USDA Forest Service · South Dakota
Comanche Park
USDA Forest Service · South Dakota, United States
- Sites
- 35
- Hookups
- 2 with water, 20 no hookups
- Season
- May 15 to September 30
- Max RV length
- 60 ft
- Drinking water
- Yes
- Restrooms
- No
- Pets
- Yes
- Elevation
- 5,472 ft
- Dark sky
- Bortle class 1
- Cell coverage
- AT&T weak · T-Mobile none · Verizon none (carriers' 4G LTE filings to the FCC, 2025-12; not measured here)
- Access road
- COMANCHE PARK CG (NFSR 618) · crushed aggregate or gravel · suitable for passenger cars
- Lake
- Black Hills National Forest
- Nearest town
- Custer
- Activities
- Camping, Hiking, Mountain Biking, Wildlife Viewing
33 numbered sites are mapped one by one - open the site map to pick yours.
About
Overview
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.
Recreation
The forest offers highly accessible recreation for all ages. Visitors can take advantage of opportunities for hiking, fishing, horseback riding, mountain biking, and riding off-highway vehicles (OHVs) on moderate terrain.
For those seeking higher elevations, a trek to the summit of nearby Black Elk Peak is worth the effort. Black Elk Peak is the highest natural point in the United States east of the Rocky Mountains. Most of the summit is bare granite and offers expansive views of the surrounding area. An old stone tower at the top, once used as a fire lookout, is still open to hikers.
Facilities
Comanche Park Campground has sites able to accommodate tents, trailers, and RVs.
The campground is equipped with picnic tables, campfire rings, vault toilets, and drinking water; however, electrical hook-ups are not available.
Natural Features
Located in western South Dakota and northeastern Wyoming, Black Hills National Forest encompasses nearly 1.25 million acres of rugged rock formations, canyons and gulches, open grassland parks, tumbling streams, deep blue lakes, and unique caves.
Derived from the Lakota language, the words "Paha Sapa," meaning "hills that are black," honor the dark, pine-covered hills rising several thousand feet above the surrounding prairie.
Nearby Jewel Cave is the second longest cave in the world at 159.29 miles. It features sparkling calcite crystals and other rare formations, as well as some of thel argest concentrations of passageways in the world.
Wildlife in the area abounds. Bighorn sheep navigate mountainous terrain, while elk, deer and pronghorn gather in forests and prairies. Bald eagles, hawks, osprey, peregrine falcon, and hundreds of other bird species can be found in the forest, especially along streams, lakes and rivers.
Contact Info
For facility specific information, please call (661) 702-1420.
Nearby Attractions
Possible day trips include Custer State Park with its many buffalo and other wildlife, Crazy Horse Monument and Wind Cave National Park as well as Jewel Cave which is the second longest cave in the world at 159.29 miles. It features sparkling calcite crystals and other rare formations, as well as some of the largest concentrations of passageways in the world.
Charges & Cancellations
No refunds will be given for weather or related events.
Weather, month by month
| Month | Typical high | Typical low | Coldest night | Hottest day | Years with a night below 32°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 34° | 17° | -20° | 49° | 11 of 11 |
| February | 35° | 14° | -26° | 60° | 11 of 11 |
| March | 43° | 24° | -1° | 68° | 11 of 11 |
| April | 51° | 29° | 8° | 74° | 11 of 11 |
| May | 61° | 41° | 28° | 80° | 4 of 11 |
| June | 75° | 53° | 41° | 94° | 0 of 11 |
| July | 82° | 59° | 46° | 94° | 0 of 11 |
| August | 78° | 57° | 47° | 94° | 0 of 11 |
| September | 74° | 52° | 21° | 87° | 1 of 11 |
| October | 56° | 36° | 6° | 75° | 9 of 10 |
| November | 46° | 29° | 4° | 62° | 10 of 10 |
| December | 35° | 21° | 5° | 54° | 10 of 10 |
Mid-month figures from 2016–2026 of daily weather at this spot (ERA5 reanalysis via Open-Meteo, CC BY 4.0), in °F. Typical is the median; coldest and hottest are the extremes seen.
Nearby campgrounds
- Bismark Lake · USDA Forest Service · 10 mi · 24 sites
- Oreville Campground · USDA Forest Service · 11 mi · 26 sites
- Custer State Park · South Dakota State Parks · 13 mi
- Iron Creek Horse Camp · USDA Forest Service · 13 mi · 10 sites
- Willow Creek Horse Camp · USDA Forest Service · 15 mi · 9 sites
All public campgrounds in South Dakota · Every state and province · Facts read from the operator 2026-06-16. Confirm fees, rules and current status with the operator before you go.