Bear Gulch in SD -- Campground & RV Camping
Bear Gulch in SD
CampgroundUSFS
11 mi from Blackhawk
Official campground & reservations ↗
Rig fit
- Maximum published vehicle length: 40 ft.
- Longest published RV site: 40 ft.
- Longest published trailer site: 40 ft.
Campground details
Setting
Bear Gulch Group Campground is a primitive, single-group facility set in a pine-forested canyon on a secluded bay of the Pactola Reservoir. Designed for groups up to 40 people, the site includes eight tent-focused spots around a central parking loop, each equipped with a flat pad, picnic table, and fire ring. Amenities include a hand pump for drinking water and an accessible vault toilet; there are no electric hookups. The nearby reservoir provides opportunities for swimming, trout fishing, and water skiing, with two public boat ramps located nearby on the main lake.
Getting there: From Highway 385 take Custer Gulch Road to Forest Service Road 251. Travel six miles to Forest Service Road 253 (Bear Gulch Road). Go three miles to the end of the road and campground.
- Moderately separated here.
- Flat ground is scarce: under a tenth of the terrain within a few hundred yards is level.
- The Pactola Lake shoreline is 0.2 mi off.
- Scruton Mountain stands 1,323 ft above the map pin, 2.2 miles south.
- A group campground.
Climate averages
October normals 31–58°F, 1.6″ precipitation. Monthly averages, PRISM 1991–2020.
Starlink Radar
Open sky · Terrain & buildings · Tree canopy
Estimated horizon in eight compass directions, using 10 m USGS elevation. Sky clearance 49 of 100.