Gray Reef Reservoir

We stopped here for a night on our way to the Badlands. What a lovely spot. I'd return here in a heartbeat. If you fish, you are in luck. There is a reservoir and the river, and it looked like a local fishing spot. Just a few other campers on site with us.

There are just a handful of sites, first come, first served. We stayed in #4, which was nearest the dam. If you keep driving past the camping fee kiosk (self-serve) rather than turn into the sites on the left, you will find a very private site right on the reservoir. I wish we'd seen that one before we set up. But most sites are lovely - either right by the river or a few yards off. Because it is so off the beaten path, it was quiet even in late August. A sprinkle of rain surprised us during the night and it was chilly (44 degrees) at night. No puddles for us, but it did not rain much. It was a little windy until the sun set, and the clouds were magical.

Pit toilets, no water or other services. A big plus for some here might be the accessible sites. There is a pretty well-maintained sidewalk both up to the dam and down to the river where someone in a wheelchair could easily access both areas. There is a floating dock for accessible fishing as well. Easy access for the biggest of rigs from the highway. And if for any reason you did not find sites here, there is another campground called Pete's Draw about 1/2 mile further north on Grey Dam Road.

I stayed here in May, 2015 and chose to not stay here in May, 2018. The campground is right next to good fly fishing below the dam and great shore fishing at the reservoir. The sound of the water coming out of the dam makes for great white noise and great sleeping. Fly fishing depends on the amount of water coming out of the dam.

When it rained, the campsites were one big puddle and stayed that way for a couple days. The drainage was poor.

There is no water at the campground. The closest water is at private campground/trailer park down the road from Sloane's store for $.10 per gallon. Supposedly there is a public water spigot at Westside Campground but haven't verified that.