Openings · last 7 days
37
Booking reality
Campsite Sniper detected 37 site openings here in the last 7 days
01 · Detected Opening History · the openings record · file CS-246878
When Elk Mountain Campground reopens
Elk Mountain Campground's openings record: every site-date Campsite Sniper detected turning available, logged and time-stamped. Refreshed hourly.
Openings · last 30 days
463
Openings · last 90 days
480
Weekday pattern
Detected openings by day of week · 90dFriday accounted for the largest share of the openings Campsite Sniper detected. 379 of 480 openings detected in the last 90 days occurred on a Friday (79.0%), with Wednesday (30) and Thursday (26) next in line.
Hour-of-day pattern
First detected by hour · local time · last 90 daysThe largest concentrations of detected openings were first detected during the 10:00 and 12:00 local-time hours. Those hours contained 385 of 480 detected openings (80.2%). The remaining 19.8% occurred outside those hours. Hours show when Campsite Sniper first detected each opening, in Mountain Time, not when the change was made upstream.
Lead-time profile
Days before stay date · percentilesHalf of the openings Campsite Sniper detected appeared at least 48 days before the stay date; the middle 50% land 41–54 days out. Set an alert if you want Campsite Sniper to monitor future openings.
Highest-churn sites
Most openings · 90d| Site | Openings | Share of all openings |
|---|---|---|
| 17 (Accessible Site) | 27 | 5.6% |
| 19 | 24 | 5.0% |
| 20 | 24 | 5.0% |
| 21 | 23 | 4.8% |
| 32 | 23 | 4.8% |
Site 17 (Accessible Site) had the most detected openings in the last 90 days: 27. One free watch covers every site here.
02 · Availability Outlook · Sep 18, 2026 – Mar 19, 2027 · of 65 monitored sites
Of the 11,895 tracked site-nights (Sep 18, 2026 – Mar 19, 2027): 3,746 open for online reservation · 499 reserved · 7,650 closed.
Where the open windows are
68.5% of tracked site-nights are not currently open for online reservation. 3,746 of 11,895 remain open; here is where they are.
Load status
Sep 18, 2026 – Mar 19, 2027Not open online68.5%
Open site-nights3,746 / 11,895
Reserved (of online inventory)499 / 4,245
Weekday openings2,159
Weekend openings1,587
Of the open site-nights on mapped sites, 2,159 fall on weekdays and 1,587 on weekends (Fri–Sun).
Open dates by month
Sep 2026 – Mar 2027December holds the most room. 620 of 2,015 site-nights are still open there.
Holiday windows
Sites open per night · of 65 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 | |
| Thanksgiving | THU Nov 26 | 20 | Open |
| FRI Nov 27 | 20 | Open | |
| SAT Nov 28 | 20 | Open | |
| Christmas | THU Dec 24 | 20 | Open |
| FRI Dec 25 | 20 | Open | |
| New Year | THU Dec 31 | 20 | Open |
| FRI Jan 1 | 20 | Open |
Labor Day: no online availability on any tracked night. Thanksgiving: 20 sites are available for the complete three-night stay. Christmas: 20 sites are available for the complete two-night stay. New Year: 20 sites are available for the complete two-night stay.
Best-availability sites
Most open site-nights · tracked window| Site | Open site-nights |
|---|---|
| 28 | 183 |
| 32 | 181 |
| 17 (Accessible Site) | 178 |
| 21 | 177 |
| 34 | 177 |
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 dateFri · Sep 18
Next open weekendFri · Sep 18
The next bookable night is Sep 18; the first open weekend starts Sep 18. Campsite Sniper can watch later dates for you.
Stays and site detail
3,746 open site-nights across 65 sites at Elk Mountain Campground, from the same hourly snapshot as everything above.
Multi-night stays. 105 2-night, 80 3-night, 37 7-night openings where a single site is free for every night, per Campsite Sniper's current snapshot — soonest Sep 18 at site 28.
RV length. Longest recorded site here is 50 ft. 45 sites take 25 ft, 19 sites take 35 ft, 1 site takes 40 ft.
Showing 60 of 65 sites with current availability
| Site | Max RV | Hookups | Open site-nights | Longest run | Dates |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 28 | 17 ft | None | 183 | 183 nights | Sep 18, Sep 19, Sep 20, Sep 21, Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 25, Sep 26, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29 +171 more |
| 32 | 32 ft | None | 181 | 181 nights | Sep 20, Sep 21, Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 25, Sep 26, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29, Sep 30, Oct 1 +169 more |
| 17 (Accessible Site) | 36 ft | None | 178 | 167 nights | Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 25, Sep 26, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29, Sep 30, Oct 1, Oct 2, Oct 4 +166 more |
| 21 | 32 ft | None | 177 | 172 nights | Sep 20, Sep 21, Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 27, Sep 29, Sep 30, Oct 1, Oct 2, Oct 3, Oct 4, Oct 5 +165 more |
| 34 | 32 ft | None | 177 | 173 nights | Sep 19, Sep 20, Sep 21, Sep 25, Sep 28, Sep 29, Sep 30, Oct 1, Oct 2, Oct 3, Oct 4, Oct 5 +165 more |
| 19 | 36 ft | None | 175 | 172 nights | Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 27, Sep 29, Sep 30, Oct 1, Oct 2, Oct 3, Oct 4, Oct 5, Oct 6, Oct 7 +163 more |
| 27 | 36 ft | None | 174 | 171 nights | Sep 22, Sep 25, Sep 26, Sep 30, Oct 1, Oct 2, Oct 3, Oct 4, Oct 5, Oct 6, Oct 7, Oct 8 +162 more |
| 20 | 36 ft | None | 172 | 154 nights | Sep 20, Sep 24, Sep 28, Sep 29, Sep 30, Oct 1, Oct 2, Oct 3, Oct 4, Oct 5, Oct 6, Oct 7 +160 more |
| 25 | 36 ft | None | 172 | 160 nights | Sep 20, Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 25, Oct 1, Oct 2, Oct 3, Oct 5, Oct 6, Oct 7, Oct 8 +160 more |
| 29 | 36 ft | None | 172 | 165 nights | Sep 20, Sep 22, Sep 30, Oct 1, Oct 2, Oct 3, Oct 4, Oct 6, Oct 7, Oct 8, Oct 9, Oct 10 +160 more |
| 22 | 19 ft | None | 171 | 162 nights | Sep 20, Sep 21, Sep 23, Sep 26, Sep 29, Sep 30, Oct 2, Oct 3, Oct 6, Oct 9, Oct 10, Oct 11 +159 more |
| 26 | 36 ft | None | 171 | 165 nights | Sep 25, Sep 30, Oct 1, Oct 2, Oct 3, Oct 4, Oct 6, Oct 7, Oct 8, Oct 9, Oct 10, Oct 11 +159 more |
| 33 | 36 ft | None | 171 | 159 nights | Sep 24, Sep 26, Sep 28, Sep 29, Sep 30, Oct 2, Oct 3, Oct 4, Oct 5, Oct 6, Oct 7, Oct 8 +159 more |
| 15 | 36 ft | None | 170 | 144 nights | Sep 20, Sep 27, Oct 1, Oct 3, Oct 4, Oct 5, Oct 6, Oct 7, Oct 8, Oct 9, Oct 10, Oct 11 +158 more |
| 24 | 36 ft | None | 170 | 156 nights | Sep 26, Oct 1, Oct 2, Oct 3, Oct 4, Oct 5, Oct 6, Oct 7, Oct 8, Oct 9, Oct 10, Oct 11 +158 more |
| 18 | 32 ft | None | 169 | 160 nights | Sep 21, Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29, Oct 4, Oct 5, Oct 8, Oct 11, Oct 12, Oct 13 +157 more |
| 31 | 36 ft | None | 169 | 168 nights | Sep 25, Oct 3, Oct 4, Oct 5, Oct 6, Oct 7, Oct 8, Oct 9, Oct 10, Oct 11, Oct 12, Oct 13 +157 more |
| 23 | 32 ft | None | 166 | 149 nights | Sep 19, Sep 27, Oct 1, Oct 3, Oct 4, Oct 5, Oct 6, Oct 7, Oct 8, Oct 9, Oct 10, Oct 11 +154 more |
| 16 | 36 ft | None | 163 | 150 nights | Sep 28, Oct 1, Oct 6, Oct 8, Oct 10, Oct 11, Oct 12, Oct 13, Oct 14, Oct 15, Oct 16, Oct 17 +151 more |
| 35 | 20 ft | None | 153 | 144 nights | Sep 23, Oct 2, Oct 8, Oct 15, Oct 16, Oct 17, Oct 18, Oct 19, Oct 20, Oct 27, Oct 28, Oct 29 +141 more |
| 5 | 25 ft | None | 13 | 13 nights | Sep 18, Sep 19, Sep 20, Sep 21, Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 25, Sep 26, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29 +1 more |
| Group Site 2 | 20 ft | None | 13 | 13 nights | Sep 18, Sep 19, Sep 20, Sep 21, Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 25, Sep 26, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29 +1 more |
| 3 | 25 ft | None | 12 | 6 nights | Sep 18, Sep 19, Sep 20, Sep 21, Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 25, Sep 26, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29, Sep 30 |
| 37 | 15 ft | None | 12 | 12 nights | Sep 19, Sep 20, Sep 21, Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 25, Sep 26, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29, Sep 30 |
| 42 | 25 ft | None | 12 | 12 nights | Sep 19, Sep 20, Sep 21, Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 25, Sep 26, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29, Sep 30 |
| 45 | 22 ft | None | 12 | 12 nights | Sep 19, Sep 20, Sep 21, Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 25, Sep 26, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29, Sep 30 |
| 60 | 18 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 |
| 61 | 36 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 |
| 1 | 25 ft | None | 10 | 9 nights | Sep 18, Sep 19, Sep 20, Sep 21, Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 25, Sep 26, Sep 30 |
| 43 | 20 ft | None | 10 | 6 nights | Sep 18, Sep 19, Sep 20, Sep 21, Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29, Sep 30 |
| 38 | 21 ft | None | 9 | 5 nights | Sep 18, Sep 21, Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 26, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29, Sep 30 |
| 48 | 25 ft | None | 9 | 8 nights | Sep 21, Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 25, Sep 26, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 30 |
| 49 (Accessible Site) | 30 ft | None | 9 | 8 nights | Sep 21, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 25, Sep 26, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29, Sep 30 |
| 41 | 24 ft | None | 8 | 5 nights | Sep 19, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 26, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29, Sep 30 |
| 46 | 18 ft | None | 8 | 4 nights | Sep 20, Sep 21, Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29, Sep 30 |
| 56 | 36 ft | None | 8 | 4 nights | Sep 20, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 25, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29, Sep 30 |
| 58 | 36 ft | None | 8 | 6 nights | Sep 18, Sep 21, Sep 25, Sep 26, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29, Sep 30 |
| 4 | 25 ft | None | 7 | 4 nights | Sep 20, Sep 21, Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 27, Sep 29, Sep 30 |
| 44 | 20 ft | None | 7 | 5 nights | Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 26, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29, Sep 30 |
| 47 | 17 ft | None | 7 | 4 nights | Sep 18, Sep 19, Sep 20, Sep 21, Sep 28, Sep 29, Sep 30 |
| 50 | 30 ft | None | 7 | 3 nights | Sep 20, Sep 21, Sep 22, Sep 24, Sep 28, Sep 29, Sep 30 |
| 53 | 16 ft | None | 7 | 5 nights | Sep 18, Sep 22, Sep 26, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29, Sep 30 |
| 8 | 25 ft | None | 7 | 5 nights | Sep 20, Sep 23, Sep 26, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29, Sep 30 |
| 9 | 25 ft | None | 7 | 4 nights | Sep 18, Sep 20, Sep 21, Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 28, Sep 30 |
| 11 | 25 ft | None | 6 | 4 nights | Sep 20, Sep 25, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29, Sep 30 |
| 14 | 25 ft | None | 6 | 2 nights | Sep 19, Sep 20, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 26, Sep 27 |
| 51 | 26 ft | None | 6 | 3 nights | Sep 18, Sep 21, Sep 26, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 30 |
| Group Site 1 | 20 ft | None | 6 | 5 nights | Sep 18, Sep 19, Sep 20, Sep 21, Sep 22, Sep 30 |
| 36 | 24 ft | None | 5 | 2 nights | Sep 19, Sep 20, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 30 |
| 39 | 19 ft | None | 5 | 2 nights | Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 30 |
| 57 | 36 ft | None | 5 | 3 nights | Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 26, Sep 27, Sep 28 |
| 59 | 23 ft | None | 5 | 1 night | Sep 20, Sep 22, Sep 24, Sep 27, Sep 30 |
| 6 | 25 ft | None | 5 | 4 nights | Sep 18, Sep 19, Sep 20, Sep 21, Sep 25 |
| 62 | 36 ft | None | 5 | 4 nights | Sep 20, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29, Sep 30 |
| 63 | 25 ft | None | 5 | 3 nights | Sep 20, Sep 21, Sep 22, Sep 29, Sep 30 |
| 64 | 25 ft | None | 5 | 3 nights | Sep 21, Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 29, Sep 30 |
| 13 | 25 ft | None | 4 | 2 nights | Sep 20, Sep 21, Sep 27, Sep 30 |
| 52 | 24 ft | None | 4 | 4 nights | Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29, Sep 30 |
| 10 | 25 ft | None | 3 | 2 nights | Sep 19, Sep 29, Sep 30 |
| 2 | 25 ft | None | 3 | 2 nights | Sep 21, Sep 22, Sep 28 |
About Elk Mountain Campground
Overview
Elk Mountain Campground, straddles the edge of a ponderosa pine forest and open prairie, offering unique opportunities to view the diverse flora and fauna of the southern Black Hills. These campsites are available in both forested and open environments.
Campsites may be reserved all year through Recreation.gov. Reservations may be made 6 months in advance of your stay and same day reservations are available.
NOTE: This is a cashless campground. Only credit cards will be accepted through Recreation.gov or the Recreation.gov mobile app.
Recreation
Hiking at Wind Cave
View rolling prairie vistas, ponderosa forests, and see wildlife in its natural environment. Wind Cave National Park has over 30 miles of hiking trails on the surface and provides visitors the opportunity to view pristine Black Hills scenery. Find out which trail is the best for you.
Pet Friendly Hikes
If you are traveling with a furry friend, Wind Cave has two pet friendly trails. The Prairie Vista trail leaves from the Visitor Center and the Elk Mountain Trail leaves from the amphitheater at the Elk Mountain Campground. Both trails are approximatly 1 mile in length.
Become a Wind Cave Junior Ranger
Kids of all ages can become a Wind Cave Junior Ranger. Complete the activity book, learn about the park, and take the pledge to earn a Junior Ranger badge.
Facilities
This 63-site campground is open all year with sites available on a reservation basis from May to September 30th. In the off-season, only sites 15 through 35 are available. Sites 17 and 49 are handicap-accessible. Flush toilets and drinking water are available from late spring through early fall. Fees are half-price when water is not available. Ranger programs are offered most nights in the amphitheater during the summer. Two group campsites are able to be reserved 6 months out.
Natural Features
Wind Cave National Park protects two very different worlds - one deep within the earth, the other a sunlit world of many resources. Bison, elk, and other wildlife roam the rolling prairie grasslands and forested hillsides of one of America's oldest national parks.
Visit Wind Cave's Natural Entrance
You can still see the largest natural opening into Wind Cave without going on a tour. This small hole is one of the only known natural entrances into the cave. Lakota oral tradition speaks of how the first bison and humans emerged from this deeply spiritual place.
65 monitored sitesRVs up to 50 ftNo hookups15 shadedPets OKFire pitsMax party 30
Getting there
The visitor center is 11 miles (18 km) north of Hot Springs off US Hwy. 385, about 1/2 mile (.8 km) west of the highway. Do not rely exclusively on your GPS or Google Maps to find the campground. Routes can be misleading or incorrect. The coordinates for the Visitor Center are N43.55677 W103.47799 From Rapid City, South Dakota: Follow SD Hwy. 79 south approximately 50 miles (80 km) to US Hwy. 385. Turn right onto US Hwy. 385 north. Continue through Hot Springs another 6 miles (9.5 km) north into Wind Cave National Park. Once in the park follow signs to the visitor center for cave tours and general park information. From Chadron, Nebraska: Follow US Hwy. 385 north through Hot Springs, SD to the park. Once in the park follow signs to the visitor center for cave tours and general park information. From Custer State Park: Follow SD Hwy. 87 south into Wind Cave National Park. Once in the park follow signs to the visitor center for cave tours and general park information.
26611 Us Highway 385, Hot Springs, SD 57747605-745-4600
View on Recreation.gov ↗ Get directions ↗
03 · Field Photos · roll CS-246878 · facility + sites
Photo gallery
Roll CS-246878 · Elk Mountain Campground · Hot Springs SD12 frames · facility + sites
FAQ
How do I get a reservation at Elk Mountain Campground?
Reservations for Elk Mountain Campground are made through Recreation.gov. 3,746 of 11,895 tracked site-nights are currently open (31.5%). Campsite Sniper has also detected 480 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 Elk Mountain Campground?
Campsite Sniper detected 37 site-date openings at Elk Mountain Campground in the last 7 days, 463 over 30 days and 480 over the last 90.
Which day of the week had the most detected openings at Elk Mountain Campground?
Friday accounted for the largest share of the openings Campsite Sniper detected in the last 90 days: 379 of 480 (79%). Days reflect when Campsite Sniper first detected each opening, not when the change occurred upstream.
Can I get a multi-night stay at Elk Mountain Campground?
80 three-night openings are showing, counting only runs where the SAME site is free for all three nights. The soonest starts Sep 18 at site 28. Confirm and book on Recreation.gov.
Which sites at Elk Mountain Campground fit a 35-foot RV?
19 of the 65 sites that support RV analysis have a recorded maximum of 35 ft or more; the longest recorded is 50 ft.
Which month has the most availability at Elk Mountain Campground?
December 2026, with 620 open site-nights in the current snapshot of 2,015.
How far ahead of a stay do openings appear at Elk Mountain Campground?
Half of the openings Campsite Sniper detected appeared at least 48 days before the stay date; the middle 50% landed 41-54 days out. Campsite Sniper can monitor future changes for dates you select.
When is the next open date at Elk Mountain Campground?
As of the Sep 18, 2026 snapshot: the next open date is Fri, Sep 18 and the next open weekend starts Fri, Sep 18. Detected openings can add earlier dates at any time; a free Campsite Sniper alert catches those the moment they appear.
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