Camping in the Black Hills - The Lost Longboarder

The iconic Black Hills in South Dakota are significant in many ways: historically, culturally, and recreationally. There’s something for everyone in these hills and people come from all over to experience them. We were stoked to be doing our own exploring and camping in the Black Hills. Of course, finding a free place to boondock and using that as a platform for further exploration of any area is our style of travel. We drove less than an hour from Rapid City and found peace and solitude amid the surrounding beauty of the Black Hills.

Basic Camping Info

Cost: Free

Ownership: Forest Service; 14 day camping limit

Directions: From Rapid City, follow the SD-44W to until you reach the US-385. Turn right onto the US-385N for 1.4 miles. Next, turn left onto Silver City Road for about 2.2 miles then turn right onto Broad Gulch Road/Forest Road 672 (dirt). Follow this for about a quarter miles and the meadow will be on the right.

Cell Service: None

Solar: Good but limited as there are trees and the spot is situated in a valley

Road Conditions: The segment of dirt road is less than a mile. It is a bit rough in spots but manageable if you drive slowly and with care.

Where to Get Water: Fill up in Rapid City beforehand.

Miles from Town: About 21 miles from Rapid City but there are several closer small towns in the area.

Our Experience Camping in the Black Hills

We left the hustle and bustle of Rapid City to go explore the Black Hills. As we were looking for a dispersed camp spot, we ventured onto Forest Road 672 and found a peaceful spot near a pretty meadow. We settled in on the outskirts of the meadow and we were surrounded by green forested hillsides. We didn’t notice any other campers in the area but every so often we would see quads and dirt bikes pass by. The majority of our time in this spot was very calm and we felt the areas solitude. This was a great spot to relax and get to work on our longboards.

wildflowers we found while camping in the black hills

There were several dirt forest roads to get to know around our camp spot. They were nice to get out and go for a walk, check out the forest, and look for wildlife. In addition to checking out the immediate area while we were camping in the Black Hills we also headed out on some nearby adventures.

hiking on boulders and wooden ladders in a canyon

We meandered up the scenic Spearfish Canyon Scenic Byway (Alt US 14) to Spearfish and found some short hikes and waterfalls along the way. Spearfish Canyon Scenic Byway is a very beautiful drive with numerous opportunities to get out and explore a bit. We also noticed a lot of bikers out and about. In addition to the fantastic scenery, the town of Spearfish was also a cool unique town to stop and see. Check out our Spearfish Canyon Scenic Byway adventure here!

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In particular, the highlight of camping in the Black Hills had to be Pactola Reservoir! Pactola Reservoir was about a fifteen minute drive from our camp spot. We went there a few times to swim and hang out by the water. It is a big beautiful blue lake surrounded by forested shores. All along the edge of the lake there are plenty of very pretty areas to take a dip!

Just off the east shore of the lake there is an eye catching rock island. There are boat ramps and designated beaches but we found a parking spot along the road and followed a trail down to the water. On the east shore we stopped at the Pactola Reservoir Visitor Center. It a very nice facility with great views and lots of information about the reservoir.

Overall, we had a great experience camping in the Black Hills. We enjoyed the peace here as well as the surrounding beauty. The spot itself is very calm but there are a lot of recreational opportunities nearby so you can stay as busy as you’d like!

waterfall on the spearfish canyon scenic byway in the black hills

Thanks for Your Support!

Camping in the Black Hills was a great opportunity to experience more of the beauty of South Dakota! Thanks for reading about our camping experience. Click the links below to check out some other nice boondocking spots!

Or check out these articles to see some of our adventures in the area!

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