South Dakota Free Camping Rank and Rules
South Dakota ranks #49 of 50 for free camping
South Dakota ranks #49 of 50 for free camping, with 0.6 known dispersed sites per 1,000 sq mi.
Data as of
South Dakota free camping in numbers
South Dakota ranks #49 of 50 for free camping, with 0.6 known dispersed sites per 1,000 sq mi.
- Rank
- #49
- Known dispersed sites per 1,000 sq mi
- 0.6
- Known dispersed sites
- 49
- Land area
- 75,811 sq mi
- Developed campgrounds
- 197
- State-land rule
- Federal land only
- Forest restrictions tracked
- 0
Dispersed camping in South Dakota
Can you camp on South Dakota state land?
Federal land only. Game Production Areas ban camping. Dispersed camping in the state is federal only, on the Buffalo Gap, Fort Pierre, and Grand River national grasslands. Every state, with the rule behind each answer: dispersed camping on state land, state by state.
Where is dispersed camping restricted in South Dakota?
We have not yet checked the National Forest restrictions in South Dakota. On federal land, check the managing agency's alerts page before you camp.
Each restriction, cited and dated: where dispersed camping is restricted.
How the rank works
We divide the known dispersed campsites in a state by its land area, in square miles, and multiply by 1,000. The rules above sit beside the rank but never change it. The count includes only sites that public sources map, so mapping effort affects the result. Roadside camping corridors and the points we place inside state wildlife and forest areas are not counted.
- See South Dakota in the full ranking (Free Camping by State: The 2026 Ranking), with the methodology and the limits.
- Campgrounds and camping rules in South Dakota, the state hub.
- Download the data for every state (CSV), licensed CC BY 4.0.