BEAR GULCH GROUP CAMPSITE
BEAR GULCH GROUP CAMPSITE 57702
(lat:44.0786 lon:-103.5244)
This private access group campsite is isolated among the forested Black Hills of South Dakota, overlooking a private bay on the Pactola Reservoir. Great for group events with up to 60 people, there are eight individual tent sites around a central parking area. The summers are pleasant, and the bay provides a great way to cool off on sunny days summer temperatures range from highs in the mid-80s, to lows in the mid-50s. It can be reserved from Memorial Day through Labor Day.
Bear Gulch was formerly an eight-site single family campground, but has been converted into a group campground available for one group reservation at a time. It is primitive, but comfortable. There is a brand new accessible toilet. A hand pump for drinking water is available. Six of eight sites within the facility were originally designated for tent-only camping and still serve that purpose with a flat area, picnic table and fire ring at each site. There are a few places to park an RV around the central parking lot, however turning is very tight. There is no electrical hookup. Vehicles must travel down nine miles of dirt roads to reach the facility. Hill City is the nearest town for additional amenities, and Rapid City is 20 miles away.The campground is in a small canyon surrounded by large Ponderosa pine trees on the southern side of the Pactola Reservoir, the largest reservoir in the Black Hills. This canyon was cut from years of water drainage from the surrounding mountains, forming steep slopes on either side of the road leading to the camping area.
A variety of wildlife call the Black Hills home, including mule deer, bighorn sheep, elk and wild turkey. Osprey, also known as fish hawks, are a bird of prey that feed on the abundant fish in the lake.Bear Gulch is centrally located within the Black Hills and its many forests, lakes, mountains and rivers and sightseeing destinations. Mount Rushmore National Memorial, Custer State Park, Crazy Horse Memorial and Spearfish Canyon Scenic Byway are all under an hour away.
Custer State ParkPactola Reservoir is an 800-acre lake, great for water skiing, swimming, fishing and even scuba diving. There is no boat ramp at the campground, but there is a separate marina where you can rent a boat and two boat ramps nearby on the main reservoir. Pactola Point Swim Beach, the Osprey Trail trailhead and a visitor center are within a short drive of the site. Fishing for such sought-after species as brown, rainbow and record lake trout is popular at the reservoir. There is also fishing in nearby Rapid Creek.
Bismarck Lake Campground Bismarck Lake Campground is set amidst a scattering of aspen groves and Ponderosa pine on the southeast edge of Bismarck Lake at 5,000 feet. This is a great place for visitors seeking recreation and relaxation in the Black Hills National Forest. Acess to this campground is through Custer State Park near the West Highway 16A entrance.
Sites in the
....more Comanche Park Campground Situated in an open Ponderosa pine forest 6.5 miles west of Custer, South Dakota, Comanche Park Campground is a campground for visitors seeking recreation and relaxation in the southern Black Hills National Forest. The campsites are spacious. Towering pine trees provide shade. This is the closest campground to Jewel Cave National Monument.
....more Cook Lake Recreation Area Situated in a heavily forested area adjacent to Cook Lake, this campground is a peaceful setting for guests seeking recreation and relaxation in the Black Hills National Forest in Wyoming.
Some sites in the campground are widely spaced and open up to views overlooking the lake, and others sit snugly along a hillside. Separation,
rather than
....more Dutchman Campground Dutchman Campground, located in a shady Ponderosa pine forested area on the northeast edge of Deerfield Reservoir at 5,000 feet. This camp is an ideal setting for guests seeking recreation and relaxation in Black Hills National Forest. Sites in the campground are widely spaced, and a few offer wide views of the lake. Of the 3 campgrounds in the
....more Horsethief Lake Campground Located 10 miles south of Hill City, South Dakota, Horsethief Lake Campground is a delightful setting for visitors seeking recreation and relaxation in Black Hills National Forest.
This campground is 2 miles from Mount Rushmore National Memorial and adjacent to Horsethief Lake. Sites are tucked into a forest of towering ponderosa and lodgepole pine.
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