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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
July 28, 2021 Stayed at: 017, Loop: LKSD
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.
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July 28, 2021 Stayed at: 017, Loop: LKSD
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.
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July 23, 2021 Stayed at: 011, Loop: HORS
Great location and beautiful environment. Lake near by is a bonus.
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July 23, 2021 Stayed at: 008, Loop: HORS
Good camp for 1 to 2 nights, no showers
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July 23, 2021 Stayed at: 011, Loop: HORS
Great location and beautiful environment. Lake near by is a bonus.
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July 23, 2021 Stayed at: 008, Loop: HORS
Good camp for 1 to 2 nights, no showers
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July 22, 2021 Stayed at: 007, Loop: HORS
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.
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July 22, 2021 Stayed at: 007, Loop: HORS
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.
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July 21, 2021 Stayed at: 018, Loop: LKSD
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.
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July 21, 2021 Stayed at: 023, Loop: LKSD
Beautiful campsite. Loved the lake and the super accessible hiking trails!
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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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