Sheridan Lake Swimming Beach
Rapid City, South Dakota · Black Hills National Forest
Verified · 6 independent sources
- WATER
- lake
- ACCESS
- Designated swim area
- FEE
- $7 per vehicle
- SEASON
- Year-round
About Sheridan Lake Swimming Beach
Sheridan Lake Swimming Beach is the north-shore designated swimming hole at Sheridan Lake, a ~375-400 acre USFS reservoir on Spring Creek in the Black Hills National Forest, about 15 miles west of Rapid City, South Dakota. For anyone in the area wanting a lake to swim in, it is officially described by the Forest Service as the largest swim beach in the Black Hills National Forest, paired with a smaller swim beach on the lake's south shore.
The beach sits on the north shore of Sheridan Lake, a reservoir formed by a 1939 earthen dam within the pine-forested Black Hills, with a marina, boat launch, picnic area, and group campground on the same shore per the Forest Service.
Swimming at Sheridan Lake Swimming Beach
Swimming is the primary designated activity at this day-use beach; a first-hand account describes the lake's water as calm and suited to families, kayaking, and casual swimming rather than fast current or big waves. About 0.3 miles away at Dakota Point on the lake's northeastern shore, some visitors also cliff jump into deep water, though that is a distinct informal feature from the official swim beach itself.
How to get to this swimming hole
From Rapid City, take Highway 16 west 18 miles to Three Forks; turn right (north) on Highway 385 and travel 3 miles to Sheridan Lake Road; turn right and travel 1 mile to the north shore.
Parking: Day-use lot at the beach/marina area serving vehicles paying the day-use fee; specific capacity not documented on the official page.
The walk in
No real hike here. The water is a short walk from where you park. Drive-up designated swim beach with an adjacent day-use parking lot; no hike is needed to reach the water. (Several USFS trailheads - Dakota Point, Calumet, Flume Trail #50, Spring Creek - are within 0.3-1.8 mi of the beach for those who want to hike separately, but none are required to access the swimming area.)
Plan your visit
Bringing kids
Good for kids
This is a Forest Service-designated swim beach on a calm reservoir with no current; Recreation.gov lists 'Accessible Swimming' among the lake's activities and describes the complex as 'an ideal spot for a fun, family camping experience.' No source confirms lifeguards on duty, so supervise children as at any unguarded beach. The separate Dakota Point cliff-jumping spot (~0.3 mi away, a distinct informal feature of the same lake) is not kid-appropriate and had a fatal fall in 2011.
Parking
Paid, $7 per vehicle for day use, or $50 annual pass
Day-use lot at the beach/marina area on Sheridan Lake's north shore; the Forest Service page does not state lot capacity or surface type.
Restrooms
Yes
Vault toilet(s) at the swim beach itself, per the U.S. Forest Service site page.
Hours
Day use only, 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m., per the U.S. Forest Service.
On the water
Recreation.gov lists Boating, Kayaking, Canoeing, Motor Boat, and Water Skiing as activities at the Sheridan Lake complex, and the Forest Service's Sheridan Lake Complex page confirms both motorized and non-motorized boating with boat launches on the north and south shores. No no-wake, electric-only, or other watercraft restriction was found in official sources, though waterskiing being listed implies motorboats with wake are permitted. The north-shore marina offers boat slip rentals plus groceries and angler supplies (per USFS), but no source confirms it rents kayaks/canoes/paddleboards to visitors, so paddleboard is not included in the allowed list and no rental listing is given below.
What regulars say
One Black Hills regular who has visited personally calls Sheridan Lake 'one of my favorite places to kayak' and describes it as the 'best lake to kayak on, smooth and limited boats,' i.e., calmer and less congested with motorized traffic than some other Black Hills lakes. The same account notes the lake has two swim beaches, a marina/store, and wildlife like osprey, elk, and geese.
Backstory
Sheridan Lake was created by the 1939 Sheridan Dam and covers the site of the former town of Sheridan, which was Pennington County's first county seat, per Wikipedia.
Sheridan Lake Swimming Beach: FAQ
Does Sheridan Lake Swimming Beach charge a fee?
$7 per vehicle for day use, or a $50 annual pass, per the U.S. Forest Service site.
Is Sheridan Lake Swimming Beach kid friendly?
This is a Forest Service-designated swim beach on a calm reservoir with no current; Recreation.gov lists 'Accessible Swimming' among the lake's activities and describes the complex as 'an ideal spot for a fun, family camping experience.' No source confirms lifeguards on duty, so supervise children as at any unguarded beach. The separate Dakota Point cliff-jumping spot (~0.3 mi away, a distinct informal feature of the same lake) is not kid-appropriate and had a fatal fall in 2011.
Do I need to hike to reach Sheridan Lake Swimming Beach?
No significant hike is required. The swimming area is close to parking and access.
Where do I park for Sheridan Lake Swimming Beach?
Day-use lot at the beach/marina area on Sheridan Lake's north shore; the Forest Service page does not state lot capacity or surface type.
Can I bring a kayak or paddleboard to Sheridan Lake Swimming Beach?
Recreation.gov lists Boating, Kayaking, Canoeing, Motor Boat, and Water Skiing as activities at the Sheridan Lake complex, and the Forest Service's Sheridan Lake Complex page confirms both motorized and non-motorized boating with boat launches on the north and south shores. No no-wake, electric-only, or other watercraft restriction was found in official sources, though waterskiing being listed implies motorboats with wake are permitted. The north-shore marina offers boat slip rentals plus groceries and angler supplies (per USFS), but no source confirms it rents kayaks/canoes/paddleboards to visitors, so paddleboard is not included in the allowed list and no rental listing is given below.
When is the best time to visit Sheridan Lake Swimming Beach?
Open year-round for day use, but swim buoys at the companion south-shore beach are typically installed in early May and removed by mid-October depending on weather and reservoir levels, suggesting a similar warm-season swim window lake-wide.
What are the rules at Sheridan Lake Swimming Beach?
Day use only, 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m., per the U.S. Forest Service. Stage 2 fire restrictions were in effect in the Black Hills National Forest as of the source page's last update. Alcohol is banned at the nearby Dakota Point cliff-jumping area (separate feature of the same lake) following a 2011 fatal fall.
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