Openings · last 7 days
13
Booking reality
Campsite Sniper detected 13 site openings here in the last 7 days
01 · Detected Opening History · the openings record · file CS-231837
When Bismark Lake reopens
Bismark Lake's openings record: every site-date Campsite Sniper detected turning available, logged and time-stamped. Refreshed hourly.
Openings · last 30 days
37
Openings · last 90 days
40
Only 40 openings in the last 90 days: not enough recent activity for a reliable pattern. A free Campsite Sniper alert watches around the clock instead, and pings you the moment one opens.
02 · Availability Outlook · Sep 18 – Sep 30, 2026 · of 21 monitored sites
Of the 273 tracked site-nights (Sep 18 – Sep 30, 2026): 32 open for online reservation · 170 reserved · 71 on sites not offered for online reservation (first-come, first-served or administrative). Of the facility's 21 monitored sites, 16 can be reserved online and 4 are first-come, first-served (1 closed).
Where the open windows are
88.3% of tracked site-nights are not currently open for online reservation. 32 of 273 remain open; here is where they are.
Load status
Sep 18 – Sep 30, 2026Not open online88.3%
Open site-nights32 / 273
Reserved (of online inventory)170 / 202
Weekday openings28
Weekend openings4
Of the open site-nights on mapped sites, 28 fall on weekdays and 4 on weekends (Fri–Sun).
Open dates by month
Sep 2026 – Sep 2026September holds the most room. 32 of 273 site-nights are still open there.
Holiday windows
Sites open per night · of 20 sites| Window | Night | Sites open | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Labor Day | SAT Sep 5 | 0 | None open |
| SUN Sep 6 | 0 | None open | |
| MON Sep 7 | 0 | None open |
Labor Day: no online availability on any tracked night.
Best-availability sites
Most open site-nights · tracked window| Site | Open site-nights |
|---|---|
| 006 | 4 |
| 010 | 3 |
| 012 | 3 |
| 013 | 3 |
| 015 | 3 |
The 5 sites with the most open site-nights in the current snapshot. Pair a bookable date with a free alert to cover everything else.
Next windows
As of Sep 18, 2026 snapshotNext open dateMon · Sep 21
The next bookable night is Sep 21. Campsite Sniper can watch later dates for you.
Stays and site detail
32 open site-nights across 14 sites at Bismark Lake, from the same hourly snapshot as everything above.
Multi-night stays. 9 2-night, 5 3-night openings where a single site is free for every night, per Campsite Sniper's current snapshot — soonest Sep 21 at site 017.
RV length. Longest recorded site here is 83 ft. 20 sites take 25 ft, 19 sites take 35 ft, 19 sites take 40 ft.
All 14 sites with current availability
| Site | Max RV | Hookups | Open site-nights | Longest run | Dates |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 006 | 32 ft | None | 4 | 4 nights | Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29, Sep 30 |
| 010 | 57 ft | None | 3 | 3 nights | Sep 28, Sep 29, Sep 30 |
| 012 | 57 ft | None | 3 | 3 nights | Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29 |
| 013 | 74 ft | None | 3 | 3 nights | Sep 28, Sep 29, Sep 30 |
| 015 | 75 ft | None | 3 | 3 nights | Sep 28, Sep 29, Sep 30 |
| 017 | 60 ft | None | 3 | 2 nights | Sep 21, Sep 22, Sep 30 |
| 003 | 83 ft | None | 2 | 2 nights | Sep 29, Sep 30 |
| 007 | 41 ft | None | 2 | 1 night | Sep 28, Sep 30 |
| 008 | 59 ft | None | 2 | 1 night | Sep 22, Sep 30 |
| 009 | 57 ft | None | 2 | 2 nights | Sep 29, Sep 30 |
| 014 | 60 ft | None | 2 | 2 nights | Sep 29, Sep 30 |
| 002 | 57 ft | None | 1 | 1 night | Sep 27 |
| 011 | 63 ft | None | 1 | 1 night | Sep 27 |
| 016 | 60 ft | None | 1 | 1 night | Sep 30 |
About Bismark Lake
Overview
Bismarck Lake Campground is set amidst a scattering of aspen groves and Ponderosa pine on the southeast edge of Bismarck Lake at 5,000 feet. This is a great place for visitors seeking recreation and relaxation in the Black Hills National Forest. Acess to this campground is through Custer State Park near the West Highway 16A entrance. Sites in the campground are widely spaced and open up to views of lakes, providing adequate privacy for visitors.
Recreation
The forest offers accessible recreation for all ages and abilities. Visitors can take advantage of opportunities for hiking, fishing, horseback riding, mountain biking, and riding off-highway vehicles (OHVs) on moderate terrain. At the campground, a short foot trail traverses the forested shoreline, offering opportunities for birding in early morning or picnicking in the afternoon. For those seeking higher elevations, a day-long trek to the summit of nearby Black Elk Peak is worth the effort. Black Elk Peak is the highest natural point in the United States east of the Rocky Mountains. Most of the summit is bare granite and offers expansive views of the surrounding area. An old stone tower (Harney Lookout Tower) at the top, once used as a fire lookout, is still open to hikers. Adjacent to the campground is Bismarck Lake, an ideal spot for fishing and boating. The lake supports populations of rainbow and brown trout, a variety of sunfish, smallmouth bass, northern pike, and catfish.
Facilities
Bismarck Lake Campground has sites able to accommodate tents, trailers, and RVs.
Access to the lake is within walking distance and there is a beautiful boardwalk and with fishing piers along the waters edge.
The campground has picnic tables, campfire rings, vault toilets, and drinking water; however, electrical hook-ups are not available.
Natural Features
Located in western South Dakota and northeastern Wyoming, 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.
Wildlife in the area abounds. 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.
Nearby Attractions
Possible day trips include Custer State Park with its many buffalo and other wildlife, Crazy Horse Monument and Wind Cave National Park as well as Jewel Cave which is the second longest cave in the world at 159.29 miles. It features sparkling calcite crystals and other rare formations, as well as some of the largest concentrations of passageways in the world.
Bismarck Lake Campground is within a couple of miles of the start of the beautiful Needles Highway scenic drive .
21 monitored sites4 FCFS sitesRVs up to 83 ft1 with hookups1 shadedPets OKFire pitsMax party 8
Getting there
In Custer, SD, at the intersection of State Rt. 89/US Rt.16A (Mt.Rushmore Rd) and US Rt. 16/US Rt. 385 (5th St.), take US Rt.16A east for 4.8 miles (past Custer State Park entrance) to Bismarck Lake campground sign. Turn left at sign into campground.
BikingBirdingBoatingCampingCanoeingDay Use AreaFishingHikingWildlife Viewing
View on Recreation.gov ↗ Get directions ↗
03 · Field Photos · roll CS-231837 · facility
Photo gallery
Roll CS-231837 · Bismark Lake12 frames · facility
FAQ
How do I get a reservation at Bismark Lake?
Reservations for Bismark Lake are made through Recreation.gov. 88.3% of tracked site-nights are not currently open for online reservation; 32 of 273 remain open. Campsite Sniper has also detected 40 site openings here in the last 90 days, so further dates may appear. Pick a site on the map to see its calendar, or set a free Campsite Sniper alert. You complete the reservation yourself on Recreation.gov.
Does Campsite Sniper book this campground for me?
No. Campsite Sniper sends alerts and direct Recreation.gov links. It never books, pays for, holds, hoards, or resells reservations.
How current is this availability data?
Campsite Sniper re-checks public Recreation.gov availability for this facility every hour and republishes whenever anything changes. This facility's data last changed at Sep 18, 2026 16:19 UTC; an older timestamp means nothing has changed since that time, not that checking stopped. Always confirm final availability on Recreation.gov when you book.
How often do new openings appear at Bismark Lake?
Campsite Sniper detected 13 site-date openings at Bismark Lake in the last 7 days, 37 over 30 days and 40 over the last 90.
Can I get a multi-night stay at Bismark Lake?
5 three-night openings are showing, counting only runs where the SAME site is free for all three nights. The soonest starts Sep 27 at site 006. Confirm and book on Recreation.gov.
Which sites at Bismark Lake fit a 35-foot RV?
19 of the 20 sites that support RV analysis have a recorded maximum of 35 ft or more; the longest recorded is 83 ft.
Which month has the most availability at Bismark Lake?
September 2026, with 32 open site-nights in the current snapshot of 273.
When is the next open date at Bismark Lake?
As of the Sep 18, 2026 snapshot: the next open date is Mon, Sep 21. Detected openings can add earlier dates at any time; a free Campsite Sniper alert catches those the moment they appear.
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