Bismarck Lake Campground, SD - Latest Reviews, Photos & Campground Map

Bismarck Lake Campground is located in the Hell Canyon Ranger District, Black Hills National Forest (1 hr southwest of Rapid City, SD) with an elevation of 5,220 feet. There are a total of 21 campsites including 1 tent-only site. The campground is normally open from mid May to the end of September. 19 sites can accommodate RVs and trailers between 25 and 74 feet. All sites are currently reservable. Reservations can be booked up to 6 months in advance. Prices start at $28.00 per night. Some amenities include boat ramp. Activities include biking, boating, fishing, hiking trails, floating sports.

Make a Reservation

Campground Capacity (Next 30 Days)

Campsite Reviews (92)

4.6 out of 5

5 star		74%
4 star		15%
3 star		3%
2 star		2%
1 star		3%

@RebeccaC264620 · Camped on Jun 4, 2025 at Campsite #12

The campsites here are beautiful and spacious and even somewhat private. The lake is absolutely gorgeous. We were there during a storm, but I am eager to return with my SUP. Also, the hosts Missy and Jim are amazingvery friendly and knowledgeable about the area.

@BrandynF9D872B · Camped on Jun 2, 2025 at Campsite #8

Beautiful campground. Only in for one night, but would come back! Hosts were great and knowledgeable about the Black Hills region.

@DonnaM2595319 · Camped on May 30, 2025 at Campsite #4

This is an awesome small park. The hosts were excellent. Very helpful & so friendly. They gave us ideas for things to do & directions. The sites are very spacious, the campground is clean and well maintained. The vault toilets were always clean. Great small lake in the park & the location is perfect, right next to Custer State park.

@AmyC3583814 · Camped on May 23, 2025 at Campsite #11

We enjoyed our stay at site 11 at Bismark Lake despite the rain. The campground was well taken care of and beautiful. The camp hosts, Jim and his wife were friendly and welcoming along with some great stories! We have T-mobile and had plenty of signal so we didn't need the starlink but we still tried it out just in case and that worked great as well. We can't wait to return, maybe without the rain.

@FredE55ECD731C · Camped on Sep 25, 2024 at Campsite #9

Campsites were raked and clean as was the entire campground. The hosts were exceptionally helpful with an electrical issue I had and helped me get a spot for an extra night so I could watch the Roundup. A+

@EDWARDZ3693755 · Camped on Sep 24, 2024 at Campsite #10

Very nice, mostly quiet campground (periodic generator activity). Excellent hosts. Bismark Lake is beautiful. Worth staying without power or water, etc. Central to much of Custer State Park. Wish we were still there.......

@DebbieKDA7259B · Camped on Sep 18, 2024 at Campsite #9

The sites are well spaced, good sized. The bathrooms are exceptionally clean! Fishing on the lake is amazing!

@TinaD2729764 · Camped on Sep 11, 2024 at Campsite #10

Lovely campground on beautiful lake. Pit toilets clean. However, campers can run generators from 6 am until 10 pm. This is absolutely asinine. We had a generator on either side of us. People were in their trailers watching TV. This is not what camping is about. Sitting around a campfire, listening to an obnoxious generator ruined our experience. As well as eating breakfast to the obnoxious sounds. We could not wait to leave. There is no reason why generator usage has to be for such an extended period of time. 9 a.m to 8 p.m. is more than adequate.

@AMYS5542485 · Camped on Aug 2, 2024 at Campsite #10

Always so peaceful. Best lake to go to

@PerleTDFAD65E3 · Camped on Jul 29, 2024 at Campsite #15

Great campground in the trees, sites fairly space out, clean bathrooms. We just didn't like the hosts drove around the loop in a pick up truck all evening so you had the noise and the headlights passing by at least 10 times for no apparent reason.

@BobK5632765 · Camped on Jul 21, 2024 at Campsite #7

Our hosts Paul and Jan made our 2 week stay what it was! They were helpful, present, accommodating and kind! Its my favorite campground!Just wish the outhouses didnt all stink so much!

@JenniferC92685 · Camped on Jul 2, 2024 at Campsite #15

The Bismark Lake campground was very peaceful. Quiet, clean and great location for exploring Custer State park and the surrounding Black Hills areas. It was a quick drive to Keystone, Hill City and Mount Rushmore.The camp hosts were friendly and kept the area clean. We enjoyed the peaceful evenings around the campfire and watching stars after busy days in Custer State Park. Also, the Custer Volunteer Fire Department put on an excellent July 4th fireworks show.

@ValerieTB5B28B · Camped on Jun 19, 2024 at Campsite #6

Absolutely gorgeous lake and campgrounds! This site has a beautiful overlook of the lake.

@JillN8557835 · Camped on Jun 16, 2024 at Campsite #5

We love this campground and really enjoyed our stay. The camp hosts were very good and kept the facilities very clean. My only complaint is there are no recycling receptacles.

@JamesB7853748 · Camped on Jun 16, 2024 at Campsite #11

Good location for exploring Custer area. Primitive campgrounds. Water and no dump station. We stayed in C60 Large site.. As soon as you get there the Campground host is there to collect $2 per day for each dog. Bismarck Lake is now run by a private corporation for profit. Its ashamed the forest service has turning these campground over to private companies to make a profit. Who ever head of changing for a dog and not offering anything for it. Be aware their is no dump station in reasonable distance. Cost $20 to dump at a private campground 5 miles awayOn a positive the lake is beautiful and larger that it looks.

@woutervB74D46C · Camped on Jun 15, 2024 at Campsite #3

We loved this private quiet campground. Very centrally located. Our spot (3) is next to the road which is not a problem with slide outs. There is enough space. The picnic and firepit area is quite a steep hill down. But totally private and free. We just organized everything in a way that we would take a shoppingbag with everything ;) that worked well! If you have bad knees or a bad health: don t take this spot. If you are healthy: great spot

@brookea9234907 · Camped on Jun 11, 2024 at Campsite #17

We loved our time at Bismarck Lake. The camp sites were well spaced and the lake was calm and beautiful. It was peak pollen season when we were there, however, so everything ended up covered in a layer of yellow dust.

@RichardB341941 · Camped on Jun 4, 2024 at Campsite #14

The campground hosts were very friendly and helpful. We love this campground and all it has to offer. We keep coming back every year from Minnesota for a number of years now. We always get to see Ospreys fly over the campground and sometimes dive into the lake.

@Jamesq52D61961 · Camped on Sep 29, 2023 at Campsite #3

Meh...The camping is overall much better at Custer State Park. First, Custer SP doesn't charge a pet fee. And, I'm not sure what the pet fee is for anyways, as there are no waste bags, no dedicated pet area, and not even a nice grassy area for the dogs. Further, the camp hosts made me check-in, which is not necessary at Custer SP. They were nice, but I feel it's unnecessary to deal with a paper check-in in year 2023. Further, the description for the site lacks some key useful information. It doesn't have any mention on whether the site is flat or the severity of incline. And, the website failed to mention the picnic is down a significant hill, making it unpractical for me, who would love to take a bunch of cooking items to the table. And, it wasn't safe for the dogs. Plus, the site info was plain inaccurate. It was listed as a back-in site when it's actually a pull-off site. I didn't stay a 2nd night even though I paid for it.

@JamesC5011896 · Camped on Sep 29, 2023 at Campsite #4

everything was perfect!

@DavidC2858387 · Camped on Sep 14, 2023 at Campsite #6

We started in site 6 and moved to site 15. Site 6 was a beautiful spot at the end of the boardwalk. Best for small RV's and vans. There is a hill with several benches behind the site that is a great spot for coffee or cocktails. Site 15 can handle and size vehicle. It is also very nice. The campground has a nice boardwalk starting at the day use area and going over to behind site #6.

@JamesM9879118 · Camped on Sep 13, 2023 at Campsite #7

Wonderful place to stay and the best site hosts I have ever met.

@JanG6519734 · Camped on Sep 10, 2023 at Campsite #13

We really loved Bismarck Lake Campground - 5 stars!!! The hosts were lovely and attentive. The facilities were good. The site was level and roomy, And the lake and boardwalk were an extra treat. We jogged around there, biked from there, and simply enjoyed sitting and reveling in the quiet. Well go back!!!

@JenB2333104 · Camped on Aug 27, 2023 at Campsite #2

This is a beautiful and quiet campground with nice sites surrounded by trees and rocks. The lake is beautiful, especially at sunset and there is places to walk and climb around by the little waterfall. My dog and I loved it and we will definitely be back! The pet fee is payable only in cash.

@MelissaW474369 · Camped on Aug 21, 2023 at Campsite #12

We arrived late, but there was someone to greet us and assist. We appreciate the late check in. We were driving in from Colorado. The reserved area was gorgeous and had everything we needed. Hope to go back for another visit.

Other Campgrounds Nearby

We track all the sites so you don't have to.

Reservation Systems

Campsites Tracking

Campsite Reviews

Available Tonight

Available this Weekend

Cancellations Today

PRO $2.50/month

You're in Control. We never save credit card information or auto-renew subscriptions.

Availability Map Search
3000+ Interactive Campground Maps
Campground Virtual Tours
Save Your Favorite Campsites
Favorite Campsites Availability
Campground Mobile Speed Test Maps
National Parks, Forests & Ranger District Layers
Wildfires & Air Quality Map Layer
Satellite View Map Layer
Campsite SMS Cancellation Alerts
Rent your Property & Cabins
Love's & Super Walmart Map Layers
Cracker Barrel & Bass Pro Shop Map Layers
Motor Vehicle Use Maps (MVUM) Layer
Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Map Layer
RV Propane, Parking, Dump, Water Map Layer

Pro is FREE for 7 days. (No credit card information required!)

Thanks to all our Supporting Members

@BranJen - Santa Clara, CA

I wanted to thank you for this site and especially for the notifications feature. Thanks to your site and my subscription I was able to book a campsite I've been annoyingly trying to book for 5 years unsuccessfully. So thank you.

@Wondering - Oregon

Wow! Woke up this morning to a notification that a favorite had opened at Paulina, and when I went to check, it was there. This membership just paid for itself in the first 24 hours I owned it. Couldn't take the site it conflicted with a trip already set, but it truly was there. Thanks Tons.

@CarlaLThompson - Colorado

I just love this site and I tell everyone about it! It's so competitive to secure desired campsites and the alerts really help track when sites free up. The best part of this story is our alert notified a cancellation the next day!!!!!! Just incredible!!!

What campsites would you like us to monitor for you?

Campsites at a Popular / Sold-Out campground.

Campsites I have already saved on my Favorites page.

Choose a campground for this alert:

If you want to track more than one sold-out campground, create an alert for each one. Pro members can have up to 5 concurrent alerts running w/ unlimited edits.

Choose the campsites for this alert:

Any of my favorite campsites.

Any of my favorite campsites within a set distance from my homebase.

Any of my favorite campsites at specific campground(s).

What is the minimum number of consecutive nights you would like to camp?

Setting a high number of consecutive nights reduces your chances of getting a spot.

Do you have a specific date in mind or would you like to define an open date range?

I want to arrive on a specific date.

I'm flexible. Just keep me alerted if a matching campsite becomes available.

What day of the week would you like to arrive? If you don't care leave all the days selected blue.

Select which campsites you want us to monitor. Use the filters to narrow the results.

Please review your alert. If you need to make any changes, simply click the back button below. Don't worry—you can edit your alert as often as you like after it's created.

🎉 Earn +5 marshmallows for adding your first favorite.

Use your earned marshmallows to enter our monthly giveaways or to get a Pro Subscription.

Air Quality	BLM	OHV MVUM	Love's
D Dump Stations	W Water	LP Propane	P RV Parking
Super Walmart	Cracker Barrel	Bass Pro Shops

1 Year PerfectCamp Pro 6/15/2025 thru 6/15/2026	$29.95
Remove Apply	- $0.00
Total:	$29.95

Bismarck Lake Campground, SD - Latest Reviews, Photos & Campground Map

Bismarck Lake

Campground Capacity (Next 30 Days)

Campsite Reviews (92)

4.6 out of 5

Other Campgrounds Nearby

Stockade North

Stockade South

Legion Lake

PRO $2.50/month

Thanks to all our Supporting Members

Map Settings

Purchase 12 Months of PerfectCamp Pro

Please enter the one time passcode to verify your account