Toadstool Geological Park and Campground

A cool place to get out and do a short, 1 mile education hike or there are longer hikes you can do. Interesting formations with fossils and depending on the time of the year, there are wildflowers. Nice, shaded picnic spots as well as dry camping spots. A neat little sod house to explore and cattle herds in the area.

This campsite was BEAUTIFUL! We had trouble finding the information so here is info on the rental process: -Sites are reserved on a first come first serve basis, with a trust/envelope system. It is cash only so be sure to bring some. It is $7.50-$15.00 a night depending on your status. -There is no water on site, only vaulted toilets. I thought the toilets were very clean for what they were though. There is no hand sanitizer or light after dark, so bring both and lots of drinking water. There was also a high fire risk so we couldn’t start a fire which can affect food so plan accordingly. -There are no trees so it can get very hot, and the plains make it pretty windy. We had cloud cover and nearby rain helped cool things down. However each campsite does have a covered picnic table. -the park is about a 30 minute road down a gravel road, so it feels pretty remote. It can feel risky making the drive without knowing for sure that a site will be available. -We were there on a Sunday evening in early May, and 2 of the 6 total tent sites were taken. Plenty of parking for hiking, as well as a few spots for RVs. The camp sites are right off of the parking lot, you are about 50 feet away from the next camping site, so not super secluded but you do have plenty of space. We couldn’t hear them at all everyone pretty much kept to themselves. The sod house was cool to look at, but the trails were our favorite part. Waking up to the sunrise outside of our tent was wonderful and exploring the park was great.

The area is spectacular with some great hiking options. The camping and picnic area is also very nice. The only problem was that we had to drive quite a while on a gravel road to get there.

*This was my third trip here, but the first time I came specifically to camp and enjoy the stars due to the minimal light pollution. I actually thought this was a designated dark sky area but can't find that information anywhere. Unfortunately, there was some pretty decent cloud cover so I didn't get the star sights I wanted. *The website says there are 6 camping spots but it appears they have added more, there seems to be at least a dozen now. $15 dee to stay the night. There are sites with sun shelters, picnic tables and fire pits. *Vault toilets are available, bring your own hand sanitizer 😬 The geological features are truly unique and so neat. There are plenty of hiking trails you can take through the park to see all the features, just watch where you walk as there are steep dropoffs and if you aren't paying attention I can see where it would be easy to get lost/turned around and not able to see where the parking lot is. *Make sure you take the trek up to this remote location to see some truly unique land formations!

Great park for a good price. We were hunting for Fairburn agates. Ha! Did we find any? Well, not yet. I still had a great time and my only warning is the mosquitoes are mighty hungry so be prepared!

This place is a hidden gem. It is a gorgeous park and you must see it if you are in the area. There were amazing and unique rock formations that the trail takes you over and through. It is a budget friendly activity and there are places to camp. It is a bit of the main roads but well worth the drive. It had vault toilets as well as trash cans. There was a lot of educational information on how the park formed.

Visited in the fall (Early October) and had the entire area to ourselves. We loved walking/hiking around the toadstools and exploring on our own. The campground is pretty nice for being in the middle of nowhere and the toilets were clean and in good condition. There were 6 or 7 campsites (no power or water) and could accommodate up to a 30’ camper.

We drove down for the day from Rapid City. It’s an easy drive, but be aware several miles are on a gravel road. Bring lots of water! We were there longer than expected exploring the trails. It’s a very unique place in the middle of the grasslands. Cascade Falls is also near by, and was a neat swimming hole to cool off after a hot day at Toadstool.

Going to Toadstool Geologic Park was best thing we've done on our vacation so far. The park is beautiful and interesting, offering both easy and challenging hikes. There was a guy named Richard in the parking lot giving out free sunscreen, vacation advice and maps. He even took our picture. He's a great guy who just loves the park and works for free. If you see him tell him Tim, Sutevee and Hope say hi! PS - don't forget to pay your park fee. It's very cheap and helps keep the park maintained.

Nice walking loop through the park. Takes about an hour. Get the paper guide at the entrance, though. Watch for snakes. But we never saw any.

Very interesting place. And marvelous. Met a gentleman named Richard there. My experience talking to him may have been as rewarding as the visit itself. Thank you Richard and toadstool park!

My family and I love to go hiking out here. My kids are young, 5 & 3, and there are a few places they need help, but overall family friendly. It is unlike anything else in the area and offers a unique view of the landscape. A few warnings for "out-of-towners" DO NOT VENTURE here is it is raining or has rained in the last 8 hours or if it has snowed. YOU WILL GET STUCK and it is not close to town. The locals are accommodating but you will be stuck for awhile due to the location of the park. As mentioned previously, in the summer months the mosquitoes are horrible. A good mosquito repellent, long sleeved shirts and pants are recommended. Absolutely worth the trip.

The toadstools itself are phenomenal and this hidden gem is definitely worth a visit. There weren't a lot of people here, which is always a plus. However, I don't understand why nobody mentioned it before but there are MILLIONS of mosquitoes everywhere! I mean, the second you open the door from your car, there was at least 40 mosquitoes on each of my legs and arms. And that's at any time during the day - afternoon, evening, middle of the night, 5am, any time. My boyfriend and i were planning to camp here for two nights but left after the first night because constantly getting attacked by huge mosquitoes is not only uncomfortable but also absolutely terrifying. You can see them bouncing on the windows of the car. We've been living in our VW Vanagon for over a month now traveling cross country and we've never this many mosquitoes ever, anywhere before. Yikes!

It's Out there. Quiet for camping, except for the train and the wind. families bring their rugrats for the 20 minute tour. It's hot, so kids probably wouldn't enjoy the longer hike, but it's fun to go through the hot badlands bits and come out on the grassland. It's about 4 miles to the buffalo burial grounds (Hudson-meng).

One of my favorites in the area. Not happy about the vandalism there. Nice drive to the park

Unique, beautiful, off the beaten path. So glad we took the time to visit. One of a kind and a Nebraska treasure. Respect and protect it. A few primitive campsites there for low daily rate. Very clean outhouses. no running water that we could see.

We really enjoyed our visit to Toadstool Geological Park. Great hiking. Clean. We will visit here again if we are ever in the area.

I'm reviewing this because no one else has and it's a wonderful place.If you were parachuted into Toadstool without being told you were in Nebraska , you'd almost certainly think this was New Mexico or Arizona.The place is deceptive .You think it's going to be an easy hike and then it gets a bit tough as the hills get mysteriously higher and more torturous.You are never that high but don't underestimate Toadstool .Wear hiking boots and bring water.It is also a great place to watch endless western trains.In all events remember , this is not the Mid West, it's the beginning of the "real" West( well strictly speaking that honor may belong to Chimney Rock).

Stopped by here on my way back to Colorado and was so happy that I did! It is way out there and tucked away, but that is what makes it so great. It's not crowded at all. When I got there a couple was just leaving, so I had the park to myself for nearly my entire time hiking there. There are several campsites, but none were occupied. Not sure if I'll go back because it's rare that I go through that area, but so glad I stopped there today!