§ 02 — OVERVIEW
Located 10 miles 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 miles from Mount Rushmore National Memorial and adjacent to Horsethief Lake.
Sites are tucked into a forest of towering ponderosa and lodgepole pine.
Black Hills National Forest offers visitors a multitude of recreational opportunites throughout all seasons. Hiking, fishing, horseback riding, mountain biking, and riding off-highway vehicles are popular in summer and early autumn. Winter landscapes are ideal for snowshoeing, skiing and snowmobiling. Hundreds of miles of trails and roads offer a variety of terrain for mountain bikers. Hikers and bikers can access the nearby George S. Mickelson Trail, which traverses over 100 miles through the heart of the Black Hills. The majority of the trail follows an abandoned railroad branch line and includes 4 tunnels, over 100 converted railroad bridges, and 15 established trailheads. The trail surface is packed gravel, traversing mountain, meadow, and forest terrain. The trail is named in honor of the former South Dakota governor who crusaded for the trail. For those seeking higher elevations, a day-long trek to the summit of nearby Black Elk Peak is worth the effort. Black Elk Peak is the highest natural point in the United States east of the Rocky Mountains. Most of the summit is bare granite and offers expansive views of the surrounding area. An old stone tower at the top(Harney Lookout Tower), once used as a fire lookout, is still open to hikers.
Horsethief Lake Campground has sites able to accommodate tents, trailers, and RVs. There are several tent-only and walk-to tent-only sites. The campground is equipped with picnic tables, campfire rings, vault toilets, and drinking water. Electrical hook-ups are not available. Roads in the campground are paved.
Located in western South Dakota and northeastern Wyoming, Black Hills National Forest encompasses nearly 1.25 million acres of rugged rock formations, canyons and gulches, open grassland parks, tumbling streams, deep blue lakes, and unique caves. Derived from the Lakota language, the words "Paha Sapa," meaning "hills that are black," honor the dark, pine-covered hills rising several thousand feet above the surrounding prairie. Wildlife in the area abounds. Bighorn sheep navigate mountainous terrain, while elk, deer and pronghorn gather in forests and prairies. Bald eagles, hawks, osprey, peregrine falcon, and hundreds of other bird species can be found in the forest, especially along streams, lakes and rivers. Contact Info For facility specific information, please call (605) 574-4402.
§ 04 — CONDITIONS
National Weather Service · seven-day outlook · updated hourly
§ 05 — SIGNAL
FCC broadband data · actual signal varies in remote terrain
§ 06—09 — FROM THE FIELD
Community Intel from visitors, written reviews, dated trip reports, and reader-submitted photographs.
§ 07 — REVIEWS
§ 08 — TRIP REPORTS
§ 09 — COMMUNITY PHOTOS
Explore Mount Rushmore National Memorial, host to almost 3 million visitors a year from across the country and around the world. Visitors may want to inquire about any Independence Day Celebrations taking place on the Mountain. Possible day trips include Custer State Park with its many Buffalo and other wildlife, Crazy Horse Monument and Wind Cave National Park as well as Jewel Cave which is the second longest cave in the world at 159.29 miles. It features sparkling calcite crystals and other rare formations, as well as some of the largest concentrations of passageways in the world..
No refunds will be given for weather related events.
RV Information
Up to 99 ft
Maximum RV Length
Trailers up to 99 ft
18 sites with electric
§ 03 — TRAILS NEARBY
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Nearby Trails
§ 01 — VITALS
AT&T
Verizon
Based on FCC availability data. Actual signal may vary in remote terrain.
Fri
75°F
Mostly Sunny
5 mph NW
Sat
56°F
Chance Light Rain then Slight Chance Rain Showers
9 mph NW
Sun
61°F
Partly Sunny
5 mph NW
Mon
66°F
Mostly Sunny
6 to 10 mph NW
Tue
73°F
Partly Sunny
6 to 9 mph W
Wed
72°F
Mostly Sunny then Slight Chance Showers And Thunderstorms
9 to 15 mph NW
Thu
71°F
Mostly Sunny then Slight Chance Showers And Thunderstorms
7 mph N
