Openings · last 7 days
2
Booking reality
Campsite Sniper detected 2 site openings here in the last 7 days
01 · Detected Opening History · the openings record · file CS-233921
When Grizzly Bear Campground reopens
Grizzly Bear Campground's openings record: every site-date Campsite Sniper detected turning available, logged and time-stamped. Refreshed hourly.
Openings · last 30 days
3
Openings · last 90 days
3
Only 3 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 19 monitored sites
Of the 247 tracked site-dates (Sep 18 – Sep 30, 2026): 106 open for online reservation · 22 reserved · 119 on sites not offered for online reservation (first-come, first-served or administrative). Of the facility's 19 monitored sites, 11 can be reserved online and 8 are first-come, first-served.
Where the open windows are
57.1% of tracked site-dates are not currently open for online reservation. 106 of 247 remain open; here is where they are.
Load status
Sep 18 – Sep 30, 2026Not open online57.1%
Open site-dates106 / 247
Reserved (of online inventory)22 / 128
Weekday openings68
Weekend openings38
Of the open site-nights on mapped sites, 68 fall on weekdays and 38 on weekends (Fri–Sun).
Open dates by month
Sep 2026 – Sep 2026September holds the most room. 106 of 247 site-dates are still open there.
Holiday windows
Sites open per night · of 18 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.
Holiday windows — day use
Units open per date · of 1 day-use unit| Window | Date | Units 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 date.
Best-availability sites
Most open site-nights · tracked window| Site | Open site-nights |
|---|---|
| 09 | 11 |
| 10 | 11 |
| 12 | 11 |
| 13 | 11 |
| 05 | 10 |
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 dateSun · Sep 20
Next open weekendFri · Sep 25
The next bookable night is Sep 20; the first open weekend starts Sep 25. Campsite Sniper can watch later dates for you.
Stays and site detail
106 open site-nights across 11 sites at Grizzly Bear Campground, from the same hourly snapshot as everything above.
18 overnight sites and 1 day-use unit are represented in the current inventory. Day-use inventory is excluded from every night-based figure on this page — site-nights, longest runs, multi-night stays, holiday stays and RV fit; its reservation dates are listed separately below.
Multi-night stays. 17 2-night, 15 3-night, 5 7-night openings where a single site is free for every night, per Campsite Sniper's current snapshot — soonest Sep 20 at site 09.
RV length. Longest recorded site here is 54 ft. 16 sites take 25 ft, 7 sites take 35 ft, 2 sites take 40 ft.
All 11 sites with current availability
| Site | Max RV | Hookups | Open site-nights | Longest run | Dates |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 09 | 39 ft | None | 11 | 11 nights | Sep 20, Sep 21, Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 25, Sep 26, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29, Sep 30 |
| 10 | 42 ft | None | 11 | 11 nights | Sep 20, Sep 21, Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 25, Sep 26, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29, Sep 30 |
| 12 | 35 ft | None | 11 | 11 nights | Sep 20, Sep 21, Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 25, Sep 26, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29, Sep 30 |
| 13 | 38 ft | None | 11 | 11 nights | Sep 20, Sep 21, Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 25, Sep 26, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29, Sep 30 |
| 05 | 30 ft | None | 10 | 6 nights | Sep 20, Sep 21, Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 25, Sep 26, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29, Sep 30 |
| 06 | 32 ft | None | 10 | 10 nights | Sep 21, Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 25, Sep 26, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29, Sep 30 |
| 15 | 28 ft | None | 9 | 6 nights | Sep 20, Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 25, Sep 26, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29, Sep 30 |
| 17 | 28 ft | None | 9 | 5 nights | Sep 20, Sep 21, Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29, Sep 30 |
| 18 | 38 ft | None | 9 | 6 nights | Sep 20, Sep 21, Sep 22, Sep 25, Sep 26, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29, Sep 30 |
| 19 | 30 ft | None | 9 | 5 nights | Sep 20, Sep 21, Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 26, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29, Sep 30 |
| 07 | 30 ft | None | 6 | 3 nights | Sep 20, Sep 21, Sep 22, Sep 24, Sep 25, Sep 28 |
About Grizzly Bear Campground
Overview
This campground lies beneath a canopy of oak and Ponderosa pine on the banks of Grizzly Creek. The site has retained much of its original Civilian Conservation Corps character, and offers visitors recreation and relaxation in Black Hills National Forest. Located along the Iron Mountain Road, it is between Mount Rushmore National Memorial and Custer State Park.
A pavillion built by the Civilian Conservation Corps still stands and is available for use by campers.
Recreation
Black Hills National Forest offers visitors 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. The winter landscape is ideal for snowshoeing, skiing and snowmobiling. From a nearby trailhead, visitors can access the Centennial Trail and parts of the Black Elk Wilderness and Norbeck Wildlife Preserve. Trails weave through the wilderness for a primitive, non-motorized recreation experience. 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.
Facilities
Due to tight, sharp turns, towing vehicles is prohibited in this campground. This includes vehicles pulling trailers and fifth-wheels, motorhomes pulling vehicles, and vehicles pulling pop-up campers.
Vehicles up to 24 feet maximum are allowed. No overflow parking available.
The campground has picnic tables, campfire rings, vault toilets, and drinking water. Electrical hook-ups are not available.
Firewood is available for a fee.
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. This campground is located in the Norbeck Wildlife Preserve and is close to the Black Elk Wilderness, South Dakota's only designated wilderness area. This area encompasses the Harney Range, an area long held sacred by American Indians. 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
A short 2 miles away is the fabulous Mount Rushmore National Memorial, which hosts almost 3 million visitors a year.
This campground is located on the scenic Iron Mountain Rd. with its famous CCC built Pigtail Bridges and tunnels for breathtaking views of Mt. Rushmore.
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.
19 monitored sites8 FCFS sitesRVs up to 54 ftNo hookups18 shadedPets OKFire pitsMax party 8
Getting there
From Keystone, South Dakota, take Route 16A west 1.9 miles to campground on the right.
BikingCampingFishingHiking
View on Recreation.gov ↗ Get directions ↗
03 · Field Photos · roll CS-233921 · facility + sites
Photo gallery
Roll CS-233921 · Grizzly Bear Campground12 frames · facility + sites
FAQ
How do I get a reservation at Grizzly Bear Campground?
Reservations for Grizzly Bear Campground are made through Recreation.gov. 106 of 247 tracked site-dates are currently open (42.9%). Campsite Sniper has also detected 3 site openings here in the last 90 days, so further dates may appear. Pick a site or unit 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 facility 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 Grizzly Bear Campground?
Campsite Sniper detected 2 site-date openings at Grizzly Bear Campground in the last 7 days, 3 over 30 days and 3 over the last 90.
Can I get a multi-night stay at Grizzly Bear Campground?
15 three-night openings are showing, counting only runs where the SAME site is free for all three nights. The soonest starts Sep 20 at site 09. Confirm and book on Recreation.gov.
Which sites at Grizzly Bear Campground fit a 35-foot RV?
7 of the 18 sites that support RV analysis have a recorded maximum of 35 ft or more; the longest recorded is 54 ft.
Which month has the most availability at Grizzly Bear Campground?
September 2026, with 106 open site-dates in the current snapshot of 247.
When is the next open date at Grizzly Bear Campground?
As of the Sep 18, 2026 snapshot: the next open date is Sun, Sep 20 and the next open weekend starts Fri, Sep 25. Detected openings can add earlier dates at any time; a free Campsite Sniper alert catches those the moment they appear.
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