Willow Creek Horse Camp

Tucked into the pines near Mount Rushmore National Memorial, Willow Creek Horse Camp sits right where Willow Creek meets Palmer Creek, inside the Norbeck Wildlife Preserve on the edge of the Black Elk Wilderness. It's a purpose-built basecamp for equestrians, recently renovated by the Forest Service alongside the Black Hills Back Country Horsemen of South Dakota, and every one of its 9 sites comes with a corral, camping pad, picnic table, and fire grill. A gravity-fed water line keeps two troughs filled for the horses, and there's a vault toilet on site. Sites accommodate rigs and trailers up to roughly 50 feet, with a limit of a few horses per site — plan ahead, since reservations are required and popular weekends can book up to six months out. From camp, riders step straight onto the trailhead for the Willow Creek Loop, with sweeping views into the Black Elk Wilderness, and it's a natural jumping-off point for a day ride toward Black Elk Peak and the historic Harney Lookout Tower. Mount Rushmore, Custer State Park, and Hill City are all a short drive away.