Scenic byway · Black Hills National Forest · est. 1897
Black Hills NF — Mount Rushmore Corridor
Pactola and Sheridan Lake hold electric loops (35-ft cap) within 30 minutes of Mount Rushmore — Iron Mountain Road's pigtail bridges cap rigs at 30 ft regardless of what the sign says.
Max RV length
35 ft
Hookups
electric
Dump station
Yes
Dispersed camping
Allowed per MVUM
RV season
Mid-May – late September (high loops) · Year-round dispersed
Access road
Paved US 16/385 + Iron Mountain Rd to gravel campground spurs
About this area
Pactola, Sheridan Lake, and Horsethief Lake form the Black Hills NF's RV anchor trio inside a 30-minute drive of Mount Rushmore — and the rare USFS loops to publish ELECTRIC hookups (concessioner-operated) alongside the standard dry-camp sections. Pactola caps rigs at 35 ft with full-electric pull-throughs in its Custer Bay loop; Sheridan Lake's Comanche Park loop runs similar specs. Both have on-site dumps. The Iron Mountain Road's three pigtail bridges between Custer State Park and Mount Rushmore impose 30-ft rig limits at the tightest curves — even though the road sign reads as advisory, the geometry is the real cap. Dispersed camping is allowed extensively under the Black Hills MVUM; popular spots cluster off FSR 117 and FSR 530 in the Norbeck Wildlife Preserve. Custer State Park (separate from this USFS catalog) is the alternative for full-hookup demand.
How to plan this area
Reservations and the Motor Vehicle Use Map
Developed loops book through recreation.gov; dispersed camping is legal only where the ranger district's MVUM allows it. Both links go straight to the official source.
Looking for the rig? Browse South Dakota RV rentals on PickRV
Official sources
Every fact on this page traces back to these primary sources.
South Dakota rules · last verified 2026-05-10
- Rental tax
- 7.00%
- Min driver age
- 21+ std · 25+ Class A
- Gravel roads
- Allowed — disclosure required
- Generator quiet
- 22:00-07:00
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