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Commission approves Highline Horse & RV Campground despite neighbors’ safety and trail concerns
Summary
After hours of public comment about Highway 385 traffic hazards, the Mickelson Trail and water-quality and manure handling, the board approved a conditional‑use permit for a 13‑site horse and RV campground with 33 conditions including DOT‑approved access and manure/waste handling requirements.
The Pennington County Board of Commissioners approved a conditional‑use permit for Highline Horse & RV Campground (TK Ranch LLC), a 13‑site commercial RV and horse campground along Highway 385 near the Mickelson Trail, after a lengthy public‑comment period in which nearby residents and trail users described traffic safety and water‑quality concerns.
Planning director Britney Han told the board the county planning commission recommended approval with 33 conditions, and noted the developer had secured a DOT‑approved approach for the property. Dozens of residents spoke at the meeting, citing the blind curve at Dead Man’s Curve, stacked traffic problems during peak tourist months and worries about trail safety where horses share the Mickelson Trail with bicycles and pedestrians.
"This curve is dangerous," said Jeff Hoover, a retired law‑enforcement officer and nearby resident. "I've witnessed people die in traffic accidents on this road and on that curve." Several neighbors called for a summer traffic‑volume safety study before approving commercial use that would increase equestrian and vehicle traffic.
Applicant Timothy McGriff and his representatives said they had prepared a detailed set of mitigation measures. McGriff said the campground would have a community water system, electrical hookups, RV dump facilities and a manure‑management plan. "Our horses aren't going to be allowed to stand in the creek," McGriff told commissioners, adding the project designer had engaged a flood‑mitigation consultant and planned vegetated buffers to reduce runoff.
South Dakota Department of Transportation engineer Bruce Schroeder told the board DOT approved the approach after reviewing sight distance, approach spacing and crash history along the corridor. "This meets our site‑distance criteria by quite a bit and there are significant crashes around Dead Broke Avenue, but most were not related to turning movements," Schroeder said.
Commissioners balanced safety concerns and the DOT findings with the applicant's mitigation commitments and conditions recommended by staff and the planning commission. After discussion — and requests to ensure manure removal, buffer planting and off‑season monitoring — the board granted the permit with the 33 conditions that cover waste management, traffic mitigation and operations. Commissioners directed staff to coordinate follow‑up with DOT and state agencies where appropriate.
The approval drew both applause and frustration in the public gallery. Opponents said they will continue to monitor permit compliance and ask state and county staff for follow‑up engineering and water‑quality sampling. The board said the conditions are intended to protect adjacent trail users and nearby residents and will be enforced through county permit conditions and follow‑up inspections.
The conditional‑use permit decision is final unless appealed under county code.
