OutReserve

Cottonwood Springs Campground

Cottonwood Springs Lake view
Cottonwood Springs
Cottonwood Springs Lake
Aerial Cottonwood Springs Campground
Cottonwood Springs Wildlife

Featured amenities

Pet Friendly
Pet Friendly

About Cottonwood Springs Campground

Located just 5 miles west of Hot Springs, SD is a hidden gem of a campground. Cottonwood Springs Campground is a quiet, peaceful campground tucked away in the southern part of the Black Hills of South Dakota. It offers beautiful scenic views within a short walk of each campsite.

Number of accommodations: 17

Campground Amenities

  • Pet Friendly
    Pet Friendly
  • Lake Access
    Lake Access

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 closed - Opens on May 15

Sites & Availability

17 Sites Available

Site
Price
🚐 1, Loop: 1
No Hookups
$18.00
/ per night
🚐 10, Loop: 1
No Hookups
$18.00
/ per night
🚐 11, Loop: 1
No Hookups
$18.00
/ per night
🚐 12, Loop: 1
No Hookups
$18.00
/ per night
🚐 13, Loop: 1
No Hookups
$18.00
/ per night
🚐 14, Loop: 1
No Hookups
$18.00
/ per night
🚐 15, Loop: 1
No Hookups
$18.00
/ per night
🚐 16, Loop: 1
No Hookups
$18.00
/ per night
🚐 17, Loop: 1
No Hookups
$18.00
/ per night
🚐 18, Loop: 1
No Hookups
$18.00
/ per night
🚐 2, Loop: 1
No Hookups
$18.00
/ per night
🚐 4, Loop: 1
No Hookups
$18.00
/ per night
🚐 5, Loop: 1
No Hookups
$18.00
/ per night
🚐 6, Loop: 1
No Hookups
$18.00
/ per night
🚐 7, Loop: 1
No Hookups
$18.00
/ per night
🚐 8, Loop: 1
No Hookups
$18.00
/ per night
🚐 9, Loop: 1
No Hookups
$18.00
/ per night

Reviews (95)

What Guests Are Saying

Cottonwood Springs Campground offers a peaceful and scenic location with friendly staff and well-maintained facilities. Guests appreciate the quiet atmosphere, cleanliness, and proximity to nature, including a nearby lake ideal for walking and fishing. While some campsites can feel cramped and lack shade, overall experiences are positive, highlighting the campground as a great base for exploring the area.

Review Summary

4.3
95 reviews
5
55.8%
53
4
27.4%
26
3
11.6%
11
2
4.2%
4
1
1.1%
1

Howard P

Verified

June 29, 2023 Stayed at: 8, Loop: 1

4

Very nice small campground.

Doug B

Verified

June 25, 2023 Stayed at: 10, Loop: 1

5

I would definitely come back again! Enjoy hot spring and watch two amazing storms pass by. Beautiful skies and this is a great spot! Close to rapid city and super peaceful/quiet. Do have drive to hot spring but very close and have tons areas to have picnic or fireplace’s. Plus really cool valley. It’s open to public so you’ll see local cops and fishermen. Seem to me like place that people come to get a break, good vibes. Quite and respectfully

Paul H

Verified

June 5, 2023 Stayed at: 17, Loop: 1

5

Basic but nice campground. Beautiful and quiet area. Not a ton of shade so plan for that. Kyle the ranger is a great guy. Very helpful!

Charles C

Verified

June 4, 2023 Stayed at: 15, Loop: 1

5

Very clean and quit. Pads are level and deep.

Alice I

Verified

September 14, 2022 Stayed at: 1, Loop: 1

3

This campground is an an amazing , well cleaned, great sites campground. It has bathrooms with running water sinks and toilets that sits sit in the middle of the sites.
Would not recommend going in90 degree plus heat which was when we were there since there are not many trees to block hot sun.
Camp host could have been a little more lenient on generators during this hot time. We had gotten back about 9:30 pm at night after going to Crazy Horse light show and have a dog and an elderly parent traveling with us and turned on the generator to cool our trailer which was 100 degrees inside and at 10:15 pm she came over and said “No generator after 10:00 .”
It was only her and one other camper in the park at that time.
I am all for the rules but there could have been an exception for this on such hot days and with our circumstance of a dog and another elderly person.
Overall the campground is really nice just not in hot weather and the lake we had to ourselves to go kayaking and take the dogs swimming and that is just a short drive around the corner.

Danielle P

Verified

September 8, 2022 Stayed at: 10, Loop: 1

4

Beautiful campsite in an unexpected place. Lots of trees and felt in the woods. Bathrooms were exceptionally clean. Some guests arrived around midnight and were kind of loud. Not long, as I'm guessing maybe the Camp Hosts asked them to quiet down? Not sure, but glad they reduced noise. There was no firewood to purchase so we collected. Would have been good to have an axe. Would definitely return.

Kyle G

Verified

September 4, 2022 Stayed at: 9, Loop: 1

5

It has very nice spots and then it is quiet here so you dont have to worry about that sort of thing. Stayed a few times now and it is really nice.

Kyle G

Verified

September 4, 2022 Stayed at: 8, Loop: 1

5

Thomas H

Verified

August 31, 2022 Stayed at: 15, Loop: 1

5

Great little campground with exceptional views, flat level pads, and clean restrooms. We spent 2 nights here returning from WY and we both were impressed with the site. The top sites for views and privacy I think are 15,16,and 17. We stayed on a Monday and Tuesday night and had the park to ourselves - very quiet but it looks like it fills up quite a bit every weekend.

Helen M

Verified

August 31, 2022 Stayed at: 2, Loop: 1

4

Well maintained dirt road with just a little washboard. Quiet and pleasant campground. Would definitely stay again

Location Cottonwood Springs Campground

Address:
U.S. Army Corps Of Engineers
Hot Springs, SD, 57747
United States

Latitude & Longitude: 43.4393 / -103.573

Elevation: 1217 feet

Policies & Rules

Category About
General

Summary of Park Rules and Regulations:

All camping passes will be checked. Usable passes are as follows: America the Beautiful pass Senior annual, Senior Lifetime and Access Pass. Golden Age and Golden Access can also be used. Military and Annual Passes CAN NOT be used for a camping discount.
All public-use of Cottonwood Springs Lake & Dam Project is governed by Title 36 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) . Rules and Regulations are enforced by uniformed U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Park Rangers.
Maximum Camping Stay: Each person and camping unit is limited to 14-days in a 30-day period. 
All campsites are 100 percent reservable with a zero day booking This means you can check and reserve your campsite on the same day you are planning to camp. However, by that time all campsites might already be booked and not available.
Campsites are limited to either: (a) One (1) wheeled camping unit and one (1) small tent for dependents OR (b) Two (2) Tents per campsite. Camping is only permitted on designated campsites. 
All motor vehicles are restricted to designated roadways and parking areas only, off-road travel is prohibited.
Vehicles may only be parked in designated parking areas or on campsite pad, no parking along roadways or in a manner that restricts or prohibits traffic flow. Vehicles parked in campsites are restricted to two (2) wheels on gravel, two (2) on grass.
Fireworks are strictly prohibited. 
All-Terrain Vehicles (ATVs/UTVs), golf carts and dirt bikes are prohibited, unless licensed and street legal. 
Pets are allowed, but must be on a leash no longer than six (6') in length within campground. All pet waste must be properly disposed of promptly. Pets may be off-leash within wildlife area. 
Quiet hours are from 10:00 P.M. to 6:00 A.M.
All fires must be contained within designated fire rings or grills.
All visitors must properly dispose of all garbage in designated containers. Do not place garbage in fire rings or grills. 
Use of gasoline motors on Cottonwood Lake is strictly prohibited.
Archery hunting is permitted within designated areas during open seasons in accordance with South Dakota Department of Game, Fish and Parks rules and regulations. 
Fishing, boating and hunting rules and regulations apply and are enforced by South Dakota Department of Game, Fish & Parks .
In case of Emergency, Dial 9-1-1.
For more information, please contact the Corps of Engineers, Hot Springs Office at 605-745-5476.

General

Life Jackets Worn…Nobody Mourns, Wear your Life Jacket! The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) asks you to please play it safe while on, in, or near the water. USACE public recreation fatality statistics show that 88 percent were male, 89 percent were not wearing a life jacket, and 47 percent were swimming in areas not designated as a swimming area. Most people that drown would have survived if they had worn a life jacket. Life jackets come in many styles, sizes, and colors. Choose the right one that fits you properly and make sure to wear it correctly. There is a life jacket for every kind of water activity including swimming. For more information, please visit www.PleaseWearIt.com . 

General

Firewood Alert! Don't Move Firewood: Due to the spread of invasive insects, firewood from outside the area is not permitted. Help protect your forests from tree-killing pests by buying your firewood locally and burning it on-site. Visit DontMoveFirewood.org for further information.

General

Protect Your Waters! Attention Boaters, Paddlers and Anglers: Do your part to help stop the spread of Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) by remembering to always Clean, Drain, and Dry! Visit SDLeastWanted.com for more information. 

General

Be Weather Aware! Weather conditions can vary and can change rapidly year-round. Tune to local media or radio for weather alerts or visit the National Weather Service - Rapid City Office Website for up-to-date information. 

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