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Camp on the Open Prairie
Camping at Ingalls Homestead is a unique way to experience the prairie. All sights are located on the land Charles Ingalls homesteaded. With just a handful of sites - 4 covered wagons, 1 bunkhouse, 4 RV sites, and tent camping - the prairie doesn't feel crowded.
Covered Wagons - $60/night
Our covered wagons are based after a sheepherder's wagon and come in two sizes, large or small. Cost is $60/night regardless of the size. All wagons have electricity, screened windows, a small fan, a campfire ring, and a picnic table. You must provide your own linens and pillows.
The large covered wagon sleeps five and includes one full-size mattress, two mats (approximately 2'x5') on platforms built into the wagon and a roll out mat for the floor (approximately 3'x6').
The small covered wagon sleeps three and includes one double-size mat (approximately 4'x6') and a roll out mat for the floor (approximately 3'x6').
Bunkhouse - $60/night
If you'd like a bit more space or a real roof over your head, the bunkhouse is an excellent option. It is a simple one-room building that sleeps six and includes a full-size mattress and two sets of twin-size bunkbeds. The bunkhouse has electricity, a small refrigerator, a small microwave, a table and chairs, a campfire ring, and a picnic table. You must provide your own linens and pillows.
RV Sites - $30/night
Our RV sites include water and electrical hookups. We offer 20, 30 or 50 AMP electrical connections. Each site has a campfire ring and picnic table. All sites are back-in; we do not have any pull-through sites. While we do not offer sewer connections the sites, there is a dump station in our parking lot.
Tent Camping - $10/night
Our tent camping is simple. We do not have specified sites. Rather, you choose your own spot in the camping area. The camping fee includes use of the bathroom and shower facilities. Since we do not offer specified sites, tent camping does not include electricity. Of course, you do have access to electricity in our bathroom facilities.
Call us old-fashioned, but since we only have nine sites, you still have to give us a call to set up a reservation - 800-776-3594. Please feel free to contact us via email to check availability. You may make reservations as far in advance as you like and we are open to make reservations year-round.
Our family visited the Ingalls Homestead mid-June and spent one night camping on site. We had a wonderful time!
When we arrived our van broke down about 3/4 miles from the Homestead. No tow truck was available to help us for more than 12 hours (until the next day). Owners Ann and Beau rescued our family of 6 and kindly towed our van onto their property, enabling us to set up our tent and get comfortable. The next day when our van was towed into De Smet Ann's mother Joan overwhelmed us again with kindness by making available to us a car for our family's use while we were, in effect, stranded. Even apart from how fun and interesting the Homestead was, the owners themselves are people of high character and open hearts! We are so grateful for their hospitality!
Our children are Little House enthusiasts and delight in reading horse encyclopedias. Driving the covered wagon was the highlight of my 9-year old son's summer, together with chatting with owner Beau about horse breeds.
Thank you for an educational and thoroughly enjoyable time! Best of luck to you into the future!
If you are a fan of Little House in the Prarie, which I am, this is an amazing place to go. We spent the night, and the morning sunlight on the fields was a gorgeous way to start the day.
It was a really nice place to visit. Interesting homesteading information and a look into a time in history. Even if you haven't read the books. The folks were real nice. Interaction with the animals was enjoyable and just walking the homestead was like being given a glimpse of another time while persevering some comforts of modern life.
This is an excellent place to go with students in grades 3-6. The staff are friendly and very knowledgeable about the Ingalls family. My teacher heart was very happy visiting with my family. They did a good job setting up all the books. Excerpts from the related stories were found all over. There are wonderful hands on activities for everyone to do: corn cob dolls, jump rope/lasso making, wheat grinding, pony cart rides, horse rides, covered wagon ride, and several others. It is very neat to be on the actual Ingalls Homestead. From the viewing tower you can see all corners of the property. The one room school experience was excellent. There were pinafores for the young girls to wear. A staff member told all about how school was done in a one room school. Both of my kids left wanting to go home and read the books. It really made the stories come alive for us. It was $20 a person, but if you are local it gets you a season pass for the year. Well worth the visit! My daughter wants to come back next time we visit grandma and grandpa.
It's pricey $20 per person when we visited. But well worth it if you have kids. My 2 boys (age 8 and 11) who knew nothing about Little House still loved it, and my neice (age 7) who did know it was practically in heaven. The staff was absolutely amazing going above and beyond to create a rich and fun experience. There are so many fun things to do. Even I (being a history buff) had fun. We went "quick" and took 2 hours but you could easily take a half day or more. It is mostly outside, so be aware of the weather. Definitely check it out if you have kids (or just love history).
