• An explosion of light as the sun strikes the waters of the Missouri National Recreational River

    Missouri

    National Recreational River SD,NE

Campgrounds

Camping in a state park near the river

Camping near the river

Missouri National Recreational River Camping
The National Park Service operates no developed campgrounds in the park. Primitive, Leave-No-Trace camping is available at the 220 acre Bow Creek Recreation Area, which is accessible only on foot or by boat. Developed campsites are provided by our partners:

Corps Of Engineers
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers manages two campgrounds in the Gavins Point Dam area: Cottonwood and Nebraska Tailwaters, both in Nebraska. For reservations call 1-877-444-6777 or go online for reservations. Reservations are taken for the period from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend.

Nebraska State Parks

  • Lewis and Clark Lake State Recreation Area - just above Gavins Point Dam - has 150 camping pads with hookup areas, 24 non-pad sites with electrical hook-ups and 140 non-pad sites without electricity.
  • Ponca State Park - just 25 miles outside Sioux City, Iowa - has 92 camping pads with electrical hookups, 75 non-pad sites without electricity and 31 cabins that can be reserved.
  • Niobrara State Park - just outside of the village of Niobrara 76 camping pads with electrical hookups,30 dispersed non-pad sites without electricity and 20 cabins that may be reserved.

For camping reservations at these Nebraska State Parks call 402-471-1414 or go online.

South Dakota State Parks

  • Lewis and Clark State Recreation Area - located just a few miles outside of Yankton, this is the most visited outdoor recreation area in the eastern half of South Dakota. It has hundreds of sites along with a number of rental cabins at five different campgrounds: Gavins Point, East Midway, West Midway, Yankton and Horse Trail Camp. The area also includes the Chief Wite Crane and Pierson Ranch campgrounds.
  • Springfield State Recreation Area - is between Yankton and Fort Randall, it lies just below the 39 mile reach of the Missouri National Recreational River. It has 22 sites along with 2 cabins available.
  • North Point Recreation Area - is just above Fort Randall Dam. It has 111 sites along with 6 cabins, including 2 that are handicap accessible.
  • Randall Creek Recreation Area - is right along the banks of the Missouri River just downstream from Fort Randall Dam. It has 132 sites along with 4 cabins available.

For camping reservations at these South Dakota State Parks call 1-800-710-2267 or go online.

All of the above campgrounds have both reservable and first-come sites in addition to electric hook-ups.

Clay County Park
Located 4 miles southwest west of Vermillion, first come sites are available. This is a quiet, secluded campground with tall trees and nearby access to one of the last natural stretches of the Missouri River. It has 32 electrical campsites and restrooms with showers.

Did You Know?

Steamboat Yellow Stone

The "Yellow Stone," a steamboat belonging the John Jacob Astor's American Fur Company, was the first steamship to ascend the "Big Muddy" into what would become the Dakota Territory and eventually the present-day Dakotas and Montana. More...