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Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors. Activities powered by Viator. Prices and availability come from each provider and are confirmed when you book with them.

  1. Home
  2. South Dakota
  3. Hill City
  4. Pactola Reservoir Campground

Camping at Pactola Reservoir Campground

Public campground · 53 campsites

A forested campground near trout fishing, hiking, and mountain biking. Most campsites have no hookups, and RV fit varies by site.

About this campground

The campground is a practical base for both water-based and forest recreation. Pactola Reservoir is the Black Hills' largest and deepest reservoir roughly 800 acres with 14 miles of shoreline and depths to about 150 feet and is managed by the Bureau of Reclamation.

4.0 on Recreation.gov · 192 reviewsBook on Recreation.gov
View all 4 photos

At a glance

  • RV sites up to 54 ft

    Length limits vary by campsite.

  • No hookups
  • Pets welcome
  • Flush toilets
OverviewCampsitesAmenities & locationReviewsPlan your stay

0 available sites

0 open of 53 sites
No sites offered for these dates.

We checked every night of your stay on Recreation.gov: no site is open for all 2 nights. Some sites are open on some nights.

Flexible dates

View the next available two-night stay.

Looking for the next open dates…
Fixed dates

Compare nearby campgrounds open for these dates. Your camping setup, rig size, hookups and dates stay applied.

Nearby campgrounds open for these dates
Check Recreation.gov directly ↗
View full availability calendar · night-by-night from Recreation.gov

Check dates on Recreation.gov. Showing 40 of 53 sites.

SiteFr
13
Sa
14
Price
051
standard nonelectric
––$30
034
standard nonelectric
––$30
045
standard nonelectric
––$30
039
standard nonelectric
––$30
004
rv nonelectric
––$30
068
standard nonelectric
––$30
044
standard nonelectric
––$30
063
standard nonelectric
––$30
073
standard nonelectric
––$30
056
standard nonelectric
No site is open for every night of your stay

You book directly on Recreation.gov. Rates and availability can change until reserved. Campground page on Recreation.gov ↗

No sites offered for these dates
Book on Recreation.gov

Amenities & location

  • Accessible Boat Ramp
  • Accessible Campsites
  • Accessible Drinking Water
  • Accessible Picnic Area
  • Accessible Vault Toilets
  • Beach Access
  • Boat Dock
  • Boat Ramp
  • Boating
  • Campfire Rings
  • Drinking Water Peak Season
  • Fishing Dock
Check-in
2:00 PM
Checkout
1:00 PM
Pets
Allowed (per listing)
Maximum stay
14 nights

Hookups (individual campsites): 53 no-hookup individual sites.

Location

Forest Recreation Management, Inc
Open in Google Maps ↗

Pactola Reservoir Campground: questions answered

What is the maximum RV length at Pactola Reservoir Campground?
Longest RV site listed: 54 ft (51 of 53 RV sites list a length) (per the listing)
Does Pactola Reservoir Campground have RV hookups?
53 no-hookup individual sites (per the listing)
How do I reserve a site at Pactola Reservoir Campground?
Reservable on Recreation.gov (per the listing)
Are pets allowed at Pactola Reservoir Campground?
Allowed (per the listing)
Sources and details

At a glance

Official facts link to their source; “Listing” facts come from the Recreation.gov listing. Anything we can't source says so.

Max rig length
Listing Longest RV site listed: 54 ft (51 of 53 RV sites list a length)
Hookups & power
Listing 53 no-hookup individual sites
Pull-through / back-in
Listing 1 pull-through, 49 back-in
Road & site access
Listing 56 gravel site driveways
Pets
Listing Allowed
Cell signal
Listing Visitor-reported signal on Recreation.gov (higher is better): Verizon 3 (84 reports), AT&T 3 (44 reports), T-Mobile 3 (17 reports)
Water
Listing Drinking water listed
Shade
Listing 7 of 37 sites that report shade are listed as shaded
Booking
Listing Reservable on Recreation.gov
Price
Listing Lowest listed rate $26/night (live price once you pick dates)
Stay limits
Listing 14 nights max
Getting there
Listing Forest Recreation Management, Inc (map in Location below)
Generators · Quiet hours · Starlink / satellite
Not listed — check with campground

Reviews

Themes from recent written reviews on Recreation.gov. Quotes are verbatim.

Clean bathrooms and showers · 2 reviews

“Very nice and clean camping and clean restrooms”

Jackie S · Sep 2025

Selected reviews

Verbatim from guest reviews on Recreation.gov ↗ (192 reviews, ★ 4.0). Not written or edited by us.

“Very nice and clean camping and clean restrooms ”

Jackie S 4 · Sep 2025 · Recreation.gov

“Beautiful lake, spacious campsite. Hosts were excellent and personable. Couldn't have been happier”

Susan H 5 · Sep 2025 · Recreation.gov
Nearby

Campgrounds to compare

Available Nov 13–15 · 2 nights1 site open for every night

The Wilderness

6 mi from Pactola Reservoir Campground (straight-line)
Sites from $20/night
$40 total for Nov 13–15 · before taxes & fees
Rates & availability from Hipcamp · you book on their site
View Campsites
Available Nov 13–15 · 2 nights2 sites open for every night

Horse Creek Resort

6.4 mi from Pactola Reservoir Campground (straight-line)
Sites $80/night
$160 total for Nov 13–15 · before taxes & fees
Rates & availability from Hipcamp · you book on their site
View Campsites
Available Nov 13–15 · 2 nights1 site open for every night

Horse Creek Resort RV Sites

6.4 mi from Pactola Reservoir Campground (straight-line)
Sites $80/night
$160 total for Nov 13–15 · before taxes & fees
Rates & availability from Hipcamp · you book on their site
View Campsites
Prefer a roof?

Prefer a roof over your head

All glamping →
  • Custer Crossing Family Campground10.7 mi · Deadwood
  • Pine Haven Lodging11.7 mi · Rapid City
  • Lake Park Campground and Cabins12 mi · Rapid City
  • Larsson's Crooked Creek Resort12.5 mi · Hill City
  • Mountain Shadow Campground12.9 mi · Piedmont
  • HTR Black Hills13.2 mi · Rapid City

Explore nearby

  • Campgrounds near Hill City
  • RV rentals near Hill City
  • Glamping & cabins near Hill City
  • RV rentals in South Dakota
  • Glamping in South Dakota

Guides for this trip

  • How much does it cost to rent an RV?
  • Camping with dogs
–
–
$30
008
rv nonelectric
––$30
031
standard nonelectric
––$30
018
rv nonelectric
––$30
037
standard nonelectric
––$30
070
standard nonelectric
––$30
052
standard nonelectric
––$30
047
standard nonelectric
––$30
064
standard nonelectric
––$30
067
standard nonelectric
––$30
038
standard nonelectric
––$30
017
rv nonelectric
––$30
066
standard nonelectric
––$30
023
standard nonelectric
––$30
012
standard nonelectric
––$30
041
standard nonelectric
––$30
024
standard nonelectric
––$30
071
standard nonelectric
––$30
002
rv nonelectric
––$30
069
standard nonelectric
––$30
029
standard nonelectric
––$30
016
standard nonelectric
––$30
022
rv nonelectric
––$30
032
standard nonelectric
––$30
028
standard nonelectric
––$30
035
standard nonelectric
––$30
055
standard nonelectric
––$30
057
standard nonelectric
––$30
054
standard nonelectric
––$30
011
standard nonelectric
––$30
009
standard nonelectric
––$30

✓ available · R reserved · X not available · C closed · W first come, first served · N not yet released

Compare site types

53 individual reservable campsites from Recreation.gov, checked Nov 7. Rates are the listed nightly rates.

Standard sites (tent or RV)

Tent, van or small RV, no power

47 sites · $30/night

0 open Nov 13–Nov 15

Rv nonelectric

6 sites · $30/night

0 open Nov 13–Nov 15

Trip idea

Ideas for your stay

An idea to start from, built from this campground's listing and real tours nearby. Times, openings and prices change, so check each before you go.

  1. Day 1 · Arrive and settle in

    • Check in and set up camp.
  2. Day 2 · Get out and explore

    • Mount Rushmore and Black Hills Tour with Two Meals and a Music Variety Show Rapid City area · 9 hr · from $164/person
    • Bus Tour of Mount Rushmore and the Black Hills Rapid City area · 9 hr · from $133/person
  3. Optional full-day extension

    Longer tours — plan travel time before and after.

    • PREMIER PRIVATE Tour: Mt Rushmore, CrazyHorse & Custer State Park Rapid City area · 9 hr · from $475/person
Ways to stay

Bring a tent or have an RV waiting

  • Tent camping here: 47 sites take tents. See open sites ↑

Need an RV for your stay?

Rentals that may deliver here and whose listed length fits sites up to 54 ft. Delivery may be available — confirm fees and dates with the owner before you book.

2018 Forest River Cherokee Grey Wolf
2018 Forest River Cherokee Grey Wolf

Travel trailer · 19 ft · sleeps 9 · 13 mi from campground

$145/night listed · Outdoorsy · Delivery may be available

View rental
Hucks Minnie Winnie
Hucks Minnie Winnie

Class C motorhome · 25 ft · sleeps 8 · 13 mi from campground

$205/night listed · Outdoorsy · Delivery may be available

View rental
Forest River Shasta Freeport - Sleeps 7
Forest River Shasta Freeport - Sleeps 7

Travel trailer · 25 ft · sleeps 7 · 18 mi from campground

$125/night listed · Outdoorsy · Delivery may be available

View rental
Things to do

Activities near Pactola Reservoir Campground

Bookable tours nearby

Paid experiences on Viator. Distances are from this campground when the tour lists its own start point.

Mount Rushmore and Black Hills Tour with Two Meals and a Music Variety Show
Mount Rushmore and Black Hills Tour with Two Meals and a Music Variety Show

Rapid City area · 9 hr · from $164/person

Bus Tour of Mount Rushmore and the Black Hills
Bus Tour of Mount Rushmore and the Black Hills

Rapid City area · 9 hr · from $133/person

PREMIER PRIVATE Tour: Mt Rushmore, CrazyHorse & Custer State Park
PREMIER PRIVATE Tour: Mt Rushmore, CrazyHorse & Custer State Park

Rapid City area · 9 hr · from $475/person

See 6 more bookable tours
Private Tour of Mount Rushmore, Crazy Horse and Custer State Park
Best time to go

Seasons, rates and how booked it gets

  • Peak season May 20–Sep 30: RV $28, RV & Tent $28 per night
Plan your stay

How far ahead to book Pactola Reservoir Campground

For July weekends, book about 163 days ahead. Three in four July Friday and Saturday arrivals were booked later than that, and half were booked 91 days or less before arrival. Past timing is guidance, not a guarantee of what is open now.

See booking patterns
Arrival monthFri/Sat arrivals: half booked at leastA quarter at leastOther days: half booked at leastA quarter at least
May66 days ahead115 days ahead62 days ahead117 days ahead
June68 days ahead133 days ahead62 days ahead133 days ahead
July91 days ahead163 days ahead81 days ahead167 days ahead
August54 days ahead125 days ahead52 days ahead150 days ahead
September49 days ahead107 days ahead52 days ahead154 days ahead

Months with fewer than 30 reservations of that kind are left blank. Sites where nearly every booking was made the day of arrival (pay on arrival) are left out. Closed seasons, windows not yet released for booking, and currently unavailable nights are separate from this history.

Based on Recreation.gov reservations, FY2015–2025 (12,625 reservations in the years scored). Counts reservations made, not nights actually camped: cancellations aren't in the data, and nights a site was closed count as not booked. FY2020–21 (COVID) are left out of the scores.

Private Tour of Mount Rushmore, Crazy Horse and Custer State Park

Rapid City area · 8 hr–9 hr · from $450/person

Private Mt Rushmore, Crazy Horse, Custer State Park Monument Tour
Private Mt Rushmore, Crazy Horse, Custer State Park Monument Tour

Rapid City area · 8 hr · from $366/person

Cosmos Mystery Area Admission
Cosmos Mystery Area Admission

Rapid City area · 40 min · from $20/person

Exclusive: Rushmore, Custer State Park & Crazy Horse
Exclusive: Rushmore, Custer State Park & Crazy Horse

Rapid City area · 8 hr–9 hr · from $648/person

Mt Rushmore, Crazy Horse and Custer State Park Wildlife Loop Tour
Mt Rushmore, Crazy Horse and Custer State Park Wildlife Loop Tour

Rapid City area · 8 hr–9 hr · from $312/person

Mount Rushmore Extended Expedition Tour
Mount Rushmore Extended Expedition Tour

Rapid City area · 10 hr · from $295/person