French Creek Campground
Open year-round, first-come, first-served. No fees. No potable water available; campers must bring their own supply.
About
French Creek Campground is the sole developed camping area on Buffalo Gap National Grassland, a nearly 600,000-acre expanse of mixed-grass prairie and badlands stretching across southwestern South Dakota. The small campground sits in a peaceful riparian meadow along French Creek, offering a quiet basecamp for exploring the surrounding grasslands. The campground is particularly popular among rockhounds, as it provides direct access to the Fairburn Agate Beds. An adjacent barren hill exposes rock layers that occasionally yield the famous Fairburn agates. Note that while casual rockhounding is permitted, collection of vertebrate fossils requires a USFS permit, and no commercial fossil collection permits are issued. Facilities are minimal but functional: each site has a picnic table and fire ring, and a vault toilet serves the campground. There is no potable water, so campers must bring their own supply. The campground is free and operates on a first-come, first-served basis year-round.
Directions
From Fairburn, SD, travel 11.4 miles east on French Creek Road. The campground turnoff is on the left.
Amenities
| Water | No |
| Fires Allowed | Yes |
| Toilets | Yes |
| Dump Station | No |
| Wifi | No |
| Pets Allowed | — |
| Showers | No |
| Electric Hookups | — |
| Water Hookups | — |
| Sewer Hookups | — |
| Camp Store | No |
| Price | $0 |
Vehicle
| Max RV Length | — |
| Max Trailer Length | — |
| Big Rig Friendly | — |
| Pull Through Sites | — |
Contact
| Phone | +1 (308) 432-0300 |
Cell Service
| AT&T | Yes |
| Verizon | Yes |
| T-Mobile | None |
Useful Links
| Buffalo Gap National Grassland Recreation |
Community Posts
No posts yet. Be the first to share your experience!