The Black Hills of South Dakota is an amazing place full of history and beautiful landscapes. You could easily spend an entire weekend there, and if you do, you should highly consider camping. There’s just something about Spearfish Canyon that keeps you wanting more .
Four Places To Camp In Spearfish Canyon
The Adventure Van at the Rod and Gun Campground
Gun and Rod Campground
Gun and Rod Campground is the closest campground to Savoy, South Dakota. It is about 2.5 miles south on Roughlock Falls Road once your turn off of Highway 14A. It has 6 campsites with picnic tables and fire rings. The sites are fairly open and there is a large grassy field in the center as well.
This was our paid campsite of choice. It was quiet, had pretty views and the grass was short enough that we didn’t worry about our dog sniffing around in it.
Timon Campground
Timon Campground is about 1 mile south of Gun and Rod Campground on Roughlock Falls Road, 3.5 miles from the Highway 14A turn off. This campground has high grass and lots of tree coverage. It feels pretty primitive on a quiet weekend or week day.
We tried staying at the Timon Campground, however it was a weekday and we were the only car around. Both Christian and I had a very unsettling feeling about it, so before bed we hopped back over to the Gun and Rod Campground to sleep. I’m not sure what was up, but we like to listen to our gut. I’m sure it’s fine on a busy weekend.
Hanna Campground
Hanna Campground is the closest campground to Cheyenne Crossing and has 13 pay sites. It’s the largest of three campgrounds with X sites. This campground is louder than the other three, and seems to be more of where the ATV crowd hangs out. To get to this site, head left on highway 85 after Cheyenne Crossing, making a left shortly after at the sign for Hanna Campground. Follow the road for just over 2 miles and you’ll see it.
All of the above campgrounds are $18/night, allow dogs on leash, and have access to both pit toilets and running water.
Dispersed Camping
Spearfish Canyon is National Forest land, so you are technically allowed to camp at any unmarked pull out. The rangers ask that you do not park overnight in the picnic areas or trail head parking lots, however any that aren’t marked are fair game. While there aren’t too many places to pitch a tent, if you’re van camping, there are lots of options.
Do you know of any other awesome places to camp in Spearfish Canyon? I’d love to know about them!