French Creek Campground
Open year-round, first-come, first-served. No fees. No potable water available; campers must bring their own supply.
Wind Advisory issued June 16 at 10:41PM MDT until June 17 at 8:00PM MDT by NWS Rapid City SD
* WHAT...Northwest winds 30 to 40 mph with gusts up to 55 mph expected. * WHERE...Portions of northwestern, south central, and southwestern South Dakota. * WHEN...From 9 AM MDT /10 AM CDT/ to 8 PM MDT /9 PM CDT/ Wednesday. * IMPACTS...Sudden wind gusts can cause drivers to lose control, especially in lightweight or high profile vehicles. Strong winds can cause blowing dust, reduced visibility, and flying debris.
Red Flag Warning issued June 16 at 10:15PM MDT until June 17 at 8:00PM MDT by NWS Rapid City SD
...RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 11 AM TO 8 PM MDT WEDNESDAY DUE TO GUSTY WINDS AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY FOR SOUTHERN BLACK HILLS, FALL RIVER COUNTY AREA, CUSTER COUNTY PLAINS, PINE RIDGE AREA, BADLANDS AREA, BENNETT COUNTY AREA, SOUTHERN CAMPBELL, AND WESTON COUNTY PLAINS... .A cold front will move through early Wednesday morning. Behind the cold front, strong northwest winds from 25 to 35 mph with gusts from 40 to 55 mph are expected. Minimum relative humidity values will dip as low as 18 percent, which is higher than normal thresholds. However, the strong winds will make up the difference as well as antecedent D2 to D3 drought and very dry weather over the past 1-2 weeks. Thus, critical fire weather conditions are expected for parts of northeastern Wyoming and southwestern South Dakota late Wednesday morning through the early evening hours. The National Weather Service in Rapid City SD has issued a Red Flag Warning. * AFFECTED AREA...Fire Weather Zones 315, 317, 321, 322, 325, 326, 332, and 333. * TIMING...From 11 AM to 8 PM MDT Wednesday. * WINDS...Northwest winds 25 to 35 mph with gusts from 40 to 55 mph. * RELATIVE HUMIDITY...Relative Humidity as low as 18 percent. * IMPACTS...Any fires that develop will spread rapidly. Outdoor burning is not recommended.
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
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