Pickeral lake
Laine henman
8/12/2026
Always use your surge protector to check your power poles before plugging in
Be sure to check your power post with your surge protector upon arrival before plugging in. My 30 amp outlet said that it had reverse polarity. And luckily, I had a 50 amp adapter and the surge protector said that was wired correctly. This can be a dangerous situation for both your camper and your person and should be addressed as soon as possible.
Happy camper
8/12/2026
Overall Experience
3.0
Services
3.0
Facilities
3.5
Pickerel Lake West Unit
Legend1
8/6/2026
Love the lake, not the reservation process
We've been going to pickerel lake for over 30 years. Mostly, it's great. Twice it's been "Halloween" on the weekend we are there, but unfortunately there is no notice ahead of time so we didn't have decor or costumes.
Main grudge - making reservations is so difficult and people reserve early and hoard sites and cabins making it almost impossible and then you arrive and sometimes they are empty for days. So sad.
Hate the Reservations
8/6/2026
Overall Experience
2.8
Services
2.3
Facilities
3.6
Targeted by staff
We have been coming here for over 15 years and never had issues like this time. A staff member repeatedly targeted our group (families with young children) for little things and found something wrong with what we were doing every day. He even took photos of our group/vehicles. When approached about the rules he admitted he didn’t really know what the rules were, just what he had been told. We witnessed other groups doing the same “wrongdoings” and he said that “it was different” but could not tell us how it was any different.
Lakelife
7/30/2026
Overall Experience
3.8
Services
2.3
Facilities
4.0
Great
Camp host was so helpful
Sunshine
7/29/2026
Overall Experience
5.0
Services
5.0
Facilities
4.1
Dissapointed and angry over fences being installed over paths.
We have been camping at Pickeral Lake East Campground for years. Whoever made the decision on installing fences in paths that lead to the lower bathroom facilities needs to remove them. Definitely a person that does not camp made the decision. When staying in the upper camping area it is a great inconvenience to walk several times more when going to take shower due to the new fences. I have talked to several others in the campground and they feel it is a joke what was done. Reach out to me if you want 605-228-5858
Camper Buck
7/23/2026
Overall Experience
4.0
Services
4.2
Facilities
3.7
Good but needs some updating.
I think a few updates to the bathrooms would be great! A better ventilation system would be great. The mosquitoes were really bad during the night & we wouldn't even enjoy a bonfire all weekend.
LLG
7/23/2026
Overall Experience
4.0
Services
5.0
Facilities
4.3
SD Campground Gem
This campground is quaint with gorgeous lake views, beautiful sunsets, perfect beach and great trails for outdoor enthusiasts! If you're looking for a relaxing, peaceful campground, this is the one.
RiverLover605
7/22/2026
Overall Experience
5.0
Services
5.0
Facilities
5.0
Pickerel Rec Area
Erika
7/22/2026
Bathrooms
For paying $60. Per night the shower should be better. I’ve ran across this in every state park we stay in. You need to put in shower headthat could come straight out on top and spray straight down over the person. Most off them have a tiny stay head on them that spray out to the point that the water goes outside of the curtain and gets the floor wet outside the curtain. We were just at west campground on Piceral Lake. The handicap stall in the men’s is the one I used and the water shot against the curtain and got the floor wet where I needed to stand when I was done. Also there is no shelf to hold your shampoo or soap. The second shower I also looked at had another one of those tiny shower heads that is also un adjustable and just sprays straight out. I wish all the parks would have the kind that I suggested. If they could go straight out and straight down on the person. Mainly so the water stays in the shower area. Thank-you.
Jake
7/22/2026
Overall Experience
4.3
Services
5.0
Facilities
4.6
Family Fun
Julie
7/16/2026
Hot times
we stayed on pad #70 with our 5th wheel. the pad is long and easy to back into. need a couple boards to level on pad. Nice hike in the morning up the trail to the monuments. Hot week/ weekend. Fishing was OK.
Columbus 250
7/15/2026
Overall Experience
5.0
Services
5.0
Facilities
4.8
as expected
camp hosts drove by at least every 20 minutes, got redundant and for the people driving by on motorcycles all day long, ridiculous. It would be a lot quieter and nicer if people would NOT drive by or walk by all day long...we go out to sit and relax not have people going back and forth every minute. I could just as well stay home for all that nonsense.
danjoson
7/15/2026
Overall Experience
3.5
Services
1.0
Facilities
3.0
Rat nest
The east park used to be convenient for campers but not any more. The management has brush piles all around the park which is creating mouse, rat, and snake habitat in close proximity to the camp sites. All of the old paths or trails are either fenced off or brush piles blocking the path and in some cases both. The manager stated the path were closed because they were to close to camp pads but they have one trail that goes between three camp pads and a cabin. The small dock on the south side still goes between two campsites so that shows the management only wants to inconvenient campers.
Disappointed
7/8/2026
Overall Experience
1.8
Services
2.6
Facilities
2.9
A nice campground. The only downside was the dust coming through the campground from the gravel road to the south.
Timothy
7/5/2026
Good campground
Happy Camper
7/3/2026
Overall Experience
4.5
Services
4.8
Facilities
5.0
Pickerel is a great time everytime
The staff up at Pickerel Lake do such an amazing job of planning family, friendly events. We’ve camped here the last two years and each weekend there has been something fun to do with our kids that’s led by the staff. Both the east and West campgrounds are well-maintained with large pads. And enough space so you aren’t on top of your neighbors.
WolfCrew
7/1/2026
Overall Experience
5.0
Services
5.0
Facilities
5.0
Blocked trails
camper
6/28/2026
Camping life
Closure of some paths not good.
Johnny Good
6/25/2026
Overall Experience
5.0
Services
5.0
Facilities
4.7
Pathway gone
The pathway from the upper level to the lower level (playground, shower house) has been closed off. I always reserved site 66E because of the path. I have been taking my grandkids camping with us in that site for the last 7 years, so the path came in very handy. I will start reserving other sites due to the path being blocked off.
Grandparent
6/23/2026
Overall Experience
3.3
Services
4.0
Facilities
2.9
Another great stay at Pickerel Lake!
This was my third time at Pickerel Lake Recreation Area (West Camping Loop), I’m so impressed every time I visit this clean and well-run park. We stayed in one of the camping cabins which was well-equipped and comfortable. The bathrooms and showers are impressively clean for a park of this nature and the guests in neighboring sites were quiet and respectful. My only (minor) complaint is the fact that the street lamp next to our cabin never turned off; understandable for safety reasons but impacted our ability to stargaze while enjoying our campfire and deck. Aside from that, the reservation process was easy, the staff friendly and efficient, and we really enjoyed our visit.
Fitz
6/17/2026
Overall Experience
5.0
Services
5.0
Facilities
4.9
Was at the West park and be really careful when entering and exiting because of overhanging trees which scrape the top and sides of the campers causing scratching and broken vent covers.
I have camped on the East and Weat parks and both sides have tree branches overhanging the road and campsites so that campers hit them. This problem isn't new and management has done nothing to remedy the situation. There was no rental kayaks , canoes or paddle boards at either park.
easyman
6/10/2026
Overall Experience
2.0
Services
2.0
Facilities
1.9
Disappointing
The weather was raining so we left a day early on Saturday May 30th. In the past when weather was an issue we were given a refund. When we called on Monday we were told no refund would be given because it was after the fact. We would have told someone at the park but now park personnel were to be found.
Seasoned camper
6/3/2026
Overall Experience
5.0
Services
5.0
Facilities
5.0
East Pickerel
East Pickerel used to be a really nice and convenient park. This year the management has block all the path in the park the trees overhang on the road so that they scrape the campers coming in. The night and weekend staff seldom check on the vault rollers and it took over 2 days to place doggie bags at the comfort station. The fishing dock and the kayak docks were still not in place. All the paths from the top camping area to the comfort station were blocked so that campers and children had to walk the road with traffic coming the wrong way on the one way road.
easyman
5/29/2026
Overall Experience
2.0
Services
2.0
Facilities
2.3
Mixed Weather Weekend
The Good Life
5/29/2026
Overall Experience
4.8
Services
5.0
Facilities
3.3
Blocked Trails - WHY on earth have shortcuts from the upper level to the playground and bathrooms been blocked?
Griz
5/22/2026
Wonderful Weekend
We had a wonderful weekend. We were sitting by our campfire and were able to experience the Northern Lights just over the trees. We drove up to the fish cleaning station and got some beautiful pictures there and then drove down to the water for even more pictures
Happy Camper 605
5/20/2026
Overall Experience
5.0
Services
5.0
Facilities
5.0
It would be nice to be able to drive to the campsite without having to try and miss all the overhanging tree branches that hit the top of the camper and air conditioning units. The branches overhang.
Easyman
5/20/2026
Weekend get away
Mgeug
5/20/2026
Pickerel Lake Spring Outing
Legend1
5/19/2026
Turkey Hunt Stay
Legend1
5/4/2026
Nice and quiet
Im not very good at backing my camper in, I'd like to see more drive thru spots
Amy
10/8/2025
Overall Experience
5.0
Services
5.0
Facilities
5.0
Love Pickeral lake.
Beautiful state park. The bugs were horrible and not sure if they spray or not. We used tempo on our spot. Helped a bit but this summer more spraying needed to be done.
Camper duo
10/1/2025
Overall Experience
5.0
Services
5.0
Facilities
3.8
Fall trip
Bigspender
9/26/2025
Fall visit
bigspender
9/25/2025
Camping Cabin at Pickerel Lake
Chucklesf
9/25/2025
Always a pleasant stay
Gonfootin
9/17/2025
Manager failures
The park manager is seldom seen and prefers winter time so that there are no campers in the park. I was told be the park and regional managers that I did to much volunteer work that the managers could not find enough work for the paid staff. The manager also makes up stories which aren’t true.
Shafted
9/12/2025
Overall Experience
3.3
Services
2.5
Facilities
3.2
Gooooooood
Comfort station was clean. There a a little “library “ there to borrow books from. Went sight seeing at Camp NE-SO-DAK to see where my family had school camps before
Camper crazy
9/8/2025
Overall Experience
5.0
Services
5.0
Facilities
4.8
Great Time
Very nice campground facilities, liked having access to a sheltered harbor and fish cleaning station.
Minnesota Family
9/4/2025
Overall Experience
5.0
Services
5.0
Facilities
5.0