One Of South Dakota's Best Campsites Is Affordable, Spacious, And Boasts Dazzling Lakefront Beauty

Custer State Park is tucked into an area of western South Dakota known as the Black Hills. It's an area with stunningly enchanted scenery like Botany Canyon and artsy, off-the-beaten-path towns like Lemmon. Located in the southern quadrant of the Black Hills, Custer State Park is approximately 40 minutes from the Rapid City Regional Airport. While there are many campgrounds within the park, one of the best, most affordable, and spacious is Center Lake Campground, which comes complete with a dazzlingly beautiful lakefront.

The first and largest state park in the Mount Rushmore State, Custer State Park was established in 1919. It spans across 71,000 acres of diverse terrain and was named in honor of Lieutenant Colonel George Armstrong Custer, who led an expedition into this area of the Black Hills in 1874 in search of gold. Of course, Custer is best remembered for his infamous "last stand" at the 1876 Battle of the Little Bighorn in Montana, where he and his men were slain by Chief Sitting Bull and his army of northern plains tribes.

Regardless of the Custer's historical legacy, there is plenty of calm and serene Black Hills nature contained in the state park to fulfill every outdoor adventurer's dream. And you can experience it all from the comfort of your tent or small RV at Center Lake Campground.

While Custer State Park's most famous stay is the state's largest resort, the State Game Lodge, if you're looking to beat the crowds at this underrated gem, your best bet is to find a camping spot at Center Lake Campground (CLC). Located on S. Playhouse Road off South Dakota Highway 87, CLC contains 71 individual sites and a group camping area that are filled via same-day reservations. This means that unlike when camping at the national parks (where you have to reserve your spot well in advance), you can roll into CLC and find a site almost immediately.

And the prices are excellent too. As of 2025, tent sites cost $16 per night, and the RV campsites are $23 per night, according to South Dakota Game, Fish & Parks. This makes CLC an incredibly affordable and easily accessible campground. Most sites can accommodate large tents and small RVs. Sites 33 and 56 are also ADA accessible. Concerning amenities, CLC has vault toilets, drinking water filling stations, and a shower house down by the beach.

The grounds are staffed by attendants during the day, and the Legion Lake Lodge just a few miles down the road offers a small restaurant and gift shop. It is also where you can grab your South Dakota fishing license if you plan on going fishing.

At 25 acres, Center Lake is a good-sized body of water that can easily be explored if you only have a day. The campground beach on the western shore is a sprawling combination of grass and sand. There are showers and changing stations, as well as a playground and sheltered picnic areas. On the eastern side of the lake is a boat ramp just down the road from the group camping area. There is a strict "no wake" boating policy in place at Center Lake. This means that paddling boats like kayaks or canoes (and very small outboard motors) are allowed, but only at slow speeds.

Center Lake is stocked yearly with a collection of brook, tiger, and rainbow trout on top of the native walleye, bass, and pike, which make for great fishing. There are two fish cleaning stations back at the campground available to use when you bring in your catch, though be sure to ask how many you're allowed to keep when you purchase your fishing license.

Those looking to hike, bike, or even horseback ride while visiting Center Lake can easily do so on the Lost Trails Loop. This is an easy-to-moderate trail of about 2 miles through ponderosa pines and past an enchanting old waterfall. Great for a morning or evening stroll before heading back to camp.