Regulations and Other Useful Information
for South Dakota State Parks and Recreation Areas

Camping ~ Hours ~ Fees ~ Pets/Animals ~ Vehicles
Fires/Fireworks ~ Resources ~ Hunting/Firearms

Park regulations are enforced for your safety and for the protection of the park and the area wildlife. To ensure that your visit is more enjoyable, please follow these rules.

This webpage lists some commonly-used park rules, and does not comprise a full list. Please see Articles 41:01 to 41:13 of the South Dakota Administrative Rules for complete information on these and all SD state park rules. Click here for list (Type in "41" for a complete list of GFP Rules)

Camping

Camping is permitted only in areas designated for camping.
Electrical hook-ups are available only to campers registered on an electrical site. Extension cords may not be run from one campsite to another.
When two units occupy a site, both must pay camping fees. Double-ups may or may not be available at all campsites due to pad lengths or closeness in proximity to other sites. Check with park staff or visit www.CampSD.com to see which sites are double-ups. No more than two camper units may occupy any campsite.
Click here for more information regarding reservations in state parks.
Campsites must be re-registered or vacated by 4 p.m., except at Custer State Park where re-registration is required before noon.
Checkout time for camping cabins and rent-a-campers is noon. Checkout time for lodges is 11 a.m.
The maximum number of consecutive nights that a camper may stay at any one state park area is 14, unless given written consent by the park manager.

Hours

Between May 1 and September 30, the parks close from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. From October 1 to April 30, they are closed from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. Quiet hours also follow these times. Please consider others in the park at all times. Disturbances caused by loud music or disorderly conduct can lead to expulsion from the park.
Only registered campers and those involved in lawful fishing and boating activities are allowed in the park when it is closed for the night.
Daily entrance licenses expire at 11 p.m. on the day they are issued, or, if issued to registered campers, at 4 p.m. the following day. At Custer State Park, seven-day temporary licenses expire at 6 p.m. on the seventh day of the visitor’s stay.
Campsites must be re-registered or vacated by 4 p.m., except at Custer State Park where re-registration is required before noon. Checkout time for camping cabins and rent-a-campers is noon. Checkout time for lodges is 11 a.m.

Fees

Entrance permits are required year-round for all vehicles entering parks designated as fee areas. (See Hours above for valid times.)
When entrance stations are not staffed, a self-registration entrance permit system will be used. Signs with instructions and necessary materials are located at park entrances. Failure to comply with the self-registration entrance permit requirement will result in additional fees or fines.
Non-profit youth groups are eligible for discount camping. Please contact the individual park directly. Click here for an application and more information.
Certain disabled veterans are eligible for a free park entrance license and discount camping. Click here for an application and more information.
Click here to view the SD state parks fee schedule.

Pets/Animals

Pets must be on a leash no longer than 10 feet. Pets (except service animals) are not allowed on designated swimming beaches or in any park buildings (including camping cabins, lodges, rent-a-campers and comfort stations).
Owners must clean up after their pets.
Horses can damage native vegetation and their behavior around others can be unpredictable. Please keep horses on designated bridle trails or in the parks’ designated equestrian areas.

Vehicles

Motor vehicles must stay on established roads and parking lots. Only licensed vehicles may operate on park roads and a valid park entrance license must be affixed to the vehicle.
The speed limit in all state parks and recreation areas, unless otherwise posted, is 20 miles per hour. Please be cautious in campgrounds and
other busy areas. Be especially alert for children.
ATVs and scooters (gas or electric powered) must be street legal and be operated by a licensed operator only on designated roads or the state ORV area. Only those with engines under 50cc are exempt from park entrance license requirements. More on ORV use.

Fires/Fireworks

Campfires are allowed only at designated campsites and in approved fireplaces, stoves or grills.
Collecting firewood is prohibited. Firewood is available from park staff or concessionaires.
All types of fireworks are prohibited on state-managed lands.

Resources

Wildlife and vegetation are valuable resources within all South Dakota parks. Please leave all plants, living or dead, where you find them. Many of these plants provide shelter and food for wildlife.
It is against the law to remove any natural or cultural features or artifacts from state parks. Penalties are stiff. Help protect our cultural resources.
Possession or use of metal detectors is not allowed without permission from the park manager. Click here for an application and more information.
Don't be a litterbug. Please place all garbage and trash in its proper receptacle. Aluminum cans are collected for recycling in marked bins. When hiking, make sure you pack in/pack out all trash.

Hunting/Firearms

Uncased firearms and bows are permitted on designated rifle and archery ranges year-round.
Archery and firearm hunting is allowed in some state parks and recreation areas during the state’s established seasons. Uncased firearms and bows can be possessed only by licensed hunters.
Uncased firearms and bows are prohibited year-round in all designated campgrounds and at Bear Butte State Park (east of Hwy 79), Beaver Creek Nature Area, Blood Run Nature Area, Lake Herman State Park, Spring Creek Recreation Area, Spirit Mound Historic Prairie and Oahe Downstream Recreation Area (except during special handicap hunting events).
Uncased .22-caliber firearms, air guns, BB guns, slingshots and paintball guns are not allowed in the parks.
Trapping is allowed only with permission from the park manager. Click here for an application and more information.
Please consult the Hunting webpage and current SD Hunting Handbook for more information on firearms and hunting regulations in South Dakota state parks.

Regulations and Other Useful Information for South Dakota State Parks and Recreation Areas

Regulations and Other Useful Information
for South Dakota State Parks and Recreation Areas