toilet was clean and well stocked. Campground looked great!

Helpful

Kathleen P

Verified

August 23, 2023 Stayed at: 024, Loop: LKSD

Very nice campground hosts. Toilet was clean and well stocked. Campground looked great!

Helpful

Robert H

Verified

August 21, 2023 Stayed at: 029, Loop: WALK

Beautiful and large campsites. Noise from the road echoed across the lake, especially motorcycles.

Helpful

Robert H

Verified

August 21, 2023 Stayed at: 029, Loop: WALK

Beautiful and large campsites. Noise from the road echoed across the lake, especially motorcycles.

Helpful

Sara W

Verified

August 11, 2023 Stayed at: 013, Loop: HORS

Beautiful campground!

Helpful

Sara W

Verified

August 11, 2023 Stayed at: 013, Loop: HORS

Beautiful campground!

Helpful

Holly A

Verified

August 7, 2023 Stayed at: 029, Loop: WALK

We love camping at Horsethief lake. The location is absolutely beautiful and each site has a wonderful tree canopy. The toilets were standard vault toilets. Well cleaned but can get smelly if fellow campers don’t shut the lid. Only thing that would make this spot better is a place to shower off.

Helpful

Holly A

Verified

August 7, 2023 Stayed at: 029, Loop: WALK

We love camping at Horsethief lake. The location is absolutely beautiful and each site has a wonderful tree canopy. The toilets were standard vault toilets. Well cleaned but can get smelly if fellow campers don’t shut the lid. Only thing that would make this spot better is a place to shower off.

Helpful

Location & Directions for Horsethief Lake Campground

Forest Recreation Management, Inc, Hill City, SD 57745 United States

Elevation: 1,509 ft

Getting There

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.

Nearest town

Hill City, SD - 9.5 mi

About 16 min to downtown

Highway access

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.

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Mount Rushmore KOA Resort at Palmer Gulch
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Nearby destinations

Explore destination

Keystone

3 mi away

Day trip
Explore destination

Hill City

5 mi away

City
Explore destination

Custer

11 mi away

City

Last updated: October 24, 2026

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Explore Hill City, SD

Population: 834

Nearby city: Rapid City, SD

Approx. 18 mi away (straight-line distance)

Elevation: 4,980 ft

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