19 Forest Service, 4 Park Service, 4 Corps of Engineers and 1 BLM; 23 can be booked ahead
What to carry in South Dakota
Three things are close to compulsory. The current Motor Vehicle Use Map for the Black Hills, because it is the legal record of where you may drive and signs on the ground are not required. A Black Hills National Forest Motorized Trail Permit if you will ride a designated motorized trail on the South Dakota side. A stove, because you may have a campfire only in an established grill or grate at a designated recreation site on the South Dakota part of the forest. Carry water too: the forest says potable water and toilets are not available at dispersed sites, and that spring water needs purifying.
An outfitter is the difference between reading reviews and opening the tent yourself. The good ones stock what works, install what they sell, and will tell you what they took off their own trucks.
What they carry
01Roof tents, awnings and shelter
02Fridges, kitchens and water systems
03Racks, drawers and storage
04Recovery gear and compressors
05Power stations, batteries and lighting
How to choose an outfitter
Look for people who use what they sell.
01Ask whether they install what they sell, and whether the installer is on staff.
02Ask what they run on their own vehicles, and what they stopped running.
03Compare weight as well as price. It all rides on your suspension.
04Ask about returns and exchanges on large items such as tents and fridges.
05Check that they know your vehicle. Fitment is where online orders go wrong.
What to have ready before you ask for a quote
Dimensions prevent returns.
01Vehicle, and rack or bed dimensions if you know them
02How many people travel and sleep
03The kind of trips you take, and how long
04What you already own
05A budget range
Questions people ask
What gear should I buy first?
A way to sleep well, a way to keep food cold, water storage and basic recovery gear. Everything else can wait until a few trips show you what you miss.
Is it worth buying from a local outfitter instead of online?
For anything that has to fit your vehicle or be installed, yes. Fitment mistakes on racks, tents and fridges are expensive to ship back, and an installer who sold you the part will stand behind the install.
Can I try before I buy?
Some outfitters rent roof tents, fridges and even vehicles. Say so in the form if that is what you are after.
How high is South Dakota?
From Chamberlain at 1,407 feet to Black Elk Peak at 7,242.
Altitude decides what your engine, your brakes and your lungs have to work with, and how late in the year the passes open.
02,0004,0006,0008,000
Feet above sea level
Towns
CusterSupervisor’s office for the Black Hills National Forest, on US 385 with Custer State Park immediately east.5,313 ft
LeadThe highest town on this list, in the northern Hills directly below Terry Peak.5,209 ft
Hill CityOn US 385 in the central Hills, between the two loops of the Peter Norbeck Scenic Byway.4,985 ft
DeadwoodNorthern Black Hills town a few miles down the gulch from Lead, and a base for the forest roads under Custer Peak.4,536 ft
KeystoneAt the foot of Mount Rushmore, where Iron Mountain Road climbs south toward Custer State Park.4,336 ft
SpearfishNorth end of the Spearfish Canyon Scenic Byway, at the I-90 corner of the Black Hills.3,642 ft
Hot SpringsSouth end of the Hills on US 385. Fall River Ranger District office for Buffalo Gap National Grassland, with Wind Cave just north.3,447 ft
SturgisOn I-90 at the northeast edge of the Hills. The BLM’s Fort Meade Back Country Byway runs just south, and Bear Butte stands northeast.3,427 ft
Rapid CityThe hub for everything west river. Interstate 90 meets US 16 and SD 79 here, with the Black Hills west and the Badlands about an hour east.3,243 ft
Belle FourcheHome of the BLM South Dakota Field Office, which manages the state’s public land from here at the northern edge of the Black Hills.3,021 ft
BuffaloLast town of any size in the far northwest corner. The Forest Service works this country from a Sioux Ranger District office at Camp Crook, west of here.2,876 ft
WallI-90 Exit 110 at the north gate of Badlands National Park. Wall Ranger District office and the National Grasslands Visitor Center are on Main Street.2,827 ft
InteriorThe small town on the southeast side of the Badlands North Unit, and the lowest place on this list west of the Missouri.2,382 ft
PierreState capital on the Missouri River. Fort Pierre National Grassland starts about 24 miles south on US 83, and Oahe Dam is five miles north of Fort Pierre.1,479 ft
Sioux FallsLargest city in the state and the eastern gateway, where I-90 meets I-29.1,473 ft
ChamberlainWhere I-90 crosses the Missouri River, roughly the midpoint of a long day between Sioux Falls and Rapid City.1,407 ft
Passes, high roads and summits
Black Elk PeakThe highest point in South Dakota, inside the Black Elk Wilderness. No road to the top7,242 ft
Crooks TowerLimestone plateau country southwest of Lead, south of the head of Spearfish Canyon7,116 ft
Terry PeakThe landmark summit directly above Lead, in the northern Black Hills7,066 ft
Custer PeakNorth-central Black Hills, south of Deadwood6,808 ft
Spearfish Canyon, Cheyenne Crossing endSpearfish Canyon Scenic Byway: Spearfish and Cheyenne Crossing on US 14A5,300 ft
Bear ButteStanding alone on the prairie northeast of Sturgis, and a state park4,423 ft
Pass, road and summit elevations are the figures published by the agency that manages them. Town elevations are the town’s or county’s own
figure where it publishes an exact one; the rest are from the U.S. Geological Survey (3D Elevation Program at the place’s official coordinates),
retrieved September 18, 2026. Every source is listed at the foot of the page.
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