If you are going for an RV road trip to Mount Rushmore, you are in for a pleasant surprise. This is because the mountain is magnificent and there is plenty to see in South Dakota (the State where it is located).
Mount Rushmore is part of the Black Hills National Forest Park. The mountain is better known for its outstanding memorial, which is a tribute to the greatest United States presidents.
In addition to the memorial, there is plenty to see in the Black Hills National Forest Park including beautiful pine forests, lakes, local and migratory birds as well as wild animals. There are also many things to see close to the park including the Crazy Horse Memorial and the magnificent Custer State Park.
There are also many outdoor activities you can enjoy within the Black Hills National Forest Park and the surrounding areas including hiking, bike riding, and so on.
In this article, I will show you twenty different RV camps you can stay near the Park.
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Best RV Parks Near Mount Rushmore
1. Rushmore Shadows RV Resort
This beautiful RV resort located in Rockerville off US-16 is one of the closest RV campgrounds to Mount Rushmore. It literally just twenty minutes away from the memorial. The best thing about this RV resort is the fact that it is family-run. So its staff are members of the same family and they work really hard to make sure all RV owners have a great time in their facility.
The second best thing about this RV resort is the fact that it organizes bus tours to the park. So you actually do not have to drive yourself and your family to Rushmore once you get to it.
Its amenities include a hot tub, a pool, a mini-golf facility, a playground for kids, full hookups, pull-through and back-in sites, Wi-Fi connection, and laundry services.
2. Kemp’s Kamp
This is a relatively affordable RV campground also located close to Mount Rushmore. In fact, it is located much closer to Rushmore than the Rushmore Shadows RV Resort. The closest town to this camp is Keystone. It is literally a place you can walk to from this camp to get any supplies you need. The natural scenery around this camp is amazing. The pine forest around this camp is also enchanting. You might end up deciding to stay in this camp longer than you have planned if you love nature.
This camp has 30 RV parking sites; some are pull-through while others are back-in. All the sites have full hookups. Lastly, hiking activities can be organized from this camp.
3. Grizzly Creek Campground
This camp is located a short walk away from the entrance to the Rushmore Park in Hill City town. The town is quite small in size but it has a diner, a café, a market, and a museum. There is a lake nearby where you can enjoy spending a sunny day. The campground itself is rustic but it is surrounded by fantastic scenery. There are several brilliant viewpoints in and around it. Biking and hiking activities can also be organized from this park.
Grizzly Creek Campground amenities include hookups and playgrounds for kids.
4. Mystery Mountain Resort
This RV resort is located just 20 minutes or less away from the Rushmore Memorial close to the exciting Rapid City. If you want to enjoy activities in both Rapid City and Mount Rushmore, it is the best place to camp. This RV resort is located in a wooded area that is extremely serene and appealing and its staff are known to be extremely polite and helpful.
I love the fact that despite being relatively cheap, this resort has multiple facilities including a pool, a mini-golf facility, high-speed Wi-Fi internet, cable connection, hot showers, full hookups, and walking trails.
5. Battle Creek Campground
This campground is located off the US-244 near Hill City. It is surrounded by serene pine forests, walking trails, and a beautiful creek. The most exciting thing about this campground is its location next to a beautiful forest and mountain parks. The amenities for families at this park include live entertainment, pancake breakfasts, crafts, a splash pad, and guided horseback rides.
Standard amenities/ features include hookups and both pull-through and back-in parking sites.
6. Elk Haven Horse Camp
This campground is a bit further away from Mount Rushmore than the other five camps I have mentioned above. However, even if you drive slowly from it to the mountain, it will not take you more than 25 minutes to reach your destination. As the name of this camp suggests, it is a horse camp. The camp offers horseback tours of the Rushmore Memorial and the surrounding park.
The camp was founded in the forties and it is renowned for its cleanliness and its multiple amenities despite being one of the cheapest RV camps near Rushmore.
Its amenities include both pull-through and back-in sites and full hookups.
7. Lake Park Campground
This campground is located 10 minutes away from Rapid City and 30 minutes away from the Rushmore. It is a brilliant campground within Canyon Lake Park. The campground actually has multiple lakefront sites. So if you want to visit Mount Rushmore and at the same time to camp in a waterfront camp, you should strongly consider camping this camp.
The Crazy Horse monument, the Custer State Park, the Sturgis Rally, and the Historic Deadwood are either located close to or held near the campground.
This camp’s amenities include a strong Wi-Fi connection, full hookups, laundry services, cable connections, hiking trails, and biking trails.
8. 3 Forks Camp
This RV camp is located off Highway 385 in Hill City. It is barely 20 minutes away from the visitors’ center in Mount Rushmore and it is a great place to explore the Black Hills National Forest in which Rushmore Memorial is located.
This camp is a favorite among frequent visitors to Mount Rushmore because it is well-shaded and well-maintained. The scenery around it is superb and its Wi-Fi is high-speed. It is significantly cheap to stay in.
9. Horsethief Lake Campground
This is a scenic waterfront RV camp located not more than two miles from Rushmore. It is one of the closest and most appealing RV camps around Rushmore. While being a waterfront RV campground is an amazing thing, the most amazing thing about this camp is that it is state-owned.
This means it is cheap; very cheap compared to other RV parks and camps. There are walking and hiking trails and parks around this camp to be enjoyed. The only problem with this RV camp is that it does not have a lot of amenities.
10. Travelodge Mt. Rushmore and RV Park
This RV Park is located off Highway 16A in Keystone town next to a very nice hotel. You can enjoy activities at the town or the wonderful scenery around the camp for free. The campsite itself has over 30 parking sites – some are back-in while others are pull-through.
All the campsites come with full hookups.
11. Holy Smoke Resort
This wonderful resort is found in Keystone off Highway 16A less than three miles from Rushmore. It is a great camp surrounded by forests and in a secluded part of South Dakota. There is a trail nearby that you can get to easily using one of the camp’s ATV. In addition to being an RV camp, Holy Smoke Resort is also actually a full-fledged resort featuring log cabins, entertainment, and plenty of outdoor activities.
There are 21 pull-through campsites in this RV resort and all have full hookups.
12. Spokane Creek Cabins and Campground
This is one of the largest and most attractive RV campgrounds close to Mount Rushmore. It is a family-owned business that is located just five miles from the Mount Rushmore Park, from this camp, you can enjoy many countless Black Hills adventure.
There is a campfire at night where you can meet other RVers and listen to their stories or share your own. In terms of amenities, you will love the fact that this campground is a full-service vacation center. You can buy propane, diesel, gas, or food supplies. You can also eat breakfast, lunch, and/ or dinner at its café.
There are several full hookups on this site and plenty of fun activities for adults and kids.
13. Sheridan Lake South Shore Campground
This campground is located barely seven miles from Mount Rushmore. It is a massive campground that has dozens of sites. The camp is attractive, as is everything in South Dakota, and it is government-owned (cheap to stay at). The only problem with this camp is that it does not have many amenities including hookups. Toilets are, however, available.
14. Rafter J Bar Ranch
This RV camp is located roughly seven miles from the Rushmore Memorial and it features nearly 200 campsites on a lush green land with plenty of acreage and surrounded by scenic forests. Many of the sites are full hookups.
Activities that can be enjoyed at this park include swimming in the camp’s heated pull and hot tub, mountain biking, hiking fishing, basketball, and volleyball. Amenities include hot showers, satellite TV hookups, full hookups, Wi-Fi, a snack bar, full-time security, gas and propane, and a dumping station.
15. Crooked Creek Resort and RV Park
This RV Park is located barely seven miles from Rushmore. And when you call them to book your reservation, it is unlikely you won’t find a campsite because they have about 150 campsites available. Many of the campsites are full hookups while some of them are not.
This RV camp has a motel and cabins for rent. It is surrounded by lush green forests and there are many activities to enjoy around it including swimming, walking, hiking, biking, taking train rides, and so on.
16. Black Hills Trailside Park Resort
This is a massive trailer park with three-dozen of campsites available. Some of them are full hookups while others have only power and water hookups. The best thing about this park is its location. The location is beautiful and it is a very nice place to be especially in warm weather. All the campsites in this campground are back-in. There are cabins that you can rent at this facility.
17. Creekside Mountain Resort
This is a small and secluded RV Park with 15 campsites located about seven miles from Mount Rushmore. It has concrete parking sites. Some of them are back-in while others are pull-through. Some of them have full hookups while others don’t. There are plenty of activities to be enjoyed in and around this RV Park.
18. Bismarck Lake Campground
Bismarck Lake Campground is open from May to December 31st. It is one of the most idyllic RV parks near Mount Rushmore as it is located barely eight miles from the mountain. As its name suggests, it is a lakefront camp.
Facilities include sits for RVs, trailers, and tents. The campground includes drinking water, vault toilets, campfire rings, and picnic tables. The only problem is that this facility has no hookups.
19. Grace Coolidge Campground
This campground is located within the Custer State Park less than 7.5 miles from the Rushmore memorial. It has about twenty RV campsites. All campsites have electric hookups. Water is also available. Amenities include a gift shop, resort cabins, safari rides, a full-service restaurant, a Laundromat, a convenience store, fuel, and so on.
20. Oreville Campground
This beautiful campground is a federal government-owned campground located just eight miles from Mount Rushmore. It is located in an idyllic land surrounded by the formidable Black Hills National Forest. This campground has twenty-six sites. None of the sites are full hookups. Drinking water is, however, available in plenty.
