About this campground
Custer's three camps are marked along the way, and at one camp on the evening of May 28, 1876, the initials of two of the privates were carved on a sandstone boulder now known as Initial Rock. This was Custer's one-way route to his demise at the Battle of the Little Bighorn. W.C. Williams, Company H, and F. Neely, Company M, who left their initials in the sandstone rock, were with the expedition.
Directions
Open in Google Maps →Nearby federal campgrounds
- Little Missouri National GrasslandDakota Prairie National Grasslands9 mi
- Battle of the Badlands Interpretive SiteDakota Prairie National Grasslands13 mi
- Custer Snow CampDakota Prairie National Grasslands16 mi
- Grand River National GrasslandDakota Prairie National Grasslands85 mi
- Cedar River National GrasslandDakota Prairie National Grasslands95 mi
- Blacktail Picnic AreaDakota Prairie National Grasslands96 mi
Explore more South Dakota camping
Initial Rock doesn't take campsite reservations — but plenty of nearby South Dakota campgrounds do, and we'll alert you the moment a sold-out site opens up.
Browse South Dakota camping →Details from Recreation.gov's official RIDB catalog. Conditions change — confirm with the managing office before you go. Not affiliated with Recreation.gov or any federal agency.