Rapid City/ Black Hills KOA in South Dakota: A Review
If you’re looking to explore all that southwest South Dakota has to offer, the Rapid City/ Black Hills KOA makes for an excellent base to do so.
You’re within easy driving distance of the area’s most popular attractions, including 2 national parks, Custer State Park, Mount Rushmore, and the Sitting Bull Monument.
If you’d rather relax at your campsite, this property has all of the kid-friendly amenities that we’ve come to love about staying at KOA. (And, there is an excellent pancake breakfast offered if you don’t want to cook!)
In the review below, you’ll find everything you need to know about this campground, including photos of the campground property and details about every part of our stay from check-in to check-out.
Family fun is everywhere at the Rapid City KOA!
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Camping in Rapid City, South Dakota: What to Consider
Rapid City is located in the southwest corner of South Dakota, not far from Wyoming and Nebraska. While there are a lot of things to do in Rapid City and the surrounding city, there’s not much else that’s close to the Rapid City area, so prepare for a long drive in all directions to get there.
For example, Rapid City is about 8 hours from the northeast entrance to Yellowstone National Park, or the city of Billings, Montana. And it’s about 6.5 hour from Denver, Colorado.
But, once you’re in Rapid City, you’ll have plenty of hikes, activities, restaurants, and shops to choose from, enough so that you could easily fill up an entire week’s vacation here!
Rapid City KOA is just 3 miles east of the downtown area, and it is centrally located if you’re looking to visit both Badlands National Park to the west and Wind Cave National Park to the southwest.
We decided on Rapid City KOA because of its great location amongst everything we wanted to see in this area of South Dakota and for its many family friendly activities and amenities.
Other Camping Options Nearby
Thanks to the steady stream of summer tourists in this area of South Dakota, there are many camping options here if the Rapid City KOA doesn’t fit your needs.
In my search for where to stay on this leg of our road trip, I looked at Lake Park Campground and Cottages, which is west of Rapid City. This one was a good contender as I needed both a campsite and a cabin or cottage since we were meeting my parents and hauling our Winnebago Micro Minnie camper.
We also considered the highly rated Rapid City RV Park and Campground, which is south of the city and includes large lots, a pool, and camp store. But they didn’t have cabins for my parents, and we really wanted to be able to stay close on the same property.
Ultimately, the Rapid City KOA won out for us as it was the most centrally located in Rapid City, making it super easy for us to head out in a different direction each morning as we adventured around this area.
Plus, the on-site KOA Kabins meant that my parents stayed about 50 feet away from our campsite, making evening meals and early breakfasts together a piece of cake.
(I also had some accumulated KOA rewards points which brought down our overall stay cost, and I am definitely willing to stay somewhere if I can get a deal!)
Rapid City/Black Hills KOA Review
After spending over a week exploring Glacier National Park in Montana, we turned east to begin our (long) trek home.
We were passing right by Badlands National Park on the way, and I knew we needed to pause in that area for a few days to see the sites and add a few more national parks to our family’s list.
This was part of a much longer 8-week road trip that took us from our home in South Carolina through Colorado, Utah’s Mighty 5 national parks, up through Idaho, across Montana, and into South Dakota.
We ended up having so much fun here that I could see us going back for an extended stay of a couple of weeks as there is an incredible amount of do with kids.
Here are some of my U.S. Mountain West planning resources to help you out:
What to Do in Historic Bannack State Park and Ghost Town: A Guide
Check-in Process
The camp store and check in-desk
When we arrived at the Rapid City KOA, we were tired. We’d made the 5+ hour trek from Billings, Montana, in just a day, and the kids, my parents, my husband, and I were all very ready to get out of the truck and rental car.
Unfortunately, we timed our arrival to what seemed like the busiest possible check-in time, around 4 PM.
There were several campers parked in the check-in area ahead of us, so I did the same and headed into the camp office to go through registration.
The driveway leading into the Rapid City KOA is on an incline, so be aware of that if you’re also checking in during a busy time. You’ll need to park your camper on that incline while you go talk to an employee at the main desk. Just use your emergency break, and you should be okay.
The check-in process went slowly but steadily as the two employees at the front desk worked their way through each family in front of me.
When it was my turn, I was grateful that the employee helping me was able to put me in a site very close to where my parents were camping in one of their KOA Kabins.
Overall, the employees were thorough and helpful. This approach to check-in helps you feel like more that just one more guest, but it does slow down the overall check-in process a bit (but I know there are pay-offs, and I’d rather the slow but friendly approach!).
Individual Campsite Review
A rainbow over our camper
This campground was larger than most of the KOAs that we stayed at, but, once we got our bearings, it wasn’t hard to get around.
With map in hand, my husband gave me directions as we headed to our site towards the back of the campground.
Since we were staying near the KOA Kabins as requested, we were about as far away from the front desk and camp store as we could be, but I was okay with that since we wanted to be in easy walking distance of my parents.
We were in site 228, which is a pull-through with full hook-ups. This site is in the back righthand corner of the property and surrounded by KOA Kabins on two sites.
It was level and easy to situated our 22’ camper within it.
The site also came with a picnic table and a fire pit.
We were 10 sites away from the nearest bath house, which felt like a bit of a trek, but it was manageable.
Overall, the site was easy to set up in, close to my parents’ cabin, a short walk to the pool and playground, and quiet throughout our stay.
Campground Layout
My son near my parents’ cabin
The Rapid City is a sprawling property with over 150 RV sites over varying sizes, 19 cabins, a large pool, pavilion area, dog park, and more.
Because of the size of this KOA, there are multiple loops, and it can be a bit difficult to get oriented at first.
There is what I’d call the main loop area, which has 10 parallel roads with the majority of the campsites. Nearly all of the cabins run along side the north and east sides of this main loop.
The main desk and camp store are located at the southwest corner of this main loop along with the pavilion.
Then, there is a long, gently curving road that runs alongside the western most edge of the property and behind the camp store. You’ll find most of the shorter, back-in sites and the rest of the cabins here.
Below the main loop and to the right of the entrance road is another area for RVs with deluxe and premium sites. These are the largest sites in the park if you’ve got a longer fifth wheel or Class A.
U.S. Campground Reviews
Wherever you’re planning to go camping, be sure to check out our interactive map of kid-friendly campgrounds first!
Campground Amenities
Since we were at this campground for several days, we had a chance to explore everything that the KOA had to offer in the way of amenities.
Besides the amenities listed below, there are also activities occurring throughout the week during peak season.
These include train rides around the property for younger guests, a s’mores party, wine tastings, and ice cream socials. You should get a pamphlet at check in with the dates, times, and locations of these for the duration of your stay.
Wifi
No matter the campground, I always assume that I’m not going to have very good internet service, even if we are provided with wifi access.
Wifi is included here, and, even better, it actually works. I was able to catch up on emails, and work on social media posts and my website, which is always a relief on these trips.
You’ll get a wifi code at check-in, and the access from there is easy.
Bath Houses
Row of showers in the bath house
The Rapid City KOA only has 2 bath houses for its 150+ campsites, which doesn’t feel like enough to me.
Every time I went to shower or to take the kids to shower, nearly every shower room was full. Given that we tried at different times of the day and night and still had the same experience, that probably indicates that the bath houses are near capacity at peak times.
Keep in mind, too, that the newest premium loop to the right of the entrance road doesn’t have a bath house that’s particularly convenient.
I know that a lot of newer trailers and RVs (including ours) come with showers and toilets, but there are a variety of reasons why people don’t want to use those. For us, at least, our shower is tiny, so we prefer to use the on-site bath houses whenever possible.
Unfortunately, the shower rooms here were also tiny and a bit claustrophobic feeling. They are an older style of shower room that we’ve found in the KOAs that haven’t upgraded in recent years.
This lack of upgrade in the shower area was surprising since the rest of the campground has clearly been remodeled and upgraded recently. Perhaps this bath house was one of the last things?
I’m not sure, but the showers were clean and functional with no bugs.
There was a small bench provided for your clothing, as well as a couple of towel hooks. The doors to the showers go all of the way to the floor and ceiling, so there is a sense of privacy here that you don’t always find in camp bath houses.
Dog Walking Area
If you’re traveling with your furry best friend, there is a dedicated dog walk area between the main loop and the newer premium loop.
It includes a fenced in area, so that your pup can frolic without the worry of running off, and it has plenty of well kept grass landscaping.
You’ll find a couple of benches for you to sit down on, too.
Laundry Room
Inside the laundry room at the Rapid City KOA
While the words “vacation” and “doing laundry” shouldn’t be in the same sentence, I do have to return to some domestic chores from time to time on our long road trips.
We travel very light on our 6-8 week road trips, so I end up doing a load or two at just about every campground we visit.
The Rapid City KOA was no exception, and I’m happy to report that the laundry room here is spacious and comes with everything you need for your vacation laundry experience.
There are plenty of washers and dryers, and I didn’t have to wait on either machine since there were so many.
There’s also a chair to wait if you wish, a folding table, and a rolling wire basket to help you get your clothes to the necessary parts of the room.
I can’t say I ever love doing laundry on vacation, but rooms like this one make it much, much easier.
Pool and Hot Tub
The pool and hot tub area
My kids love a campground with a pool, which is why we stay at so many campgrounds around the U.S. with one.
The pool area at the Rapid City KOA is definitely a highlight of this property, thanks to its crystal clear water, beautiful landscaping, and ample seating space.
I loved the covered tables and chairs in the pool area, which were great for hanging out and journaling while my kids played with my husband.
There’s also a hot tub, which is a great way to end your day after hiking and sightseeing.
This pool area is one of the nicest that we’ve seen on our travels so far!
Sports areas and playgrounds
There are several places throughout the campground where families can burn off some extra energy and stay in shape.
My daughter at the morning pancake breakfast
There is a basketball court next to the covered pavilion and camp store, a volleyball court near the western loop road, shuffleboard in the main loop, and games room also near the camp store.
There are 2 playgrounds on property, one in the main loop, and the other at the northwestern corner of the campground.
Pancake breakfasts
Each and every morning, the KOA employees serve up a delicious pancake breakfast at the covered pavilion.
You can get all you can eat pancakes for just a couple of dollars per person, with an added charge for sides like bacon, sausage, scrambled eggs, or biscuits and gravy.
We opted for this meal one of the mornings we stayed here, and it was a fun and easy way to start our day of sightseeing.
Final Thoughts on the Rapid City KOA
If you want to see everything that this corner of South Dakota has to offer, the Rapid City KOA makes for an incredible base.
Not only is it centrally located between Badlands National Park, Custer State Park, and Wind Cave National Parks, but the property itself offers multiple ways for your family to relax and unwind after hiking and sightseeing each day.
It’s also a short drive to the closest airport if you are flying in and out of this area. We had to send my husband and my mom home via plane on this leg of our road trip, and taking them to the airport early in the morning was really easy.
While some areas, like the bath houses, still need an upgrade, there are many stand outs at this campground, including the pool and hot tub area, the free family activities, sports areas, and wide, pull-through lots.
I’d love to come back to the Rapid City area to see even more, and I will definitely be returning to this campground for a second stay when I do!
