About Horsethief Lake Campground
Number of accommodations: 22
Seasonal information
2026 Season availability
Sites & Availability
22 Sites Available
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22 Sites Available
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Reviews (217)
What Guests Are Saying
Horsethief Lake Campground is a charming and well-maintained site near Mount Rushmore, praised for its clean facilities, beautiful lake views, and helpful camp host. Campers enjoy the peaceful atmosphere, hiking trails, and the opportunity to see wildlife, making it a favorite spot in the Black Hills. While some sites may be close together and noise from other campers can be an issue, the overall experience remains positive with many expressing a desire to return.
What Guests Are Saying
Horsethief Lake Campground is a charming and well-maintained site near Mount Rushmore, praised for its clean facilities, beautiful lake views, and helpful camp host. Campers enjoy the peaceful atmosphere, hiking trails, and the opportunity to see wildlife, making it a favorite spot in the Black Hills. While some sites may be close together and noise from other campers can be an issue, the overall experience remains positive with many expressing a desire to return.
Review Summary
Joey W
VerifiedJune 19, 2025 • Stayed at: 010, Loop: HORS
So close to Mt. Rushmore, in a beautiful little nook in the black hills! Horesthief Campground has a private side of a public fishing area stocked with trout. The lots are small, but very nice and well-kept. Traditionally, this is a quiet little campground with a very helpful and kind host. Unfortunately, as time goes on, other campers are getting louder and more obnoxious. If you are tent camping, you are bound to encounter late night laughing and hollering, as well as loud trucks hooking up RV campers at 5:30 in the morning.
Beautiful place. Campers are loud.
John S
VerifiedJune 17, 2025 • Stayed at: 007, Loop: HORS
Cheerful host lady. Sites were maintained. Pit toilets could use some air freshener
William K
VerifiedJune 12, 2025 • Stayed at: 016, Loop: LKSD
Camp host was very nice! She sold firewood for a very reasonable price and other small things. Cleanly kept bathroom and sites.
Doug P
VerifiedJune 10, 2025 • Stayed at: 008, Loop: HORS
Lovely campground, excellent host!
Dave C
VerifiedJune 5, 2025 • Stayed at: 007, Loop: HORS
We were not able to fill our trailer with water there and from the website we thought we should have been able to do that. Fortunately we called ahead and figured out we could do it at the KOA 4 miles away with a fee.
Dana R
VerifiedJune 5, 2025 • Stayed at: 018, Loop: LKSD
Beautiful setting next to the lake with lots of hiking trails nearby. Camp hosts were super friendly and helpful.
Zoey O
VerifiedJune 5, 2025 • Stayed at: 024, Loop: LKSD
This is the best camping site by far.
Brian K
VerifiedJune 4, 2025 • Stayed at: 012, Loop: HORS
Great location and a great little park. Make sure to bring along your fishing rod and tackle as there is a great little fishery here.
Park is very well kept by the Managers
Be aware - no cell service here, but still worth the peace and solitude.
David M
VerifiedJune 3, 2025 • Stayed at: 014, Loop: HORS
The campground host was extremely friendly and helpful. The facilities were immaculate and the sites were beautiful. We couldn’t have had a better experience!
Benton R
VerifiedJune 2, 2025 • Stayed at: 013, Loop: HORS
Sites were pretty close together, we had to pay extra to have dogs ($2/night/per dog), there was no dump station and the drinking water valve didn’t connect to a hose.
Hosts were nice.
The lake was nice with good fishing. You can hear traffic from the site.
It’s very close to Rushmore but that was the least enjoyable part of the trip for us so in retrospect I may have booked elsewhere.
I would consider staying in clusters next time.
Location Horsethief Lake Campground
Address:
Forest Recreation Management, Inc
Hill City, SD, 57745
United States
From Hill City, take U.S. Rt. 16/385 south 3 miles to State Rt. 244. Turn left onto Rt. 244. Travel 5.9 miles to campground sign. Turn right at sign into campground.
Latitude & Longitude: 43.8951 / -103.484
Elevation: 1509 feet
