RV Parks In Buffalo, South Dakota

The nearest full-hookup option is Slim Buttes Lodge & Campground in Reva, about 20 miles south of Buffalo at the SD-20 and SD-79 junction. It offers three full-hookup sites plus five electric-and-water sites with 50 amp service, sewer, and cable. In Buffalo itself, the small city park campground has a handful of first-come sites with electric, water, and sewer for a simple overnight. Beyond those, full hookups are scarce in this remote corner of South Dakota, so plan your stops and call ahead, because sites are limited and can fill during fall hunting season.

Yes. Reva Gap Campground sits in the Custer Gallatin National Forest Slim Buttes unit, about 20 miles south and east of Buffalo on SD-20. It has eight single sites plus two group sites with parking spurs of 30 to 60 feet, so it can handle a mid-size rig, though it offers no hookups, no potable water, and only vault toilets. It is first-come, first-served and free, with a 14-day stay limit, open year-round when weather allows. The surrounding Grand River National Grassland also permits dispersed camping across much of its open prairie at no charge.

It depends on where you stay. Reva Gap Campground and the Buffalo city park are both first-come, first-served with no reservation system, so you simply roll in and claim an open site. Slim Buttes Lodge & Campground does take reservations, and calling ahead at (605) 375-3789 is smart, especially during fall hunting season when hunters book up the full-hookup sites. If you want a South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks state area with electric hookups, Llewellyn Johns Recreation Area to the east near Lemmon takes online and phone reservations up to three months out.

Mostly, with some planning. Reva Gap Campground has parking spurs that run 30 to 60 feet, so a mid-size trailer or motorhome fits, but larger fifth-wheels and long coaches will want to scout the site first because it is a rustic forest campground with no pull-throughs. Slim Buttes Lodge in Reva is the better bet for a big rig wanting full hookups and level ground, and it can accommodate longer setups; call ahead to confirm length. Buffalo itself has wide, flat streets and no tight turns, so getting through town with a large rig is low stress.

This is budget country. Reva Gap Campground in the national forest is free, and dispersed camping across the Grand River National Grassland is also free if you are self-contained. The Buffalo city park charges a modest nightly fee for its basic hookup sites, typically among the cheapest camping you will find. Slim Buttes Lodge & Campground, as the private full-hookup option, runs higher but is still reasonable by RV-park standards. Add low fuel needs for a short stay and free attractions like the grassland and Slim Buttes, and a couple of nights here costs very little.

Buffalo sits on US-85, the main north-to-south route through the far northwest corner of South Dakota, connecting Belle Fourche to the south with Bowman, North Dakota to the north. SD-20 runs east from Buffalo toward Reva and Lemmon. Both are open, well-graded two-lane High Plains highways with no notable low bridges or weight limits, used daily by ranch and oilfield trucks, so a large rig tows in comfortably. Most RVers arrive up US-85 from Belle Fourche and I-90, which is roughly 90 to 100 miles south, or across SD-20 from the Lemmon side.

No. Reva Gap Campground is a rustic national forest campground with no electric, water, or sewer hookups at the sites. It offers vault toilets, fire rings, and picnic tables, but you must arrive fully self-contained, since there is no potable water, no trash service, and no firewood provided. It works well for RVers comfortable with dry camping who want a free, quiet base near the Slim Buttes and the Castles landmark. If you need full hookups, choose Slim Buttes Lodge in Reva or the Buffalo city park instead, and treat Reva Gap as the scenic boondocking option.

More than you would expect for such a remote town. The Buffalo Museum and One Room Schoolhouse preserves Harding County ranching history in town. About 20 miles south, the Slim Buttes rise dramatically from the prairie, home to the Castles National Natural Landmark, good hiking, and the historic Battle of Slim Buttes site. The Grand River National Grassland surrounds the area with 155,000 acres of mixed-grass prairie for wildlife watching, hunting, and quiet exploration. It is a place for open space, dark skies, and solitude rather than crowds, which is exactly why many RVers seek it out.

Late spring through early fall is the window. May greens up the prairie, summer brings warm dry days and cool nights ideal for camping, and September into early October offers settled, crisp weather and thin crowds. Fall is also hunting season, which is the busiest stretch out here, so book Slim Buttes Lodge early if you come then. Winters are genuinely cold and windy with real blizzard risk, and services are far apart, so an off-season visit calls for a full cold-weather setup and careful attention to highway conditions on US-85 and SD-20.

Yes, and it is one of the reasons RVers come here. The Grand River National Grassland and the Custer Gallatin National Forest Slim Buttes unit both allow dispersed camping across much of their open land at no charge, provided you are self-contained and pack out everything you bring in. Reva Gap Campground is also free, though it is a developed site rather than true dispersed camping. There is no water or trash service on the open grassland, so fill your fresh tank and empty your holding tanks in Buffalo or at Slim Buttes Lodge before you head out to camp.

Buffalo is a small county seat, so plan ahead. You can fuel up on diesel or gas at the highway station on US-85, refill propane at local ranch-supply dealers, and pick up basics at a small-town grocery and convenience store. Municipal potable water is available to fill your fresh tank at the city park or a private RV site. Basic auto and farm-truck repair exists in town, but for serious RV-specific service the nearest larger shops are toward Belle Fourche or Spearfish. Because everything is limited, top off fuel, water, and propane before heading into the grassland.

Very. Buffalo is the seat of Harding County in the far northwest corner of the state, one of the least populated regions in the lower 48, with big distances between towns and services. That remoteness is the appeal: dark night skies, open prairie, and campgrounds where you will often be the only rig. It also means you should come prepared with a full fresh-water tank, extra fuel, and downloaded maps, because cell service is spotty once you leave the highway. If you like solitude and self-sufficient camping over hookups and amenities, this corner of South Dakota delivers.

One night works as a quiet stopover on US-85 between Belle Fourche and North Dakota, but two or three days lets the area open up. Spend a day at the Slim Buttes and the Castles landmark with a base at Reva Gap Campground, a day exploring the Grand River National Grassland for wildlife and dark skies, and time in town for the Buffalo Museum. If you are hunting or simply chasing solitude, the free dispersed camping makes a longer stay easy on the budget, so there is little reason to rush through if the weather cooperates.

The nearest full-hookup option is Slim Buttes Lodge & Campground in Reva, about 20 miles south of Buffalo at the SD-20 and SD-79 junction. It offers three full-hookup sites plus five electric-and-water sites with 50 amp service, sewer, and cable. In Buffalo itself, the small city park campground has a handful of first-come sites with electric, water, and sewer for a simple overnight. Beyond those, full hookups are scarce in this remote corner of South Dakota, so plan your stops and call ahead, because sites are limited and can fill during fall hunting season.

Yes. Reva Gap Campground sits in the Custer Gallatin National Forest Slim Buttes unit, about 20 miles south and east of Buffalo on SD-20. It has eight single sites plus two group sites with parking spurs of 30 to 60 feet, so it can handle a mid-size rig, though it offers no hookups, no potable water, and only vault toilets. It is first-come, first-served and free, with a 14-day stay limit, open year-round when weather allows. The surrounding Grand River National Grassland also permits dispersed camping across much of its open prairie at no charge.

It depends on where you stay. Reva Gap Campground and the Buffalo city park are both first-come, first-served with no reservation system, so you simply roll in and claim an open site. Slim Buttes Lodge & Campground does take reservations, and calling ahead at (605) 375-3789 is smart, especially during fall hunting season when hunters book up the full-hookup sites. If you want a South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks state area with electric hookups, Llewellyn Johns Recreation Area to the east near Lemmon takes online and phone reservations up to three months out.

Mostly, with some planning. Reva Gap Campground has parking spurs that run 30 to 60 feet, so a mid-size trailer or motorhome fits, but larger fifth-wheels and long coaches will want to scout the site first because it is a rustic forest campground with no pull-throughs. Slim Buttes Lodge in Reva is the better bet for a big rig wanting full hookups and level ground, and it can accommodate longer setups; call ahead to confirm length. Buffalo itself has wide, flat streets and no tight turns, so getting through town with a large rig is low stress.

This is budget country. Reva Gap Campground in the national forest is free, and dispersed camping across the Grand River National Grassland is also free if you are self-contained. The Buffalo city park charges a modest nightly fee for its basic hookup sites, typically among the cheapest camping you will find. Slim Buttes Lodge & Campground, as the private full-hookup option, runs higher but is still reasonable by RV-park standards. Add low fuel needs for a short stay and free attractions like the grassland and Slim Buttes, and a couple of nights here costs very little.

Buffalo sits on US-85, the main north-to-south route through the far northwest corner of South Dakota, connecting Belle Fourche to the south with Bowman, North Dakota to the north. SD-20 runs east from Buffalo toward Reva and Lemmon. Both are open, well-graded two-lane High Plains highways with no notable low bridges or weight limits, used daily by ranch and oilfield trucks, so a large rig tows in comfortably. Most RVers arrive up US-85 from Belle Fourche and I-90, which is roughly 90 to 100 miles south, or across SD-20 from the Lemmon side.

No. Reva Gap Campground is a rustic national forest campground with no electric, water, or sewer hookups at the sites. It offers vault toilets, fire rings, and picnic tables, but you must arrive fully self-contained, since there is no potable water, no trash service, and no firewood provided. It works well for RVers comfortable with dry camping who want a free, quiet base near the Slim Buttes and the Castles landmark. If you need full hookups, choose Slim Buttes Lodge in Reva or the Buffalo city park instead, and treat Reva Gap as the scenic boondocking option.

More than you would expect for such a remote town. The Buffalo Museum and One Room Schoolhouse preserves Harding County ranching history in town. About 20 miles south, the Slim Buttes rise dramatically from the prairie, home to the Castles National Natural Landmark, good hiking, and the historic Battle of Slim Buttes site. The Grand River National Grassland surrounds the area with 155,000 acres of mixed-grass prairie for wildlife watching, hunting, and quiet exploration. It is a place for open space, dark skies, and solitude rather than crowds, which is exactly why many RVers seek it out.

Late spring through early fall is the window. May greens up the prairie, summer brings warm dry days and cool nights ideal for camping, and September into early October offers settled, crisp weather and thin crowds. Fall is also hunting season, which is the busiest stretch out here, so book Slim Buttes Lodge early if you come then. Winters are genuinely cold and windy with real blizzard risk, and services are far apart, so an off-season visit calls for a full cold-weather setup and careful attention to highway conditions on US-85 and SD-20.

Yes, and it is one of the reasons RVers come here. The Grand River National Grassland and the Custer Gallatin National Forest Slim Buttes unit both allow dispersed camping across much of their open land at no charge, provided you are self-contained and pack out everything you bring in. Reva Gap Campground is also free, though it is a developed site rather than true dispersed camping. There is no water or trash service on the open grassland, so fill your fresh tank and empty your holding tanks in Buffalo or at Slim Buttes Lodge before you head out to camp.

Buffalo is a small county seat, so plan ahead. You can fuel up on diesel or gas at the highway station on US-85, refill propane at local ranch-supply dealers, and pick up basics at a small-town grocery and convenience store. Municipal potable water is available to fill your fresh tank at the city park or a private RV site. Basic auto and farm-truck repair exists in town, but for serious RV-specific service the nearest larger shops are toward Belle Fourche or Spearfish. Because everything is limited, top off fuel, water, and propane before heading into the grassland.

Very. Buffalo is the seat of Harding County in the far northwest corner of the state, one of the least populated regions in the lower 48, with big distances between towns and services. That remoteness is the appeal: dark night skies, open prairie, and campgrounds where you will often be the only rig. It also means you should come prepared with a full fresh-water tank, extra fuel, and downloaded maps, because cell service is spotty once you leave the highway. If you like solitude and self-sufficient camping over hookups and amenities, this corner of South Dakota delivers.

One night works as a quiet stopover on US-85 between Belle Fourche and North Dakota, but two or three days lets the area open up. Spend a day at the Slim Buttes and the Castles landmark with a base at Reva Gap Campground, a day exploring the Grand River National Grassland for wildlife and dark skies, and time in town for the Buffalo Museum. If you are hunting or simply chasing solitude, the free dispersed camping makes a longer stay easy on the budget, so there is little reason to rush through if the weather cooperates.