Available sites
52 total sites
RV Sites
About Pactola Reservoir Campground
Activities & Attractions
Nearby
Boating
Fishing
Hiking
Kayaking
Swimming
Year-round
Fishing
Hiking
Spring
Boating
Kayaking
Summer
Boating
Kayaking
Swimming
Fall
Boating
Kayaking
Seasonal information
2026 Season availability
Campground Amenities
Water Access
- Beach Access
- Lake Access
- Marina
Rates, Sites & Availability
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Site Details
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52 Sites Available
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Reviews (639)
What Guests Are Saying
Pactola Reservoir Campground offers a beautiful lakeside setting with spacious, well-maintained sites and friendly camp hosts. Visitors appreciate the quiet atmosphere, clean facilities, and access to hiking trails and water activities. However, some concerns include the low water level in the reservoir, limited water sources, and occasional noise from nearby campers.
What Guests Are Saying
Pactola Reservoir Campground offers a beautiful lakeside setting with spacious, well-maintained sites and friendly camp hosts. Visitors appreciate the quiet atmosphere, clean facilities, and access to hiking trails and water activities. However, some concerns include the low water level in the reservoir, limited water sources, and occasional noise from nearby campers.
Review Summary
Mike S
VerifiedAugust 17, 2021 • Stayed at: 028, Loop: PACT
Nice campground but wish it had better bathrooms, electrical hookups, and a shower house.
Steven Z
VerifiedAugust 17, 2021 • Stayed at: 035, Loop: PACT
We have been coming for over 28 years. This area in the black hills is breathtaking. We absolutely love it and would highly recommend it.
We will be coming back again next year.
Mike S
VerifiedAugust 17, 2021 • Stayed at: 028, Loop: PACT
Nice campground but wish it had better bathrooms, electrical hookups, and a shower house.
Steven Z
VerifiedAugust 17, 2021 • Stayed at: 035, Loop: PACT
We have been coming for over 28 years. This area in the black hills is breathtaking. We absolutely love it and would highly recommend it.
We will be coming back again next year.
Mike S
VerifiedAugust 17, 2021 • Stayed at: 028, Loop: PACT
Nice campground but wish it had better bathrooms, electrical hookups, and a shower house.
LESLIE W
VerifiedAugust 19, 2021 • Stayed at: 039, Loop: PACT
Pactola campground is a wonderful place just a beautiful location. The camp hosts were excellent and very helpful. I camped there both last year and this year and will probably make it my regular vacation spot. Thank you recreation.gov!
LESLIE W
VerifiedAugust 19, 2021 • Stayed at: 039, Loop: PACT
Pactola campground is a wonderful place just a beautiful location. The camp hosts were excellent and very helpful. I camped there both last year and this year and will probably make it my regular vacation spot. Thank you recreation.gov!
LESLIE W
VerifiedAugust 19, 2021 • Stayed at: 039, Loop: PACT
Pactola campground is a wonderful place just a beautiful location. The camp hosts were excellent and very helpful. I camped there both last year and this year and will probably make it my regular vacation spot. Thank you recreation.gov!
Kenneth C
VerifiedAugust 22, 2021 • Stayed at: 016, Loop: RSVC
Bathrooms have no lights, so don't be upset when there is pee all over the place. The B loop bathrooms had the worst smell in them all the time and were horrible to say the least. I am glad I brought my respirator so I could tolerate them for the short amount of time I was in them. These bathrooms were new last year and are the absolute worst design I have ever seen. Please demand your money back, you were screwed. The designer should be disbarred from ever designing anything again. Ever. The bathrooms next to our site were hit and miss as far as the smell. Love the lake and the view. The rest of the stay was wonderful, even seeing the wounded rattlesnake on the road at the b loop intersection.
Kenneth C
VerifiedAugust 22, 2021 • Stayed at: 016, Loop: RSVC
Bathrooms have no lights, so don't be upset when there is pee all over the place. The B loop bathrooms had the worst smell in them all the time and were horrible to say the least. I am glad I brought my respirator so I could tolerate them for the short amount of time I was in them. These bathrooms were new last year and are the absolute worst design I have ever seen. Please demand your money back, you were screwed. The designer should be disbarred from ever designing anything again. Ever. The bathrooms next to our site were hit and miss as far as the smell. Love the lake and the view. The rest of the stay was wonderful, even seeing the wounded rattlesnake on the road at the b loop intersection.
Location & Directions for Pactola Reservoir Campground
Forest Recreation Management, Inc, Hill City, SD 57745 United States
Elevation: 1,429 ft
Getting There
Drive 17 mi west on State Highway 44 from Rapid City, South Dakota. From
Highway 44, turn on 385 south. Campground located 2 mi off US Highway
385.
Policies & Rules
Cancellation policy
- Reservation fees are non-refundable. For campsites, cabins, lookouts, yurts, group sites, and similar stays, we charge a reservation service fee of $8.
- Standard cancellations usually have a $10 cancellation fee. Customers can generally cancel before the check-in date online.
- Late cancellation rules differ by stay type.
- Individual campsites: cancelling after 12:00am local time the day before arrival usually means a $10 cancellation fee plus forfeiting the first night's fee.
- Cabins, lookouts, and yurts: cancelling less than 14 days before arrival usually means a $10 cancellation fee plus forfeiting the first night's fee.
- One-night reservations: a late cancellation usually forfeits the full amount paid, up to the total original reservation cost.
- Modifications are allowed before the cut-off window, but fees depend on the change. Changing to dates completely outside the original reservation dates may trigger a $10 change fee. Extending or shortening a stay that still includes original dates usually has no change fee, though refunds may depend on timing and facility rules. Switching to the same type of campsite for the same dates usually has no change fee, but price differences are charged or refunded.
- Early departures may or may not be refunded. At certain facilities, partial refunds may be possible if staff can mark the site available for other visitors. No refund is given for a night if the early departure is requested after that day's check-out time.
- Security deposits are separate. Security deposits may be refunded to the original payment method if the facility is left in acceptable condition, as determined by the property.
Site types & loops
- These campsites do not have electric service.
- Some sites are available on a first come, first served basis without reservations.
Safety & rules
- Inspect and clean all gear before using the lake or trails to avoid spreading invasive species.
Fees & deposits
- There is a $2 fee per pet per night.
- Senior and Access discounts apply only to the site of the card holder, and additional fees may apply for other sites.
General
- Click here for more information about Black Hills National Forest.
Fires & fuel
- Firewood should be sourced locally and burned on-site to prevent pests.
Nearby Campgrounds
Nearby destinations
Last updated: October 22, 2026
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Explore Hill City, SD
Population: 834
Nearby city: Rapid City, SD
Approx. 15 mi away (straight-line distance)
Elevation: 4,980 ft
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