20720 HWY 44 Interior SD 57750

605-433-5337   web:  www.koa.com/campgrounds/badlands

Pros:  Friendly customer service, lots of sites for tent campers, nice pet park

Cons:  Not a lot of room between sites

This is a nice and very well maintained, modern campground just minutes from the scenic vistas of Badlands National Park.  There are 140 sites which include numerous tent sites (some electric), cabins, Full hook-up 30 and 50 amp, WE 30 and 20 amp, pull-through  and back-ins.  We stayed at site #19.  There are firepits on site and firewood is available for $6 per bundle (burned well).  The owners are very friendly, and live on-site.  They were even kind enough to stop by our campfire one evening and we had a nice conversation.

Some sites have cable, we had roughly 14 channels.  The wifi was pretty decent but spotty and does not allow for uploading photos/video streaming.  There was a well stocked camp store with local items, souvenirs, food supplies, and some camp accessories.  Breakfast and dinner are served at the Cook Shack with numerous choices.  Check out time is 11:00.  It is not open year-round – check the website for dates.

Appearance:

This is a well cared for campground with gravel roads and gravel sites.  The sites are well-groomed and there are a variety of flowerbeds throughout.  There are two dumpsters for camper use, although 3 would be better considering the size of the campground.  There are a variety of unique campsites including a teepee, pavilion “wagon-wheel” style tent sites with sinks and grills, cabins, and horse campsites. The firepits were very nice and had a unique design.

Rating:  (One to five lanterns with five being the highest)

 

Family/Pet Friendly: 

Families can enjoy basketball, volleyball, soccer, horseshoes and many other activities.  There is a small pool and additional wading pool for toddlers as well as bikes and pedal carts for rent.

There is a fenced dog park (large for KOA standards) in addition to a dog wash area (free).

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Area Attractions:

If you are visiting the area it is primarily to hike and explore Badlands National Park.  This is a very beautiful area with unique land formations and fossil beds. There are a variety of hiking trails from boardwalk trails through the prairies to more rugged trails through the formations.  Be on the lookout for rattlesnakes!  You may also notice on the drive here aprroximately 500 or so billboards for Wall Drug.  This is a popular tourist stop and very popular with kids. If you are looking for every manner of souvenir and perhaps some ice cream or homemade donuts, be sure to stop. Other than these activities, the area is pretty remote but still a wonderful destination.

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Restrooms/Showers:

There is one centrally located showerhouse in the middle of the campground and one in the camp store building.  We felt that for the size of this campground, especially considering the number of tent sites, this campground could perhaps use another small bath house near the back.  The bathrooms were very clean and we liked the nice pine interior.  The water was hot, and had good water pressure.

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