Ingalls Homestead Campground

We had a great time here even though it was 100 degrees! They had cold bottles of water sold on the honor system (in 2012). It was surreal to pump their well pump and see Pa's actual cottonwood trees. Our kids really enjoyed all the hands-on activities that showed them what everyday life was like for the Ingalls.

ACK! I am starting not to like this app. TOAD hunting, not road hunting!!! Lol.

Loved it. Stayed overnight in the bunkhouse and took 3-4 hours in the morning to tour the Homestead! If you go overnight in the summer, you might want to take the kids road hunting; they were right by the shower rooms (which BTW are not very private... Well, the men's, at least - probably the only downside of our stop) .

We just finished a two month trip that included Yellowstone and the Grand Canyon, but my kids will probably tell you that the Ingalls Homestead was their favorite stop. the Ingalls Homestead is a living history site on the property where Laura Ingalls Wilder's family homesteaded; they have 4 RV sites here (along with covered wagons and a bunkhouse for rent and tent camping), and after closing time the people staying overnight have the whole place to themselves. My kids spent the evenings riding bikes around and visiting all the baby animals (a calf, two foals, chicks, and two litters of kittens). Only negative is that the sites are right next to a grassy slope which can make backing in a little harrowing. If you have a longer trailer, I suggest requesting site 1 or 2 so that you have more room to maneuver before the hill starts. Sites themselves are pretty basic, w/e, fairly well spaced, with picnic tables and fire rings....and beautiful views of the surrounding prairie and farmland. You have to drive a little ways down a dirt road to get to the homestead, but it was flat and straight and well maintained. Very close to downtown De Smet and other Little House sites to tour. Well worth the detour if you're traveling on I90.

If you are a fan of the "Little House on the Prairie" book series, you've got to stay at the Ingalls Homestead! This is the original property where the Ingalls family lived from 1880 to 1888, just over one mile outside of De Smet, South Dakota.

The homestead has 4 RV spots (all back-in sites with water/electric and a dump station) that are mere feet away from the historical buildings on the property. After taking the homestead tour, be sure and see the historical buildings in De Smet and the town cemetery. We saw it all in less than a day and then enjoyed the peaceful views of the prairie from our RV spot at the homestead that night.

Learn more at https://www.ingallshomestead.com.

We went on a 9 day little house on the prairie tour from Mansfield, MO to Walnut Grove. The Ingalls homestead was by far our favorite stop. We had one night booked but decided to stay another night and would have stayed more if we had time. This place is a gem. Property is absolutely beautiful. Open sky with more stars than I have ever see . There is so much to do here my kids didn’t want to leave. There is a horse and a pony that you can ride. Kids can learn to do laundry the old fashioned way. They also made a button toy, rope and corn cob dolls. There is a horse carriage ride that brings you to the school where a teacher re-enacts school from back in the day. Even my grandpa enjoyed it as they had old farming equipment and machines. They are super friendly and suggested we borrow their golf cart for my grandpa so we could see all of the property. By far the best place we have stayed!

There are few places more beautiful to camp than on the original Ingalls Homestead. They have only 4 sites available, but here’s a secret...they let you dry-camp in the parking lot for only $10
That’s not printed anywhere on their website, they told us this on the phone And we were the only ones down on the lot near the grass with our own picnic table and fire pit, far away from the other RVs. Once the tourists are gone and the sun begins to set, the stars come out and the fireflies put on a show.

Visiting the Ingalls Homestead was a must-do for the summer trip we planned for our granddaughter. Fortunately, they were open even with Covid-19. It surpassed our expectations in every way.

There are 4 RV sites with water and electric. Ours had 50 amp. The sites are on a hill by the shop/visitor center and overlook the homestead property and surrounding farmlands. It is a stunning setting. The sites are level, gravel, and have a picnic table and firepit. There are bunkhouses and adorable covered wagons if you are not RVing.

Admission to the grounds is an additional $15/person for the whole length of your stay. The grounds contain a dugout, shanty, a couple barns, garage, church, schoolhouse, etc that aren't original to the property, but very similar to what would have been there.

Part of the allure of staying there is that you can walk through the grounds day or night. The grounds are immaculately clean. The 2 barns had 2 litters of kittens that were so fun to play with. One barn contained 2 week old bull calves that our granddaughter got to help bottle feed. The owners bring horses from their pasture next to the homestead every day for a covered wagon ride, pony cart ride, miniature horse ride, or large horse ride. There were also baby mules and a baby Percheron.

The animals were a huge draw for our granddaughter, but seeing the types of houses Laura Ingalls lived in, getting water from a well and using a washboard and wringer to "do laundry", try out a pump organ and treadle sewing machine, and trying out various wagons and stagecoaches filled her time, also. During day visitor hours, you can make rope and a corncob doll also.

We lucked out and the family next to us had a daughter that became friends with our granddaughter. It was wonderful for them to be able to run to the barn by themselves to see the kittens, etc. The friend cried when she left and our granddaughter said it was almost as good as Disneyland for her.

The owners are on site always keeping things pristine and are so friendly and gracious and teach the children about the homestead.

I cannot recommend it highly enough, especially if you have children and want them to see what life was like on the prairie.

Follow the signs along the road for the Homestead rather than what the Garmin says. It led us past the homestead and on a fairly long dirt road with some pretty huge ruts in it. The signs on the road require you to go a very short distance on a dirt/gravel road, but it is in MUCH better condition.

We had Verizon service that seemed to be ok, but to be honest, we barely used it because we were too busy having fun.

Their RV sites were booked full but we were able to park in the parking lot for $10 a night. The kids loved the ability to enjoy the activities both days by just walking up the hill. The owners are super nice and very welcoming.

I stayed here two days in one of their RV sites and it was so completely worth it. Every part of this place feels lovingly tended and the folks who operate it are very kind. There’s plenty to do and explore (and read! The gift shop has a great diversity of books), and just being on the property felt special. Lots of sweet animals and interesting plants. This is a special place and easily one of my favorite stays — ever!