South Dakota whitewater, Rapid Creek Pennington county, Big Bend to Hiesga section whitewater kayaking, rafting, and paddling information.   CLASS II(III)     3 miles   Short season for this river.. From about April to the end of June are about the only suitable months due to normally very low water levels. Two parts to this creek though. Above or below Pactola reservoir. Below is going to be regulated by how much water there letting out and above can be much better, depending on how much rainfall or snow runoff there is. Says Chace The starting point is not too far from Rapid City. The natural     beauty of South Dakota and the cool fresh water are in themselves reasons enough to come here to paddle. This stretch of Rapid Creek in South Dakota is 3 miles long and is rated by American Whitewater as a class II(III) section. This river system is full of great paddling sections, the Big Bend to Hiesga section is just one of them. Whitewater rafting and kayaking spots in South Dakota tend to be more forgiving than the national average, so you'd better keep in mind that many of the sections in this state are safe for beginners. A bit of exercise and just hanging out with mother nature have a lot of people coming here. If you'll be staying in a hotel you're   in luck, lodging is available very near the river, but if you don’t have reservations you might end up sleeping in your car. The campgrounds here at Rapid Creek are pretty good. This section is quite short so it's not like you're gonna spend hours on the river in one stretch. No matter if you're whitewater rafting or kayaking there are not so many other good spots for that around here. Briefly about the general area: Here at Rapid Creek there are plenty of folks from Rapid City; if you're looking for a wonderful spree, Mount Rushmore National Memorial is quite near. Rapid Creek is typically a quite dried out spot.     Stats Stats for this river stretch Weather Local weather forecast These outdoors activities are available near Rapid Creek.   Whitewater Near Rapid Creek: Rapid Creek, Pennington County, 0 miles away       Class II - -blank- miles long (Pactola spillway to Johnson Siding) Rapid Creek, Pennington County, 0 miles away       Class II+ - 3 miles long (Johnson Siding to Big Bend) Rapid Creek, Pennington County, 0 miles away       Class III - 8 miles long (Heisga to Dark Canyon) Battle Creek, Pennington County, 15 miles away       Class III-IV(V) - 4 miles long (Harney to Hayward)   Ski Areas Near Rapid Creek: Terry Peak, South Dakota , 48 miles away, 1100 foot drop, 6 lifts, 24 runs   Hotels Near Rapid Creek: MainStay Suites Rapid City, Rapid City , 1 miles away Cambria Hotel & Suites Rapid City, Rapid City , 2 miles away Comfort Suites Rapid City, Rapid City , 2 miles away Fairfield Inn & Suites Rapid City, Rapid City , 2 miles away Sleep Inn & Suites Rapid City, Rapid City , 2 miles away   Campgrounds Near Rapid Creek: Berry Patch RV Campground, Rapid City, 1 miles away Pactola and Sheridan Lake, Rapid City, 3 miles away Lazy J RV Park and Kampground, Rapid City, 5 miles away   Trails Near Rapid Creek: Flume Trail, Pennington , 17 miles away   Public Lands Near Rapid Creek: Mount Rushmore National Memorial, Keystone - SD , 15 miles away Jewel Cave National Monument, Custer - SD , 33 miles away Custer State Park, South Dakota , 17 miles away Bear Butte State Park, South Dakota , 26 miles away Angostura Recreation Area, South Dakota , 38 miles away   Golf Courses Near Rapid Creek: Lacroix Links YMCA Golf Course, Rapid City , 3 miles away Arrowhead Country club, Rapid City , 3 miles away Executive Golf Course, Rapid City , 4 miles away   Lakes Near Rapid Creek Sheridan Lake, Pennington , 20 miles away