Grizzly Bear Campground

Not camping here, massive male grizzly cuts through campground!

A short 2 miles away is the fabulous Mount Rushmore National Memorial, which hosts almost 3 million visitors a year. This campground is located on the scenic Iron Mountain Rd. with its famous CCC built Pigtail Bridges and tunnels for breathtaking views of Mt. Rushmore. 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.

• Lewis Byron HouseBuilding · Keystone · 0.7 mi
• Keystone SchoolBuilding · Keystone · 1.1 mi
• Keystone Trading Company StoreBuilding · Keystone · 1.2 mi

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. This campground is located in the Norbeck Wildlife Preserve and is close to the Black Elk Wilderness, South Dakota's only designated wilderness area. This area encompasses the Harney Range, an area long held sacred by American Indians. 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.

Black Hills National Forest offers visitors a multitude of recreational opportunites throughout all seasons. Hiking, fishing, horseback riding, mountain biking, and riding off-highway vehicles are popular in summer and early autumn. The winter landscape is ideal for snowshoeing, skiing and snowmobiling. From a nearby trailhead, visitors can access the Centennial Trail and parts of the Black Elk Wilderness and Norbeck Wildlife Preserve. Trails weave through the wilderness for a primitive, non-motorized recreation experience. For those seeking higher elevations, a day-long 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 (Harney Lookout Tower) at the top, once used as a fire lookout, is still open to hikers.

We earn a small commission if you buy through these links. It does not change what we list.

• Moon Mount Rushmore and the Black Hills

  Laural A. Bidwell
  Moon Mount Rushmore and the Black Hills

  Laural A. Bidwell, 2016

  Find at Bookshop.org
• Frommer's Exploring America by RV

  Harry Basch
  Frommer's Exploring America by RV

  Harry Basch and Shirley Slater, 2012

  Find at Bookshop.org

Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.