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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 29, 2026 Stayed at: 030, Loop: WALK
Beautiful location about 15 minutes outside Custer. Good amenities, clean restrooms, friendly hosts. Abundant wildlife and a nice nature trail which circumnavigates the lake. I would happily return if again visiting the area.
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July 27, 2026 Stayed at: 026, Loop: LKSD
Beautiful campground. There is access to the lake from the roadside, but the camp area is blocked off for campers only, which is nice. We loved swimming, watching the views, and the close proximity to everything in the area!
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July 26, 2026 Stayed at: 009, Loop: HORS
No flat spot for a tent in this site. Vault toilets needed pumped out the smell could have gagged a maggot. The neighbors had a lovely gas generator hammering away all day till quiet hours. The lake was nice though.
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July 24, 2026 Stayed at: 032, Loop: WALK
Ride the train if possible and jump off the cliff at horse-thief it’s Safe. Also take time to meet the camp hosts they are wonderful people.
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July 23, 2026 Stayed at: 029, Loop: WALK
Very nice time in the middle of July. The water was out during our stay, but it wasn't a big deal.
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July 23, 2026 Stayed at: 027, Loop: LKSD
This is a great campground, we loved camping right next to the lake so we could cool off during the hot weather. I would have given this campground a much better rating but there was no water available in the campground. We were told that the previous company taking care of the campground had not flushed the water pipes before last winter. This is a huge boneheaded mistake and I hope this company is not allowed to manage this park again. Also, there was a large amount of poison ivy along the campground trails and our dog got into it. This is something that the park needs to be aware of and take care of for the comfort of visitors to this lovely campground.
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July 20, 2026 Stayed at: 017, Loop: LKSD
Cindy is one of the best host’s we have encountered. She is friendly, energetic, helpful and always attending to the needs of the campers and campground. The campground did have a water outage so it would have been nice to have a portable potable water supply but other than that we were very pleased to have stayed at Horse thief Campground and to have met Cindy the host.
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July 17, 2026 Stayed at: 007, Loop: HORS
It was a nice experience nice trees, nice people, but very hilly.
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July 14, 2026 Stayed at: 018, Loop: LKSD
Everything was great, although there was no water available. Other than that, a lovely campsite with a short walk to the lake. Quiet and beautiful.
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July 13, 2026 Stayed at: 007, Loop: HORS
Great place. So much to see and do. We will go back. Enjoyed the fireworks 🎆. Hopefully we will have water again. Very nice campground.
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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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