Split Rock Park Campground

Overview

Welcome to Split Rock Park Campground!

On the Northwestern edge of Garretson, a small waterfall is created by a dam across the Split Rock Creek, drawing the eye and attention of all who cross the bridge into town. This beautiful dam was created in 1934 by WPA workers who laid native stone across the river, and was updated in 2016.

Split Rock Park houses both RV and tent camping sites, boat launch areas that are perfect for canoes and kayaks, a small swimming area north of the dam, a beautiful view of three unique bridges, playground, fishing areas, and an old Sioux Quartzite bathhouse that now houses a small museum and snack area.

The Jesse James Pontoon sets sail by appointment during the summer months, showcasing the beautiful rock canyons and wildlife that is found north of the park. South of the dam is another kayak and canoe launch, which allows for travel down to Palisades State Park by water. With downtown Garretson just three short blocks away and Devil's Gulch right next door, Split Rock Park is a wonderful space to camp and play.

We are open April 1st to October 31st, weather dependent.

NOW OPEN: The Split Rock Park Visitor's Center is open daily 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. until Labor Day. Enjoy souvenirs, ice cream, coffee, and more!

Amenities:

• All campground sites have 1 fire ring w/cooking grate and 1 picnic table.
• City Park hours are 8:00 am – 10:00 pm
• Drinking water (Water hydrant)
• Electrical campground sites
• Historical Quartzite Bathhouse Information Center (including souvenirs & treats)
• Picnic Shelter (ADA Accessible) has electricity, 8 picnic tables, a wooden counter, a charcoal/wood BBQ grill and trash cans.
• Playground
• Porta Potties
• Trash can container located by vault toilets (all garbage must be bagged)
• Vault Toilets (ADA Accessible)

Activities:

• Bird Watching
• Camping
• Fishing along Split Rock Creek
• Historical Interest (Quartzite dam, bathhouse, fishing bridge)
• Historical Markers “Garretson” located at the entrance of Split Rock Park and Campground
• “Festival of Progress” located inside Split Rock Park and Campground at the entrance of the quartzite bathhouse.
• Jesse James Pontoon rides on the scenic Split Rock Creek are available by calling Captain Bruce Rekstad at 605-594-2225.
• Kayaking/Canoeing
• Museum - Garretson Area Historical Society located at 613 N. Main Ave. For more information call 605-594-3863
• Photography
• Picnicking
• Relax and take in the scenery on one of the many sponsored park benches throughout the park.
• Sightseeing within the park and campground and our other parks- Devil’s Gulch and information center located at 616 5th St. Garretson, S.D. and Palisades State Park located at 25495 485th Ave. Garretson, S.D. (S.D. state park permit required).
• Shopping, Eating, Drinking, Wineries at one of many local businesses on Main Ave. and within the City of Garretson area.
• Swimming is available at the Garretson Swimming Pool located off Essex Street and Center Avenue in the sports complex. For information or inquiries, please call 605-594-3126 June-August.

For an in-depth map of Split Rock Park Campground, please click here.

Open Dates: April 1 to October 31

Rates

Reviews Leave a Review

Kylie Murray

4.0

We love the campground but was disappointed in the site we had this time. #14 is very difficult to level onto, needs to have some maintenance done to the entire site. It took us almost an hour to get level. Weeds all over....ruts and dirt mounds everywhere. Not ideal for the size of camper we have and could use some roundup.

July 13, 2020

Gary Lamp

5.0

Had a great 3 day visit. Well maintained roads and grounds. Beautiful river and falls. Lots of history to see and experience. Explored the area. A must see-falls park in Sioux Falls.

July 09, 2020

Daniel Rayas

5.0

Great little campground right on Split Rock Creek. Boat launch on-site for kayaks and close to many great hiking trails. Train can be a little loud a few times per day, and these are electric only sites.

July 09, 2020

Shawn Evers

5.0

I've been camping here for 25 years. Truly a home away from home.

July 07, 2020

Abby Magee

4.0

The campground itself was nice. Our site was very hilly so finding a good spot for our tents was tougher than expected, but we made it work. The river is great for swimming. Hiking at Devil's Gulch is spectacular. Our only major complaint would be our neighbors. They were very loud and rude. Not the campgrounds fault, but it did make our stay less than enjoyable at times.

July 06, 2020

Susan Poust

5.0

A truly hidden gem in South Dakota. The campsites are clean, well maintained, and spacious. The view is spectacular. Great walking distance to a swimming area and kayaking. Many different hiking paths up to Devils gulch. I absolutely love this campground and will make it normal spot for us now.

July 06, 2020

Tara Churchill

4.0

My family really enjoys this campground! Great for kayaking, swimming, fishing and sightseeing. Nice playground for kids. Only downside is there are train tracks right by the campsites and there are constantly trains going by.

July 06, 2020

Greg Thill

3.0

Had site #14 on two different nights. Site needs expansion of the gravel landing area that camper sits on in order to be safe for people using that site. The park overall is nice. Enjoyed the sights and sounds of the waterfall, the kids were fishing all the time, and walking around the park was pleasant.

July 06, 2020

Jessica Clason

3.0

Very nice, small campground! It was clean and other than the trains very quiet. It would be nice if they had a shower house and had mowed the grass but overall a great stay! I won’t hesitate to come back.

July 06, 2020

Michael Jennings

5.0

Very nice park with great sites. There's always something to do.

July 01, 2020

Jesse Hartman

4.0

We had a great time. Our site was muddy but they warned us ahead of time and offered a refund if we didn't want to stay. 2 points that weren't phenomenal, no showers and the train, especially in the middle of the night. But that won't stop us from staying again.

June 30, 2020

Kathy Viestenz

3.0

It was a nice quiet campground and very reasonably priced. Only complaint is they need to clean the porta-potties every day.

June 29, 2020

Tony Nubile

4.0

We really enjoyed our stay at the campground!

June 24, 2020

Megan Pridemore

2.0

Beautiful site & grounds but had major issues w/ electric. Both nights we stayed the breaker was tripped in the middle of the night & AC quit running. We were all asleep so nothing else was running at the time except for a small fan. We did not have this issue at any of the other 4 campgrounds we stayed at so we know for a fact it was just a problem at Split Rock.

June 22, 2020

Campground Response

If you ever have a problem like that again, please get hold of me! We would have had an electrician look at it. What site were you in so we can fix the problem? Thank you, Bruce

Noelle Schnee

5.0

Perfectly clean and full of nature. Loved staying here!

June 22, 2020

Kevin Logan

5.0

Beautiful spots by the river. The train is very loud and goes by every couple hours.

June 22, 2020

Michael Phelps

5.0

Nice quiet three night stay. Plenty to do close by.

June 19, 2020

Steve Wolbrink

5.0

Nice little campground. Best if you like watching/hearing trains! No dump station, but one available just a few blocks away. The pads would be to short for huge rvs, but perfect for my class C!

June 09, 2020

Michael Postma

3.0

There is plenty of stuff to do at this camping destination such as hiking,fishing,swimming, park for the kids, etc. The camping spots are too close together. I have two dogs and one of them doesn’t do well with strangers so my dog had to spend a majority of his time in the camper since the neighbors were too close. We did not have the space for his tie out. Would recommend camping here only if you can’t find a spot somewhere else if you have dogs. Would not recommend this campground if you have a large camper as many neighbors with large campers had issues getting campers in the spots.

June 08, 2020

Stephanie Monroe

3.0

Overall clean and maintained. Grass kept well, amenities as stated. Only 3 stars because gravel pad on site 14e very steep drop off which causes trip/fall hazard when entering/exit camper. Should be leveled. Nice campground though, we will return.

June 05, 2020

Joshua Delaney

5.0

5 stars does'nt give this place the recognition it deserves. I fell asleep each night to the blissful sound of a waterfall. The serenity of this place is amazing. Easily the best campground that we've ever been to.

June 03, 2020

Janet Bartels

5.0

We love this campground!!!!!! So beautiful, relaxing, and fun. Kayaking and fires!!!!!! We camp here alot best place we found so far!!!!!!

June 03, 2020

Joelle Beranek

3.0

The land formations and hiking in this area are lovely. We had a weird experience because there was nearly NOBODY camping there when we stayed. Our spot was nice and shaded... but due to the rain and lack of grass it was very muddy. They were also doing some work to the entrance and waterfall areas... so we heard construction equipment very early in the morning.

June 02, 2020

Josephine Sweeney

5.0

Awesome place right on the water! There are bathrooms and the spots are well distanced from each other.

May 29, 2020

Megan Jones

5.0

Beautiful place but there are only Port a potties for bathrooms.

May 26, 2020

Carol Reif

5.0

Best little campground around. Plenty of hiking, kayaking, and best host for pontoon ride to learn about jessie james.

May 26, 2020

Chris Thompson

5.0

Beautiful and really relaxing! I camp all summer every summer for 10 years and this is by far the best place ! Best perk is your camp spot is right on the the water so you don’t have to leave your camp to fish & the owners are friendly etc I can’t say enough about how awesome this place is ! 5 star fursure

May 21, 2020

Diana Ingram

5.0

Really nice park with affordable camping. It was super cold this weekend, but we still had fun exploring the park and taking in the scenery.

May 12, 2020

Dustin Kowalski

5.0

Very clean and nice, the kids had a lot of fun.Lots of good trails to hike with beautiful sights. The water was off and the camp host even let us fill up at his house. Thank You

May 11, 2020

Jose Vargas

5.0

Nice little clean campground with beautiful scenery. The camp host does a great job and is very helpful.

May 11, 2020

Michelle Peterson

4.0

They just freshened up the parking pads Nice little trails for walking Playground for the kids No mosquitoes Close to train tracks so if you don’t like them this campground wouldn’t be for you There is a pontoon to rent for a ride down the river 30 minutes or so Electrical hookups and tent area Good fishing Pick nik table at every site

May 11, 2020