City: Spearfish, SD

Category: Accommodations

Telephone: (605) 722-1800, (877) 722-1800

Address: 20189 US 85

Description: One of the classiest RV parks and campgrounds in the Black Hills, this new 75-acre resort also is among its most luxurious. And with a location in the Centennial Valley near I-90 and US 85 between Spearfish and Deadwood, there’s no lack of things to do nearby. Nevertheless, the campground developers saw fit to construct a heated outdoor swimming pool, hiking trails, a playground, and courts for horseshoes, basketball, and tennis. There are Internet and satellite television hookups available for RVs, full laundry facilities, a fenced dog park, and a new pavilion and outdoor amphitheater. A new 18-hole golf course has recently opened nearby.Because the campground is fairly new, there isn’t a great deal of greenery. A stand of mature trees sits on the northern edge, and new plants have been included in the landscaping, but it will be several years before this becomes a well-shaded place to pitch a tent or park your rig. In the meantime, large berms (topped by tasteful statues of elk and other wildlife) have been sculpted to separate the campground from the adjoining highways, which ensures relative privacy for the 186 full hookup sites, 20 tent sites, and 36 cabins. RV sites run $48 and tent sites $35 and it is open year round. The campground is located on the Frawley Ranch property, an estate once owned by a pioneer Deadwood lawyer. Indeed, the entire Centennial Valley was once a major source of food for the once bustling city of Deadwood, which lies only a few miles above in the hills. Many of the original homestead structures have been preserved and make up one of the few National Historic Landmarks inside South Dakota’s borders. Although the ranch buildings are normally closed to the public, they are opened on special occasions. If you’re interested in a peek at this piece of frontier history, inquire at the front desk about the next time the ranch’s unusual stone buildings—including a one-room schoolhouse and a traditional dugout—might be open for public viewing.