Campgrounds and RV parks near Howard, SD

Howard sits in Miner County in eastern South Dakota, roughly an hour north of Interstate 90 and about an hour and a half northwest of Sioux Falls. It is a small county seat on Highway 34, with a handful of nearby lake parks and prairie campgrounds that suit RV travelers looking for a quieter Great Plains base. The closest full-service option is Lake Thompson Recreation Area, built around one of the largest natural lakes in the state and operated by South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks. Dakota Sunsets RV Park and Campground offers a private-park alternative near Salem, while Montrose Campground provides another small-town stop toward Sioux Falls. Ingalls Homestead sits on the original Laura Ingalls Wilder family claim outside De Smet and combines a working living-history site with RV, tent, covered-wagon, and bunkhouse camping. Lake Herman State Park, on the western edge of Madison, rounds out the loop with lakeside sites, cabins, and a mix of tent, trailer, and RV pads. Together these campgrounds cover fishing lakes, prairie history, and small commercial parks within easy driving range of Howard.

South Dakota state-park campgrounds, including Lake Thompson Recreation Area and Lake Herman State Park, are reserved through Go Outdoors South Dakota or by phone at 1-800-710-2267, with reservations available within 90 days of arrival. Reservations must be made by midnight two days prior to arrival, with check-in at 4 p.m. Central Time and check-out at 11 a.m. A daily or annual park entrance license is required in addition to the campsite fee. Ingalls Homestead processes reservations online through a contact form, requiring contact information and a 50 percent deposit that is refundable up to two weeks prior to the stay. With just four back-in RV sites plus covered wagons, a bunkhouse, and open tent camping, booking well in advance is important. Dakota Sunsets RV Park and Campground and Montrose Campground are private parks and take reservations directly.