Whitetail

Deerfield Lake
Whitetail
Deerfield Lake 1

Featured amenities

Parking Parking
Pet Friendly Pet Friendly
Picnic Table Picnic Table
Restrooms Restrooms
Fire Pit Fire Pit

Sites & Rates

Average nightly rates

12 total sites

RV Sites

12 sites

About Whitetail

Whitetail Campground is located above Deerfield Reservoir at 6,000 feet, an ideal setting for guests seeking summer climate relief, recreation and relaxation in Black Hills National Forest. Sites in this campground are widely spaced. Several have lake views, while others are more secluded and tucked into ponderosa and lodgepole pine forest.

Number of accommodations: 12

Seasonal 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 - May 20 to Sep 30

Campground Amenities

Most popular amenities

Parking Parking
Pet friendly Pet friendly
Picnic Table Picnic Table
Restrooms Restrooms
Fire Pit Fire Pit
Water and Hygiene

Water and Hygiene

  • Potable Water
  • Restrooms
Cooking and Fire

Cooking and Fire

  • Picnic Table
  • Fire Pit
  • Firewood Available
Parking and Transport

Parking and Transport

  • Parking
Water Access

Water Access

  • Lake Access
Pets and Policies

Pets and Policies

  • Pet friendly
Missing information? Let us know

Rates, Sites & Availability

Select check-in and check-out dates to see real-time availability for each site.

12 Sites Available

Site
Price
🚐 01, Loop: WHIT RV
No Hookups
Price not available
🚐 03, Loop: WHIT RV
No Hookups
Price not available
🚐 04, Loop: WHIT RV
No Hookups
Price not available
🚐 05, Loop: WHIT RV
No Hookups
Price not available
🚐 06, Loop: WHIT RV
No Hookups
Price not available
🚐 07, Loop: WHIT RV
No Hookups
Price not available
🚐 08, Loop: WHIT RV
No Hookups
Price not available
🚐 09, Loop: WHIT RV
No Hookups
Price not available
🚐 10, Loop: WHIT RV
No Hookups
Price not available
🚐 14, Loop: WHIT RV
No Hookups
Price not available
🚐 15, Loop: WHIT RV
No Hookups
Price not available
🚐 17, Loop: WHIT RV
No Hookups
Price not available

Reviews (78)

What Guests Are Saying

Whitetail Campground is highly praised for its cleanliness, beautiful scenery, and friendly, attentive hosts who provide helpful information. Many campers enjoyed the peaceful, quiet atmosphere and the well-maintained facilities, including clean bathrooms and access to scenic trails and the lake. While some reviewers noted concerns about costs and site conditions for tent camping, the overall sentiment remains positive, with a strong recommendation for future visits.

Review Summary

4.6
78 reviews
5
73.1%
57
4
19.2%
15
3
3.8%
3
2
3.8%
3
1
0.0%
0

Joe M

Verified

July 18, 2021 Stayed at: 15, Loop: WHIT

5

Roger was an awesome host. Would recommend!

Margie G

Verified

July 23, 2021 Stayed at: 15, Loop: WHIT

4

Absolutely beautiful!

Jane P

Verified

October 14, 2021 Stayed at: 14, Loop: WHIT

3

Beautiful and peaceful no-wake lake with lots of birds and other wildlife. Unfortunately, a camper group moved in next door after our first day of peace, and ran their loud, old generator from 4 PM to 9:30 PM. The host said he could do nothing. This is uncalled for, and it's my personal opinion that if CGs want to allow generators, they should have a separate section for those away from campers who camp to seek beauty, peace, and solitude in Nature.
One other thing of note in this CG - the moment we arrived there was a overwhelming amount of flies, to the point you couldn't even eat outside.
For this one reason, we don't plan to go back.

James G

Verified

November 10, 2021 Stayed at: 06, Loop: WHIT

5

Sites were well spaced, beautiful area. Lovedm our stay.

Darla M

Verified

May 28, 2022 Stayed at: 14, Loop: WHIT

2

The site was beautiful. However, there were issues. One;there is a dirt road on which many ATVs drive by. Noisy and very dusty. Two, although the host was very friendly, camp rules were not enforced. A dog was allowed to roam at will, and an RV was allowed to run its generator through the night. We aren't sure if we will ever be back.

Brandon G

Verified

June 11, 2022 Stayed at: 06, Loop: WHIT

4

Loved the campground. It is very secluded and pretty quiet. There is no cell phone reception anywhere nearby from what we could tell.

James C

Verified

June 13, 2022 Stayed at: 03, Loop: WHIT

5

Campground was beautiful as always!

Catherine S

Verified

August 14, 2022 Stayed at: 01, Loop: WHIT

5

This campground is tucked off the main thoroughfares of the Black Hills in terms of the typical tourist attractions. As such, it was pretty quiet at night. During the day, you had activity with folks going down to the water with kayaks/canoes/rafts and there was some OHV activity (although I'm not sure where they were going). The sites were spread apart so you had your own space and the restrooms were, for the most part, very clean (last night we were there it seemed like maybe the cleaning hadn't happened). When we checked in we asked about a third vehicle at our site and were able to be accommodated (we were prepared to find some place to park the 3rd vehicle if we couldn't - we knew there was a 2 vehicle limit at the site). We had a great time here and would come back to camp!

Beth D

Verified

August 15, 2022 Stayed at: 01, Loop: WHIT

4

We love to four wheel in this area and the lake is beautiful. We just wish you would upgrade the campground! The dust is overwhelming by the end of the weekend. Paved roads and real bathrooms with running water would be great. Cottonwood Springs near Hot Springs has paved roads and flush toilets with sinks for $18.00 a night. Campgrounds in Pierre, run by GFP, have electricity and full bathrooms for about $23.00 a night. The Forest Service gets $24.00 a night for dusty roads and vault toilets! I think you can do better. We only stay here less than once a year for these reasons. I do love that one can make reservations however so you don't drive up there for nothing. Beautiful area, I just want more basic amenities. Thanks!

John Y

Verified

August 18, 2022 Stayed at: 17, Loop: WHIT

5

Camp host was incredibly pleasant and helpful upon arriving at the site. The site was clean and well tended without feeling like a KOA spot. Vault toilets were also clean.

We enjoyed having a very central base of operations while we explored the Black Hills and having the reservoir a short hike away meant we could take an afternoon dip to cool off.

Location Whitetail

Address:
Forest Recreation Management, Inc
Hill City, SD, 57745
United States

Highway access

The nearest major road is US Highway 16, located approximately 17 miles east of the campground.

Elevation: 1829 feet

Distance to downtown

16 mi drive to downtown Hill City (about 24 min)

Policies & Rules

General

  • These campsites are non-electric sites. Generators may run only.
  • Non-reservable sites may be available on a first come, first served basis
  • Prevent the spread of invasive species by inspecting and cleaning packs, equipment, and tires before using lake or trails
  • A pet fee of $2 per pet per night is required upon check-in
  • No refunds for inclement weather
  • Click here for more information about Black Hills National Forest
  • 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.
  • The Senior and Access discounts are only honored for the site that hoses the card holder. If multiple sites are reserved on one card, the rest of the camping fee will be collected upon arrival unless another card holder occupies the site.
  • During walk up season, fewer sites may be available.

Nearby Campgrounds

Nearby destinations


Last updated: September 9, 2026

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Managed by USDA Forest Service