Warning
GeneralConstruction project planned for Loop B only in 2026, this may impact reservations throughout the summer. You will be notified if your reservation changes, we recommend looking at a different loop if your dates are not flexible. We will update Rec.gov with new information as available.
About Pactola Reservoir Campground
Number of accommodations: 52
Campground Amenities
-
Beach Access -
Lake Access -
Marina
Seasonal information
2026 Season availability
Sites & Availability
52 Sites Available
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Site Details
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52 Sites Available
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 (198)
What Guests Are Saying
Pactola Reservoir Campground offers beautiful, clean campsites with spacious pads suitable for larger RVs and tents, and close proximity to the scenic Pactola Lake. Camp hosts are friendly and helpful, enhancing the overall experience, while the campground provides excellent access to outdoor activities like fishing, swimming, and kayaking. Some minor downsides include uneven site entrances and occasional noise from generators, but the serene environment and stunning views make it a popular choice for campers.
What Guests Are Saying
Pactola Reservoir Campground offers beautiful, clean campsites with spacious pads suitable for larger RVs and tents, and close proximity to the scenic Pactola Lake. Camp hosts are friendly and helpful, enhancing the overall experience, while the campground provides excellent access to outdoor activities like fishing, swimming, and kayaking. Some minor downsides include uneven site entrances and occasional noise from generators, but the serene environment and stunning views make it a popular choice for campers.
Review Summary
Ping C
VerifiedSeptember 15, 2024 • Stayed at: 044, Loop: PACT
Good facilities!
Gabrielle L
VerifiedSeptember 10, 2024 • Stayed at: 043, Loop: PACT
🤩
Randy G
VerifiedSeptember 6, 2024 • Stayed at: 033, Loop: PACT
We love Pactola Resevoir.
Roberta S
VerifiedSeptember 3, 2024 • Stayed at: 018, Loop: RSVC
Kathleen K
VerifiedAugust 28, 2024 • Stayed at: 023, Loop: PACT
I have camped at Pactola on a few occasions and all were good experiences. This year, I happened to book site 23 and bring my adult daughter along for the nature experience. I couldn’t believe that it was an option to set up camp at site 23 as our camper was next to the restroom, but what made it even worse was that the picnic table and fire pit were 15 yds or less behind the toilet. To make matters worse, people walked (on a path) through our campsite to go to the restroom. Poor design. My recommendation is to steer clear of sites 23 and 22. Like I stated; should not be offered as a camp site.
The lake itself was nice to boat on, and a beautiful area in general.
James H
VerifiedAugust 15, 2024 • Stayed at: 045, Loop: PACT
scenic and quiet campground with great views of the lake at a lot of the sites.
David M. L
VerifiedAugust 9, 2024 • Stayed at: 012, Loop: RSVC
once again, did not disappoint!
Colleen Z
VerifiedAugust 1, 2024 • Stayed at: 046, Loop: PACT
It started out great but when there was a mix up in reservation night the camp host was very rude and demanding. I thought maybe it was just the mix up but one of them was never very nice to us. Due the mix up we had to move. The camp site we moved to was nice but the camp sites are on top of each other. I would not recommend these spots if you have pets. The other downside was most of the quite places to shore fish had steep hills. Other then that very very clean water. Our golden loved the water as we did too.
Julie A
VerifiedJuly 31, 2024 • Stayed at: 039, Loop: PACT
My happy place.
Tammy K
VerifiedJuly 31, 2024 • Stayed at: 017, Loop: RSVC
The site was beautiful with lots of real estate for each site. We really enjoyed that, enjoyed the beautiful view, and enjoyed swimming in the reservoir each evening. We were well informed that the sites did not have water or electric hookups, so we were prepared for that. However, we saw no mention that the campground has no dump station. The dump station in the Badlands did not have a set-up with water that allowed us to completely empty our blackwater tank, so we needed to complete that before setting up at Pactola. If the reservation site or our reminder email had let us know that there was no dump station at Pactola we would have looked for a place (perhaps at a Flying J?) where we could have taken care of that before arrival. Instead, we had to leave, go pay a fee at a private campground in a neighboring town, and then come back to set up. It is really disappointing that this information is not out there for people who plan to come to this campground. Otherwise we had a very nice stay. We were able to visit Spearfish Canyon, hike to the Devil's Bathtub, tour the Wild West town of Deadwood, and visit Bear Butte State Park easily from this location.
Location Pactola Reservoir Campground
Address:
Forest Recreation Management, Inc
Hill City, SD, 57745
United States
Drive 17 miles west on State Highway 44 from Rapid City, South Dakota. From
Highway 44, turn on 385 south. Campground located 2 miles off US Highway
385.
Latitude & Longitude: 44.0753 / -103.533
Elevation: 1429 feet
Policies & Rules
| Category | About |
|---|---|
| General |
These campsites are non-electric sites. Generators may run from 6 a.m. until 10 p.m. only. |
| General |
Non-reservable sites may be available on a first come, first served basis |
| General |
Prevent the spread of invasive species by inspecting and cleaning packs, equipment, and tires before using lake or trails |
| General |
A pet fee of $2 per pet per night is required upon check in |
| General |
Click here for more information about Black Hills National Forest. |
| General |
Don't Move Firewood: Prevent the spread of tree-killing organisms by obtaining firewood at or near your destination and burning it on-site. For more information visit dontmovefirewood.org. |
| General |
The Senior and Access discounts are only honored for the site that houses the card holder.
|
Warnings & Advisories
Warning
GeneralConstruction project planned for Loop B only in 2026, this may impact reservations throughout the summer. You will be notified if your reservation changes, we recommend looking at a different loop if your dates are not flexible. We will update Rec.gov with new information as available.
