We stayed at Elkhorn Ridge RV Resort Campground for two non-consecutive nights. This campground in Spearfish, South Dakota was a great place to spend the night as we traveled to Yellowstone and then started our return trip home. Check out our review of Elkhorn Ridge Campground Resort.
As you might imagine, planning an epic RV road trip has a lot of moving parts. Literally. It can be tricky to plan a trip with campgrounds lined up along the route, getting timing just right. Our trip to Yellowstone remains the longest RV trip that we have taken to date. I remember trying to figure out how far we might drive between any two points on the trip. Then the challenge was to locate a campground that accommodated RVs near each day’s destination. As we narrowed our campground choices, we tried to focus on campgrounds near the highway for quick ons and offs.
We Spent 2 Nights at Elkhorn Ridge
We actually stayed at Elkhorn Ridge RV Resort twice. The first night was on our way TO Yellowstone. The second stay was on our way back home FROM Yellowstone!
The campground was literally RIGHT off the main highway (Interstate 90) and it was a very quick on/off location for our journey.
How We Settled on Spearfish, SD
Spearfish, SD was a way station of sorts. It marked the end of our Little House on the Prairie road trip and was the start of our final journey to Yellowstone. Elkhorn Resort is roughly 8 hours or so from Yellowstone. It sits in (or just above) the Black Hills National Forest area of Western South Dakota, very close to the state line between South Dakota and Wyoming.
On the way out: We traveled from De Smet, SD and drove about 6 hours west to Spearfish, SD. This was actually one of our shortest days in the truck and we pulled into Elkhorn Ridge RV Resort during early afternoon.  We had campsite #338. It was a spacious, back-in site that butted up to the highway. (Not so close that it was super noisy though.)
We welcomed this break from a full day of driving. At this point, we had already been on the road for close to a week. Arriving at Elkhorn Ridge early in the afternoon gave us the chance to unwind a little. We did a load or two of laundry and ate an early dinner. The kids even had a little bit of time to play on the playground.
While we still kind of shake our head at this, we actually got back it the truck after dinner and logged another 100 miles (approximately 1.5 hours) south to the Keystone, SD area. Ya see, when you have traveled from Pennsylvania to South Dakota and you realize you are a mere 100 miles from Mount Rushmore and the Crazy Horse Monument, you really just need to pull yourself together and go. LOL!
So that’s what we did.
We actually didn’t even get out of the car at Mount Rushmore. Instead, we drove by and gawked and snapped some pics from the truck window. That was good enough for us and saved us the admission fee.
At the Crazy Horse Monument, we paid the entrance fee, parked and walked all around the museum. It was a really awesome sight to see and I am glad we made the stop.
Those stops made for a very late night drive back to the campground. We were tired and basically crawled into bed that night, but it was so worth it.
On the way home: After 4 nights in Yellowstone, we made a return stop at Elkhorn. We were about 1.5 weeks into our journey at that point. Our full day of driving from Yellowstone included a stop at Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument for about an hour.
We arrived at Elkhorn Ridge Campground by early evening. The kids took a quick dip in the pool while we got dinner cooking. We had campsite #67. This big, pull-thru spot was easy to access and we spent a pleasant night there!
Our Experience and Elkhorn Ridge Campground Review
Campsites: 338 (back-in), 67 (pull-through) – both full hook-up sites with water, electric and sewer
What we liked about the campground:
- This campground is open, inviting and beautifully maintained!
- There are 185 RV sites at Elkhorn, as well as 36 fully furnished cabins and also some tent sites.
- The amenities were really nice. The kids loved the playground and the pool. We used the bath house for showers. One night we did two or three loads of laundry. The coffee shop inside the main building made a tasty latte which we enjoyed on our morning drive towards home.
- Front desk staff was super friendly and accommodating.
- Location, location, location. This campground is a simple jog off highway 90. It literally could not be closer to the interstate if it tried. It was so convenient and easy to find.
What we didn’t like about the campground:
- There was very little shade/tree coverage across the entire campground. Not a big deal for us since we spent 1-night visits, but if we had been there for longer, a little shade is always nice.
Honestly, that’s it. We thought Elkhorn was a wonderful spot to hang our hats!
Popular Amenities at Elkhorn Ridge RV Resort and Campground
- Playground
- Laundry Facilities
- Bath houses
- Sports Courts
- Pool
- General Store
- Coffee Bar
- Propane refills
- 18-hole golf course nearby
- Fenced in dog park
- Within a 2 hour drive to historic attractions including: Deadwood, Mount Rushmore National Monument and Crazy Horse Monument
Elkhorn Ridge was a great place to stay!
Like I said, we really enjoyed our two nights at Elkhorn Ridge. We thought the campground was nice and inviting, offered lots of amenities, and prices were very reasonable.
If you are looking for a place to hang your hat in the Black Hills area of South Dakota, look this one up!
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