Group Camping

Group Camping Areas

• Central Hills - Rapid City

  The Mystic Ranger District is located in the central portion of the Black Hills National Forest and has an office south of Rapid City, SD.

• Pactola Reservoir Complex

  • A Water Playground

    

    Pactola Reservoir is located 15 miles west of Rapid City. It is the largest and deepest reservoir in the Black Hills National Forest, boasting 14 miles of shoreline and 150 foot depths on 800 acres. (Photo by Bradley Block/USDA FS)

  The Bureau of Reclamation manages the dam and water. Record lake trout are caught each year. Large brown trout are caught in Rapid Creek above and below the reservoir. Facilities include a full service marina with gasoline, oil, groceries, and food service. Forest facilities include an 88 unit campground, a group campground, swim beach, picnic areas, two boat launches, a paved accessible trail, day use trails and portions of both the Centennial and Deerfield trails. Fly fishing below the spillway is exceptional. A National Forest Visitor Center on the south side of the dam is open seasonally and provides visitors with information about the building of the dam and forest management.

  Reservoir water levels and boat ramp data can be found on the Bureau of Reclamation website for Pactola and Deerfield Reservoirs:  http://www.usbr.gov/gp/boat/

• Bear Gulch (Group Site)
• Sheridan Lake Complex

  • A Fishing Paradise

    

    Sheridan Lake is located 15 miles west of Rapid City. This warm 375 acre lake provides anglers with opportunities to fish for trout, northern pike, perch, bass and other pan fish. fly fishing is popular in Spring Creek below the dam, and ice fishing is popular on the lake in winter. The largest campground (129 camp sites) on the Black Hills National Forest is located on the south shore,  along with a boat launch, swim beach, picnic area and trailheads for the Flume Trail and access to the Centennial Trail. The north shore has a group campground, marina with slip rental, groceries and angler supplies, the largest swim beach on the forest, a picnic area and large boat launch. Fishing piers are located in various areas around the lake.

• Sheridan Lake North Cove (Group Sites) Campground