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Located at the foothills of Bear Lodge Mountain Range, Sundance Horse Camp is a favorite among horse enthusiasts. It makes an ideal base for enjoying recreation and relaxation in Black Hills National Forest. Expansive grassy areas offer scenic views of the valley and surrounding hills. Devils Tower National Monument can be seen from this campground.
Black Hills National Forest offers a multitude of recreational opportunites throughout all seasons. Hiking, fishing, horseback riding, mountain biking, and riding off-highway vehicles are popular in summer and early autumn. Winter landscapes are ideal for snowshoeing, skiing and snowmobiling. The popular Sundance Trail System can be accessed from this area. The secluded trails of this system weave through a network of densely forested canyons and open ridges that form the Bear Lodge Mountains. Some ridge tops look out to the Custer Expedition Route, Devils Tower, and the Twin Missouri Buttes. Elk, deer and turkey are some of the more common wildlife seen along the trail. Parts of the trail system have existed since the 1800s. As routes to reliable water and the only access to some parts of the Bear Lodge Mountains, they played a key role in the rich mining history of the area. The trail system is maintained for hiking, horseback riding, bicycling and cross-country skiing. Motorized vehicle traffic is not allowed; however, some portions of trails follow existing Forest Service roads open for motorized use.
Sundance Campground has sites able to accommodate tents, trailers, and RVs. Sites are equipped with picnic tables and campfire rings. Electrical hook-ups are not available. This is a traditional campground with horse use facilities, including large parking areas, corrals, feed bunks, and an accessible rider loading ramp. Metal hitching rails located at the north end of the campground are visible from all campsites. Several trailheads for horseback riding are located at this campground.
Stretching across northeastern Wyoming and western South Dakota, Black Hills National Forest encompasses nearly 1.25 million acres of rugged rock formations, canyons and gulches, open grassland parks, tumbling streams, deep blue lakes, and unique caves. Derived from the Lakota language, the words "Paha Sapa," meaning "hills that are black," honor the dark, pine-covered hills rising several thousand feet above the surrounding prairie. Bighorn sheep navigate mountainous terrain, while elk, deer and pronghorn gather in forests and prairies. Bald eagles, hawks, osprey, peregrine falcon, and hundreds of other bird species can be found in the forest, especially along streams, lakes and rivers. Mountain lions, although rarely seen, also call this area home.
Warren Peak Lookout Tower, approximately 4 miles north of the campground on FSR 838, provides a panoramic view of South Dakota and Wyoming. Devils Tower National Monument is also a great location to visit. Established as the first United States National Monument on September 24, 1906, by President Theodore Roosevelt, this unique geological formation is valued for its natural, cultural, and recreational significance.
For facility specific information, please call (605) 574-4402.
No refunds will be given for weather or related events.
To access the Sundance Horse Camp from Sundance, travel east to County Road 123, Government Valley Road. Turn left onto County Road 123 and travel north for 3 miles.
There is no discount for this campground.
Located only a few miles off the highway but by the time you get to the campgrounds you'll forget you just got off the road.
Stunning campgrounds with plenty of space for animals and weed free hay. Although, be sure to arrive during the day so you don't find out you camped with the animals in the morning!
We don’t have horses but decided to give it a try. Wow…. Beautiful views and just what we wanted. We were the only campers here, probably because it was during the week. No utilities but if you are self contained it’s no problem. So much better than being packed into an over priced RV park with no privacy.
Spent 8 nights at Sundance. Great riding and nice clean camp. Three hydrants with city water. You can see the water tank in one photo. Currently 2 ports potties but FS plans to build solar vault toilet. 5 of the ten sites can be reserved. There are ten horse pens plus some tie up spots. Very nice ADA ramp to mount up. One TH out of camp is narrow and rises about 800 feet in elevation in half mile. It is narrow but not strenuous for horses. Once on summit there are over 60 miles of trails. Many trails are well marked and match the FS paper maps. We spoke to local mountain biker who shared with us some “unmarked” trails - well worth your time to seek out the unmarked trails. They allow you well over 80 miles total.
Saw antelope and deer but the area is dry with less than 20 inches of rain a year.
Very nice picnic tables and fire rings. With couple hoses you can easily fill you LQ fresh water tank.
