Visitor Centers

The National Park Service headquarters building and Visitor Contact Station to the Missouri National Recreational River is located in Yankton, South Dakota.

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The Missouri National Recreational River has a visitor contact station located inside their headquarters building in Yankton, South Dakota. Information about the park including junior ranger booklets, passport stamps, park maps, and an 18-minute video are available 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. The building is closed on all federal holidays including Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's days. A National Park Passport Book stamping station is located in the park's outdoor information kiosk next to the front door for after hours use.

• Address: 508 East 2nd Street, Yankton, South Dakota 57078.
  Phone: [phone].

Have You Seen the Mobile Ranger Station?

The Park's visitor center on wheels travels throughout the river corridor and to local communities and events through the year. During the warm season you may find the ranger station parked at the Gavins Point National Fish Hatchery, Niobrara and Ponca State Parks, and at special events in Yankton, Vermillion, and surrounding areas.

 

Visit the Missouri National Recreational River Resource and Education Center for state park information, park permits, and explore educational exhibits.

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Partner Sites

Missouri National Recreational River work in partnership with Nebraska and South Dakota State Parks, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the cities and communities within the reaches of the National Park Unit to provide visitor information and educational programs.

Fort Randall Dam Visitor Center

Operated by the U.S. Corps of Engineers and open May through August. The center is located on the western edge of Pickstown, SD along U.S. Highway 281 and 18, and offers views of Lake Francis Case, Fort Randall Dam, and the Missouri River. For information call 605-487-7845. (Directions)

Gavins Point National Fish Hatchery and Aquarium

One of over 70 federal hatcheries and fish technology centers operated nationwide by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the fish hatchery and aquarium offers fully guided group tours, fish feeding opportunities, two miles of nature trails and an aquarium featuring 10,000 gallons of display space and many local species of fish, amphibians and reptiles. The hatchery and aquarium are located near Yankton, SD off Hwy 52. For information call
605-665-3352.

Lewis and Clark Recreation Area

Lewis and Clark Lake, near Yankton, is one of South Dakota's most popular resort parks. Three separate campgrounds comprise this modern recreation area, attracting visitors from throughout the Midwest. Modern resort facilities - from marinas to camping cabins to sandy beaches - attract water lovers to Lewis and Clark. For information call 605-668-2985.

Lewis and Clark Visitor Center

Operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, this center is perched above Gavins Point Dam with amazing views of Lewis and Clark Lake and the upper 59-mile reach of the Missouri National Recreational River. Summer hours: 7 days a week. Off season: Monday through Friday. For information call 402-667-2546. (Directions)

• America the Beautiful - National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Annual Passes can be acquired at this location.

Niobrara State Park

This Nebraska state park has a small visitor center with information about the park and surrounding area. The state park is on State Route 12 about two miles west of the town of Niobrara, and is near the eastern end of the 39-mile reach of the national park at the confluence of the Niobrara River. For information call 402-857-3373.

Ponca State Park

Situated in the picturesque Missouri River bluffs in northeastern Nebraska, Ponca State Park is the eastern gateway to the 59-mile section of the Missouri National Recreational River, one of two picturesque, unchannelized stretches of the river bordering Nebraska.

One of Nebraska’s most visited state parks, Ponca State Park is popular for its forested hills, scenic vistas, great wildlife watching, Missouri river access and beautiful and varied lodging options.

Missouri National Recreational River Resource and Education Center, located in Ponca State Park, is one of the main visitor entry points and use areas along the Missouri National Recreational River (MNRR). The Resource and Education Center provide visitors an opportunity to understand and develop their own connection to the resource, therefore fostering a sense of personal stewardship and care while visiting and recreating on the river. Exhibits in the Resource and Education Center focus on the meanings and significance of the MNRR, a unit of the National Park System. In 1999, the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers, the National Park Service, and the Better Ponca Foundation joined together to develop this center at Ponca State Park, a unit of the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, located near Ponca, Nebraska.

For information call 402-755-2284.

 

Exhibits within the Resource and Education Center help provide visitors an understanding of what the Missouri National Recreational River is all about.

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Replica of the Dakota territorial capitol located in Yankton's Riverside Park.

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The City of Yankton

Dakota Territorial Capitol Replica

Located in Yankton's Riverside Park, this replica of the territorial capitol includes photographs of old Yankton, maps of the Dakota Territory, a collection of former Territorial governors, and other artifacts on display. The building is only open upon request through the City of Yankton. For more information or to reserve the space for special events please visit the Yankton Parks Department.