$26
Grizzly Creek Primitive
Total sites: 19
Available Today: 14 FF*
Available this Weekend: 11 FF*
Booking Window: 6 months
Available Today: 14 FF*
Available this Weekend: 11 FF*
Booking Window: 6 months
4,621 ft
72°F
50°F
50°F
weak
Black Hills National Forest › Hell Canyon Ranger District › South Dakota
› Pennington County
› Hill City
› Grizzly Creek Primitive Campground
Grizzly Creek Primitive Campground, SD - Latest Reviews, Photos & Campground Map
Grizzly Creek Primitive Campground is located in the Hell Canyon Ranger District, Black Hills National Forest (just 28 min southwest of Rapid City, SD) with an elevation of 4,621 feet. There are a total of 19 campsites including 15 tent-only sites. The campground is normally open from mid May to the beginning of September. Max equipment length is 28 feet. All sites are currently reservable. Reservations can be booked up to 6 months in advance. Prices start at $24.00 per night. Activities include biking, fishing, hiking trails.
Campground Capacity (Next 30 Days)
Campsite Reviews (70)
4.5 out of 5
| 5 star | 69% | |
| 4 star | 19% | |
| 3 star | 6% | |
| 2 star | 4% | |
| 1 star | 1% |
@SteveS6334481 · Camped on Aug 8, 2025 at Campsite #18
Neighbors had three dogs. They were restrained at all times but barked quite a bit. Enjoyed our camping experience otherwise. Great location and campo hosts.
@ROHNW8A8306054 · Camped on Aug 7, 2025 at Campsite #12
A nice place to stay for a couple nights while exploring Mt Rushmore and nearby sights. Water from the community hydrant was ice cold and very welcome for sipping and rinsing off in the hot afternoons. Pit toilet was clean and in good order.Probably the only improvement I'd like to see is more privacy between campsites. Still, all in all, it was a good value and a very pretty forest setting.
@AaronB6097308 · Camped on Aug 6, 2025 at Campsite #17
Campsite is really neat and beautiful. There was a lot of poison ivy around the camping area, but hey, it is the wilderness. Our only negative experience was a neighboring camper who had a dog tied to a lead on a tree near the toilet. The dog was very aggressive to anyone walking remotely close and made things a bit uneasy.
@MicheleR623124 · Camped on Jul 25, 2025 at Campsite #9
First, I had no idea (my fault), it was only ten minutes from Keystone, which is high tourist area. Noisy and lots of road noise on the way to Custer. 5:21 am the first morning I was abruptly woken up by the thump thump thump of a tourist helicopter..for an entire hour it flew in circles around the campground which is very close to Mt. Rushmore. , then airplanes. It sounded like a military base. Crazy the town or county lets them start so early. This isnt the campgrounds fault, but just be aware. I have been a camp ground host for years and I personally think the host needs to do a better job. The sites are never cleaned up after previous campers. My dog ate food she found lying all over the ground. The fire pits are never cleaned. There is garbage and I walked around looking at the other sites and it was the same for three days.The bathrooms get cleaned not on a regular basis. The first two days they were not hosed out. Then once the weekend was over they hosed them out. With as much traffic that goes through there, they need to be cleaned everyday. (They are just pit toilets, but still).The host was very nice, however the job also includes cleaning the sites or the jobs I have had, they do. The pros, I was next to the creek and the rest of campers were quite, during quiet hours. Its a beautiful area, if you can deal with the constant road noise and the military base noises at 5:30 am.
@VincentG598089 · Camped on Jun 20, 2025 at Campsite #9
Lovely, shady, quiet campground with very helpful host - good water. Creek is wonderful for cooling off on a hot day. Would totally come back!
@MichaelM541440 · Camped on Jun 19, 2025 at Campsite #5
If youre looking to disconnect from the hustle and reconnect with nature, Grizzly Creek Primitive Campground is the perfect escape. Our experience here was nothing short of incredible.From the moment we arrived, we were greeted by the peaceful sound of the creek and the towering trees swaying overhead. The sites are spaced out just enough to give you privacy without feeling completely isolatedexactly what we wanted in a primitive spot. No crowds, just fresh air and the crackle of the campfire. Absolute perfection.The creek itself was a gem. Cold, clear, and perfect for a refreshing splash or simply sitting beside with a cup of coffee in the morning. And despite being primitive, the campground was impressively clean and well-maintained.Grizzly Creek is now officially our go-to spot for off-the-grid car camping serenity. Bring your bug spray, your sense of adventure, and leave your stress behind.Well absolutely be backthis place is a hidden treasure.
@SusanW3089432 · Camped on Jun 16, 2025 at Campsite #18
The CCC part of the camp and layout is good, but the bathroom floor was thick with dead flies. There is no cleared path to the creek, and poison ivy along the way. Also, ticks were crawling up my legs sitting in camp and in my tent (mid-June, and admittedly, ticks creep me out so this was the absolute worst part). The helicopter tours of Mount Rushmore were constant. The road is nearby, but not a nuisance except for a few early morning motorbikes.
@AndyGD2C63696B · Camped on Jun 11, 2025 at Campsite #15
This is a beautiful campground. I was there in mid-June when the temps were near perfect, and there were no mosquitos. I did find a few ticks on me, but I cannot be certain I got those at the campground. Just check yourself frequently.The campsites are well spaced and shaded. The vault toilets were reasonably clean, and the host was friendly. The location is excellent. Rushmore is just around the corner, and Custer SP is a 30 minute drive on a beautiful windy road. Custer SP is awesome.
@EllieRFF7FFE67 · Camped on Jun 8, 2025 at Campsite #7
The campsite was clean, calm and well kept! Had everything that was listed and was very easy to get to! Also has a great trail was adventurous and quiet!
@CailleM0E1577A · Camped on Jun 6, 2025 at Campsite #18
So close to Mt Rushmore and a beautiful setting. We can't wait to come back!
@ClaireA2347578 · Camped on Jun 6, 2025 at Campsite #5
Such a wonderful place, with a very nice host!
@susanN5476267 · Camped on May 27, 2025 at Campsite #7
I really enjoyed camping a Grizzly Creek Primitive in South Dakota. It was a beautiful campsite. As others have said, I did hear helicopters going over to take people to Mount Rushmore. That kind of thing just doesn't bother me. My campsite, #7, happened to be right across the road from the park host, and he was very friendly and helpful.The campground was only sparsely populated early in my visit. Toward the weekend, more people came, but it still had the aura of a quiet campground. It was only 2 miles from Mt. Rushmore and close to Keystone where you could get gas and ice.I would stay there again, and would probably choose the same campsite; I thought it was well situated and lovely.
@KathrynB522687 · Camped on Sep 3, 2024 at Campsite #9
The camp host was very rude. I HAD a reservation for the site for the night.He wasn't at his site when I arrived (the site also didn't have a camp host sign either) so I set up my tent and got my gear out. He still wasn't at his site when I finished so I went for a drive. Came back a couple hours later and he was finally there but before I could even get out of my car, he came over yelling at me that I needed to check in with him before I set up. I proceeded to calmly tell him that I had a reservation for that site for that night, but he kept yelling at me that I wasn't supposed to set up at all until I talked to him. I tried to tell him that he wasn't there when I arrived, but he kept saying that that didn't matter and he continued to yell at me as I was explaining that he wasn't anywhere in the campground to do the actual check in, and that I for sure had a reservation for that night and that I would be over to confirm my reservation when I got out of my car. He did the same thing to a family that arrived about 9pm, yelling at them for not checking with him first before they set up- mind you this campground has like 15 sites and it's 9pm at night and there's only 3 other tents/campers in the campground.
@MaxL480D67CBEA · Camped on Aug 26, 2024 at Campsite #15
Lovely site. Little bit of a slope.
@MasonC4708265 · Camped on Aug 1, 2024 at Campsite #17
10/10 will come back
@JamesK1667053 · Camped on Jul 17, 2024 at Campsite #12
Camp host was very helpful, camp sites are clean
@Frederick406F7 · Camped on Jun 23, 2024 at Campsite #5
Great site, very welcoming host.
@ValerieTB5B28B · Camped on Jun 17, 2024 at Campsite #7
Loved my site. Perfect for a tent and was right next to the creek. I felt very safe here as a single woman tent camping.
@JessicaH685289 · Camped on Jun 14, 2024 at Campsite #15
Loved this campsite. Nice an e clean had decent phone service. Loved how close to town and the Monumnet it was
@JessicaF618863 · Camped on Aug 20, 2023 at Campsite #17
We had a great experience at this campsite, with great hosts. Great location, close to Mt Rushmore, Crazy Horse, Rapid City, and off of Iron Mountain Road.
@AdrianA3674726 · Camped on Jul 25, 2023 at Campsite #17
We really enjoyed our stay. Definitely make the trip up the valley to see the bridges and tunnels.
@PeteB3800872 · Camped on Jul 23, 2023 at Campsite #9
Great location and facilities...very peaceful!
@AlyssaC5E4FB92 · Camped on Jun 27, 2023 at Campsite #19
The camp host was very friendly and helpful during check-in and also helped us out when we were starting a fire. They sold us firewood, but also gave us some cardboard and paper to help get it started. The site was clean. Larger than I expected. The outhouse was well maintained as well. We would definitely stay here again!
@RachelW4DBD704 · Camped on Jun 16, 2023 at Campsite #19
My husband and I had site # 19 and it was the best campsite ever. Nice and private and very large. My brother and his family went camping with us too and there was plenty of room for them and their tents. We saw fireflies at night and had a great time roasting marshmallows around the campfire.
@FeliciaF259E44 · Camped on Jun 12, 2023 at Campsite #10
This is my 2 time camping at Grizzly Creek Primitive. The couple and their dog running it are simply amazing. They had firewood on hand to buy and your greater with the best pup smiles you can get when buying fire wood. Everyday they clean the outhouse and make sure it's stocked with toilet paper. The place is real clean and no sign of trash laying around. Loved it!!
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