Buffalo Gap Fees, Hours and Services
Buffalo Gap National Grassland Hours & Fees
Buffalo Gap National Grassland is open year-round, 24 hours per day. There is no fee to visit the Grassland.
Facilities
The National Grasslands Visitor is located in Wall, South Dakota two blocks south of the Wall Drug Store. The Visitor Center is open year-round. Memorial Day through Labor Day it is open 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., seven days per week. Off season hours are 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday. The Visitor Center features over 20 exhibits highlighting a variety of subjects including Great Plains history, prairie plants and animals, recreational opportunities and management activities on the National Grasslands. Several videos on the Grasslands, Badlands and Black Hills region are shown in a comfortable theatre. The bookstore carries nature, travel and history books as well as posters, postcards and prairie seed packets.
Services
French Creek Campground located 10 miles east of Fairburn, SD is the only developed campground on the Buffalo Gap National Grassland. This is a tent camping area only; first-come, first-served basis. French Creek Campground is open year-round and donations are requested. Pit toilets, fire grills and picnic tables are available at this campsite.
Visitors can primitive camp anywhere on the national grassland. Primitive means no toilet facilities or drinking water. You must take out what you bring in. Some general guidelines are to camp at least 100 feet from lakes, streams, roads and trails. Do not drive more than 300 feet off the roadway to park and camp and you are not allowed to drive where you may do resource damage, especially to wet areas. There is usually a 14-day limit for camping in most areas of the Grassland. No back country permit is required while camping in the Buffalo Gap National Grassland. We recommend that your fire is in a fire pan, and you are ultimately responsible for that campfire. Make sure your fire is put out and cold to the touch of your hand before leaving the area. In hot, dry seasons, there may be fire restrictions that prohibit open flames of any kind.
Food, gas, lodging and camping are also available in the gateway communities of Hot Springs, Edgemont, Hermosa, Interior, Wall and Kadoka.
