My son and his family just spent Mem'l Day weekend @ Black Hills National Forest - Horsethief Lake Campground. $23. Very nice National Forest Service campground with a camp host on site and minimum items available such as firewood, ice, and candies. Water is available at common locations and is very cold, safe well water. Beautiful campground with plenty of space away from the maddening crowd in most of the rest of the area. Only 2 miles from Mount Rushmore and about 10 from Hill City for a large grocery store. Keystone is about 5.6 miles away. There is a lake nearby. They liked the area and the site. The elevation is 5,000 ft.
The campground has two loops - one for RVs and tents and the other
for tents only. Campground is located along Horsethief Lake with
some sites overlooking the lake among pines and large boulders.
There are seven walk-in tent sites. Ice and soft drinks available
at the gate house. Campground is 2 miles from Mt. Rushmore
National Monument - the closest of all the National Forest
campgrounds.
From Hill City, SD, take US Rt. 16/385 south 3 miles to State Rt.
244. Turn left onto Rt. 244 and go 5.9 miles to campground road
symbol. Turn right at road symbol into campground.
http://www.forestcamping.com/dow/rockymtn/...rsethief%20lake
Vivian pointed out that there is a private Horsethief Campground in the Black Hills as well. The Forest Service Campground is called Horsethief LAKE Campground.
However, checking on a mapping route maker it is about 42 miles from Hills City to Deadwood.
I do not know about your likes and dislikes but we prefer public campgrounds over private.
I did find another Nat'l Forest campground closer to Deadwoood listed with this information:
CAMPGROUND NAME: Roubaix
VISIT DATE: 06/27/1997
UPDATE DATE: 4/13/2007
STATE: South Dakota
REGION: Rocky Mountain
RANGER DISTRICT: Northern Hills
NEAREST CITY/TOWN: Deadwood
RESERVATIONS: 1-877-444-6777 or make on-line reservation
DIRECTIONS:
From Deadwood, SD, take US Rt. 385 south 13.5 miles to campground
sign. Turn right at sign and 0.5 miles to campground.
GENERAL COMMENTS:
The elevation is 5,500 ft.
The campground, located on Roubaix Lake, is composed of four loops in pine.
It is one of few campgrounds in the Black Hills National Forest with a beach
and wheelchair friendly toilets.
SEASONS
Open Seasonal: Yes
Open All Year: Yes
Seasonal Comment:
Open one week before Memorial Day through one week after Labor
Day. Weather permitting (access), thirteen (13) sites are
available all year.
RATE AND MAXIMUM STAY PERMITTED
Rate: $19 per day
Maximum Stay Permitted (days): 10
CAMPGROUND SITE CONFIGURATION
No. RV Sites: 0
No. Tent Sites: 16
No. Combined Sites (Tent or RV): 37
Total Sites: 53
Tent Pads: No
Group Tent Sites: Yes
Open Sites: No
Wooded Sites: Yes
No. Tables on Sites: 53
No. Grilles on Sites: 53
RV INFORMATION
Hookups: None
Group RV Sites: Yes
No. RV Pull Throughs: 0
Waste Station: No
Average Parking Apron Size: 13.5' X 55.5'
Comments:
Parking aprons are gravel. There is waste station at Custer
Crossing Store about 0.5 miles down US Rt. 385 - $5 fee.
FACILITIES
Vaults: Yes
Flush Toilets: Yes
Hot Showers: No
Wheelchair Friendly Toilets: Yes
Public Phone: Yes
Playground: No
No. Water Spigots (non-site): 6
No. Threaded: 0
Comments:
There is volleyball court. Bathhouse at beach.
WATER SPORTS
Lake: Yes
Swimming (provided): Yes
Sailing: No
Boat Ramp: No
Boat Carry Down Access: No
Power Boating: No
Boating (no power): Yes
Water Skiing: No
Rafting (whitewater): No
Kayaking (whitewater): No
Comments:
Roubaix Lake is 5 acres. Motors are not permitted and the
beach is sandy.
HIKING - No
FISHING
Stocked with Rainbow Trout
DesertHawk- Las Cruces, NM USA 
Linear Mode
