Blue Bell campground served as our home-base while we explored Custer State Park in the summer of 2020. It’s one of our favorite state park campgrounds that we’ve visited, and in this review I’ll explain why. It is a premier destination and one that should be on your list.
Table of Contents
Blue Bell Campground – Location
Blue Bell Campground is located on the western edge of Custer State Park in beautiful South Dakota. It’s approximately 5 miles south of Hwy 16A on Hwy 87 (just north of the Custer Wildlife Loop Road).
Given its location, Blue Bell is ideally suited for exploring the western half of the park, including the Needles Highway, Stockade Lake, and the Wildlife Loop Road. In addition it’s just a short drive to the town of Custer, SD where you can restock on groceries and other supplies.
About Blue Bell
Nestled in a ponderosa pine forest inside Custer State Park, the campground is quite picturesque with tall pine trees and is surrounded by mountains of granite. The French Creek runs along the eastern edge of the campground, and there are trails leading down to the water’s edge where sightseeing and fishing are popular.
Blue Bell features both RV and tent campsites, and we saw people enjoying both during our stay. In addition, the campground also features 23 camping cabins that can be reserved, if that’s more to your liking.
Amenities At Blue Bell
- RV sites feature electric only (30/50 Amp)
- Tent sites have no hook ups
- Cabins offer electricity with air-conditioning
- Full-service bathhouse is available on site
- Camp store is available on site with necessary supplies and some souvenirs
- Blue Bell Lodge is within walking distance and features a full service restaurant
- Blue Bell stables is within easy walking distance and offers a variety of horseback riding adventures to allow you to explore deeper into the park
Insider Tips
- Check-In (12:00 PM) – Check-Out (12:00 PM)
- Prices range from $15/night (tent), $30/night (RV) and $55/night (cabin)
- There is no water available at your campsite. There are water faucets spread throughout the campground…we filled up our fresh tank at the faucet right next to the bathhouse
- There is no dump station at the campground, so make sure to arrive with empty grey and black tanks. Two dump stations are available in the park….Game Lodge Campground & French Creek Horse Camp
- Campsite reservations can be made online one year in advance for all campsites in Custer State Park
- Blue Bell Campground is extremely popular and sites fill up quickly…so be sure to reserve several months in advance
- Campsite 20E (nice trees and mountain views), campsite 1E (large site with lots of trees), and campsite 4E (easy pull through site) might be the best of the best
| Pros | Cons |
| Large sites with scenic beauty | Sites are electric only |
| Clean, full-service bathhouse is centrally located | Showering in RV may be difficult during long stays due to grey tank limitations |
| Close proximity to Wildlife Loop Road, Blue Bell Lodge & Stables | Some sites could be tricky to back into |
| Affordable prices – especially for the Black Hills area | No WIFI and limited cellular service available |
| Wildlife (bison & deer) frequent the area and are often seen in the campground |
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This was a nice review. I’ve stayed at Bluebell and really enjoyed it. I’m going back in September for five days. I was able to access wifi at the visitors center. Also it would be helpful to mention that Badlands and Wind Cave National Parks are reasonably close, also Mount Rushmore.
Thank you, we love Blue Bell too! You’re right about Mount Rushmore, Wind Cave and the Badlands…all are worth checking out. In fact, we even mention them in our write-up about 10 Things To See Near Mount Rushmore and Custer State Park. Feel free to check out the article here….
https://smoretimetogether.com/rushmore-top-10/