Toadstool Geological Park and Campground

The geology in the area is amazing. If you can be there at dusk or dawn...the photo opportunities are amazing. There is a great hiking trail that has points of interest marked along the way that correspond to a brochure that you get at the start. There will be NO shade and if you are there in the summer it will be hot, hot, hot. Bring plenty of water.. none is available on location. The hike might be a bit challenging for some, but I saw kids of all ages hiking the trail. Just remind them that this is also rattlesnake country, so stay on the trail. There are six campsites that are there for a small fee and an outhouse. Camping there at night is awesome as there is almost no light pollution. Sky will be stunning. The gravel road in has potholes and MAJOR wash boarding. The last part of the road crosses a train line. Trains runs every few hours and can be very long. Be sure to have a full tank of gas before going there. If you love geology... you'll love this place.

We really enjoyed the park! The guide was super helpful and interesting and we would most definitely recommend people to visit!

Beautiful scenery! You can climb around the rock formations and it's very exciting! The one bad part about the camping site is that there was no running water.

Also, the camping fee is $15 not $5.

Be advised friends Toadstool Road is just dirt and gravel. Fun in a truck, not so much in a sedan for 12 miles coming from South Dakota, especially because there are odd ridged patterns in the road that at times make your steering wheel vibrate at only 25 mph. If you’re looking for solitude, camp in mid November. Amazing view of stars ⭐️ ✅ Beautiful sunset 🌅 ✅ sound of train 🚂 ✅. Sites have fire pit with grill over it, sheltered picnic table, and driveway. That’s it. The port a john was clean and had toilet paper. Payment is based on honor system. No wildlife spotted in area. When the train isn’t passing, it’s so quiet you could probably hear an animal step in the dry grass about 50 yards away.

Great stop for our family of four (kids age 12 and 10)! After visiting Scott's Bluff where all signs say you must stay on the path, this was a fun place to explore, climb, and experience the landscape. Expect about 12 miles on dirt/gravel road to reach your destination. It's free and there's nobody there; be sure to bring your own water. We spent about an hour and a half there. You can definitely spend more time there to explore more of the area. It was a family favorite!

It took forever to find this place because it's out by absolutely nothing except cows in all directions. There is a train track for sure on the North entrance that had 4 long trains moving along the area. My GPS took me on a route that was not shorter or less complicated, make sure you are on the best route before starting. Once we got out there, there is a self service day use fee, a campground that has NO running water. Port-a-pottys but NO hand cleanser. There is a trail on the peaks to follow which we didn't know about until Midway thru and found people. There's a box at the gate with information pamphlets about each numbered wood post on the trail. Bring a backpack with water so that you can climb without getting sick. Kids LOVE this place so bring extra water to rehydrate them after playing.

I visit this park multiple times a year, I love it. Be warned that it gets incredibly windy there and hot in the summer. It is near a train track so expect the bright headlights to shine on the rock formations at night basically ruining any kind of astrotimelapse you may attempt.