RV Sites
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Matthew B
VerifiedJune 12, 2020 Stayed at: 007, Loop: HORS
Hidden gem
Helpful
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 sitesSeasonal 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
Fire Pit
Cooking and Fire
- Picnic Table
- Fire Pit
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
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007, Loop: HORS
RV
Pet Friendly · 58 × 20 ft · Gravel
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008, Loop: HORS
RV
Pet Friendly · 39 × 16 ft · Gravel
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009, Loop: HORS
RV
Pet Friendly · 38 × 24 ft · Gravel
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010, Loop: HORS
RV
Pet Friendly · 38 × 18 ft · Gravel
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011, Loop: HORS
RV
Pet Friendly · 38 × 12 ft · Gravel
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012, Loop: HORS
RV
Pet Friendly · 46 × 14 ft · Gravel
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013, Loop: HORS
RV
Pet Friendly · 48 × 15 ft · Gravel
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014, Loop: HORS
RV
Pet Friendly · 45 × 14 ft · Gravel
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015, Loop: LKSD
RV
Pet Friendly · 49 × 14 ft · Gravel
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016, Loop: LKSD
RV
Pet Friendly · 59 × 15 ft · Gravel
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017, Loop: LKSD
RV
Pet Friendly · 48 × 17 ft · Gravel
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018, Loop: LKSD
RV
Pet Friendly · 38 × 20 ft · Gravel
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023, Loop: LKSD
Tent
Gravel · Pet Friendly · Campfire
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024, Loop: LKSD
Tent
Gravel · Pet Friendly · Campfire
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025, Loop: LKSD
Tent
Gravel · Pet Friendly · Campfire
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026, Loop: LKSD
Tent
Gravel · Pet Friendly · Campfire
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027, Loop: LKSD
Tent
Gravel · Pet Friendly · Campfire
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028, Loop: LKSD
Tent
Gravel · Pet Friendly · Campfire
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029, Loop: WALK
Tent
Gravel · Pet Friendly · Campfire
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030, Loop: WALK
Tent
Gravel · Pet Friendly · Campfire
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031, Loop: WALK
Tent
Gravel · Pet Friendly · Campfire
⛺
032, Loop: WALK
Tent
Gravel · Pet Friendly · Campfire
No sites found matching your criteria.
No available sites
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Site Details
Select a site to view details
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
No available sites
All sites are booked for your selected dates. Try showing all sites to see booked options, create an alert to be notified when something opens up, or adjust your dates.
Reviews
516 reviews
Summary
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
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: Oldest First
Matthew B
VerifiedJune 12, 2020 Stayed at: 007, Loop: HORS
Hidden gem
Helpful
Donald D
VerifiedJune 21, 2020 Stayed at: 028, Loop: LKSD
the setting is great, but the shining star is the wonderful Camp Hosts. Friendly, helpful and attentive, we just love seeing them each summer. Thanks ever so much.
Helpful
Donald D
VerifiedJune 21, 2020 Stayed at: 028, Loop: LKSD
the setting is great, but the shining star is the wonderful Camp Hosts. Friendly, helpful and attentive, we just love seeing them each summer. Thanks ever so much.
Helpful
Chris D
VerifiedJune 28, 2020 Stayed at: 013, Loop: HORS
The campground itself was beautiful and the location was great. The spaces are really close together but everyone was nice and the beauty helped. You can literally hear every ones conversations at sites on each side of you, but was still nice due to location and beauty. The problem was the host's, they were not terribly friendly and every single morning they were riding a four wheeler around to the site posts between 7am and 7:30 am to change the reservation tags for the day. Woke us up both mornings and our infant (this was the big deal). They had zero consideration for others that were on vacation. We were not trying to sleep in but these posts are 4 ft from you head in your camper due to the size and close proximity of the sites. All they had to do was wait an hour and it would have been fine, not like they have a ton to do that early. They have all day to do that and check out is not till 11 or 12, but they felt it necessary to wake us up with a four wheeler engine every morning basically parked on our heads. I hope Recreation.gov sees this and does not allow them back. Other than that it was great. Great campsite and beautiful but man so thoughtless of them. Even when you talked to them they were cold and acted like you were inconveniencing them to ask questions. ZERO stars for them, 4 for the site and campground
Helpful
Chris D
VerifiedJune 28, 2020 Stayed at: 013, Loop: HORS
The campground itself was beautiful and the location was great. The spaces are really close together but everyone was nice and the beauty helped. You can literally hear every ones conversations at sites on each side of you, but was still nice due to location and beauty. The problem was the host's, they were not terribly friendly and every single morning they were riding a four wheeler around to the site posts between 7am and 7:30 am to change the reservation tags for the day. Woke us up both mornings and our infant (this was the big deal). They had zero consideration for others that were on vacation. We were not trying to sleep in but these posts are 4 ft from you head in your camper due to the size and close proximity of the sites. All they had to do was wait an hour and it would have been fine, not like they have a ton to do that early. They have all day to do that and check out is not till 11 or 12, but they felt it necessary to wake us up with a four wheeler engine every morning basically parked on our heads. I hope Recreation.gov sees this and does not allow them back. Other than that it was great. Great campsite and beautiful but man so thoughtless of them. Even when you talked to them they were cold and acted like you were inconveniencing them to ask questions. ZERO stars for them, 4 for the site and campground
Helpful
Ana M
VerifiedJuly 24, 2020 Stayed at: 013, Loop: HORS
Great place! Close to rushmore, lake activities good for fishing kids friendly
Helpful
Ana M
VerifiedJuly 24, 2020 Stayed at: 013, Loop: HORS
Great place! Close to rushmore, lake activities good for fishing kids friendly
Helpful
Lori F
VerifiedJuly 26, 2020 Stayed at: 017, Loop: LKSD
Helpful
Lori F
VerifiedJuly 26, 2020 Stayed at: 017, Loop: LKSD
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.
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.
Nearby Campgrounds
Nearby destinations
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
Hill City, SD
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Managed by the USDA Forest Service