Bear Gulch
Its 1 site is reservable through Recreation.gov. Bear Gulch is a National Forest campground near Pennington, South Dakota.
Reservable: Recreation.gov
- National Forest
- Managed by
- 40 ft
- Max RV length
Bear Gulch sits inside Black Hills National Forest. Its dispersed-camping rule, ranger offices, and boundary are on publiclandsdb.com.
Getting a site
- Managed by
- National Forest
- Reservations
- Recreation.gov Book a site
- Fee
- Fee unknown, see agency
Source: recreation.gov, accessed 2026-09-29
Sites and hookups
- Total sites
- 1
- Group sites
- 1
- Max RV length
- 40 ft
- Site driveways
- Back-in
- ✓ Pets allowed
On site: Pets allowed.
Source: recreation.gov, accessed 2026-09-29
Campsites
1 site; the longest takes a 40 ft vehicle. Every site below links to its own page on Recreation.gov, where it is booked. Official site list and booking on recreation.gov.
| Book | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 001 | BEAR | Group standard area nonelectric | 40 ft | Back-in | Not on record | No | Not on record | Book site 001 |
Data source: Recreation.gov , accessed 2026-09-29. Site details are Recreation.gov's own per-site listing and can differ from the campground-wide facts above.
Rules
- Pets
- Allowed
Source: recreation.gov, accessed 2026-09-29
Access and cell service
- Elevation
- 4,591 ft
44.0744, -103.5256 in Pennington. Open in OpenStreetMap. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Common questions
Do you need a reservation at Bear Gulch?
Sites at Bear Gulch are reserved through Recreation.gov (https://www.recreation.gov/camping/campgrounds/232359).
How many campsites does Bear Gulch have?
Bear Gulch has 1 campsite, including 1 group site.
Are there pull-through sites at Bear Gulch?
Recreation.gov lists no pull-through sites at Bear Gulch; 1 site with a stated driveway is back-in or parallel.
Are dogs allowed at Bear Gulch?
Yes, pets are allowed at Bear Gulch.
Who manages Bear Gulch?
Bear Gulch is managed by the U.S. Forest Service.
Around Bear Gulch
Waterfalls and swimming nearby
Nearest to Bear Gulch, in straight-line miles: Spearfish Falls (waterfall, 28 miles), Roughlock Falls (waterfall, 28 miles), Spearfish Canyon (swimming hole, 29 miles), and Bridal Veil Falls (waterfall, 29 miles). Each has its own page on swimholesmap.com.
- Sites
- Not on record
- Season
- Not on record
- Fee
- Overnight Use:
Pactola Reservoir Campground - Sites
- 53
- Season
- Not on record
- Fee
- Not on record
- Sites
- Not on record
- Season
- Not on record
- Fee
- Single Site: $36 per night
- Sites
- Not on record
- Season
- Not on record
- Fee
- Overnight Use:
More campgrounds: camping near Pennington and campgrounds in Pennington.
Sources
- recreation.gov (name, coordinates, manager, campsites), accessed 2026-09-29
- recreation.gov (name, coordinates, manager, reservationSystem, reservationSystemName, reservationUrl, maxRvLengthFt, drivewayType, petsAllowed, sites, campsites), accessed 2026-09-29
- epqs.nationalmap.gov (elevationFt), accessed 2026-10-01
Photo credits
- Photo 1: USFS, via Recreation.gov, Public domain (US federal government work)
- Photo 2: USFS, via Recreation.gov, Public domain (US federal government work)
- Photo 3: USFS, via Recreation.gov, Public domain (US federal government work)