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Recreation.govSD

Cottonwood (Ne)

Lewis and Clark Lake

Set availability alertOfficial reservation

Upcoming Availability

14 of 14 days currently show available sites.

View releasing sites

Wed, Sep 9

21

sites

Thu, Sep 10

15

sites

Fri, Sep 11

1

site

Sat, Sep 12

1

site

Sun, Sep 13

25

sites

Mon, Sep 14

32

sites

Tue, Sep 15

33

sites

Wed, Sep 16

34

sites

Thu, Sep 17

29

sites

Fri, Sep 18

16

sites

Sat, Sep 19

16

sites

Sun, Sep 20

42

sites

Mon, Sep 21

40

sites

Tue, Sep 22

38

sites

Campground guide

What to know before booking

Cottonwood Recreation Area is located just downstream of Gavins Point Dam and Lewis & Clark Lake along the western shore of Lake Yankton. All 77 campsites have electric hookups, and all sites are reservable. Cottonwood Recreation Area is located in the in the lush golden chalkstone-lined Missouri River Valley.

max Stay

14 nights

Official campground details, summarized

Concise planning notes based on the public Recreation.gov campground information.

Facilities

All 77 campsites have electric hookups, and all sites are reservable. Two modern shower houses with flush toilets are available for campers. A playground, horseshoe pits and picnic shelter are available within the campground and the adjacent Day-Use Area has a large reservable picnic shelter, picnic area, accessible fishing dock, disc golf course and a boat ramp for access to Lake Yankton. Nearby Training Dike Day-Use Area has a popular swimming beach on Lake Yankton along with access to the Missouri River downstream of Gavins Point Dam. A RV dump station is located just north of Cottonwood Campground off of Toe Road.

Natural Features

Cottonwood Recreation Area is located in the in the lush golden chalkstone-lined Missouri River Valley. Many visitors to the lake area prefer to stay at Cottonwood because of the calmer, quieter waters of Lake Yankton, a much smaller lake of approximately 250-acres in size - versus the much larger Lewis and Clark Lake upstream of the dam. Lake Yankton provides excellent habitat for a variety of waterfowl and other bird species. The area abounds with wildlife including Whitetail Deer, turkeys, and other game species. Bald Eagles and other birds of prey are spotted by visitors regularly due to the great fishing opportunities available year-round.

Recreation

Cottonwood Recreation Area is conveniently located between Lewis and Clark Lake and Lake Yankton. Lewis and Clark Lake is known for great boating, sailing, swimming and other water-based recreation activities. Lake Yankton is popular with families as a popular fishing spot along with the excellent kayaking, canoeing and paddling opportunities. Numerous paved, multi-use trails connect the area with the additional numerous recreation areas located along Lewis and Clark Lake, Lake Yankton and the Missouri River. Lewis and Clark Lake attracts more than 2 million visitors each year to its shores. Recreation opportunities around the lake include camping, fishing, hunting, hiking, boating, sailing, swimming, bird-watching, and photography. For the biking and hiking enthusiasts, three trails are available in the area. They include a paved trail that runs from Yankton to the Gavins Point area, a multi-use trail in the Gavins Point area and the Calumet Bluff hiking trail located near the visitor center. Wintertime activities include ice fishing, cross-country skiing, snowmobiling and sledding. Developed public parks and recreation areas surround the lake above and below Gavins Point Dam. Camping facilities provided by the Corps and the States of South Dakota and Nebraska include marinas, boat ramps, trails, campsites with electricity, modern restrooms, playground equipment and trailer dump stations.

Nearby Attractions

The Lewis and Clark Visitor Center: Contains exhibits on the Missouri River and area history including the Lewis and Clark Expedition with stunning views of Lewis and Clark Lake along with the Missouri River. Please contact the Lewis and Clark Visitor Center at (402) 667-2546 for more information. The Gavins Point National Fish Hatchery and Aquarium Visit nearby Yankton, South Dakota - the historic capitol of the Dakota Territory. Located both upstream and downstream of Lewis and Clark Lake, visit the Missouri National Recreational River .

Campsite map

Site markers come from Recreation.gov campsite coordinates.

77 mapped sites

Campsites

A sample of official campsite metadata for scanning equipment fit before booking.

Site 38

SLOO

STANDARD ELECTRIC

61 ft

vehicle

8

people

Yes

shade

Site 63

SLOO

STANDARD ELECTRIC

58 ft

vehicle

8

people

Yes

shade

Site 69

SLOO

STANDARD ELECTRIC

55 ft

vehicle

8

people

Yes

shade

Site 68

SLOO

STANDARD ELECTRIC

42 ft

vehicle

8

people

Yes

shade

Site 10P

NLOO

STANDARD ELECTRIC

61 ft

vehicle

8

people

Yes

shade

Site 70

SLOO

STANDARD ELECTRIC

47 ft

vehicle

8

people

Yes

shade

Site 36

SLOO

STANDARD ELECTRIC

60 ft

vehicle

8

people

Yes

shade

Site 59P

SLOO

STANDARD ELECTRIC

61 ft

vehicle

8

people

Yes

shade

Site 60P

SLOO

STANDARD ELECTRIC

60 ft

vehicle

8

people

Yes

shade

Site 20

NLOO

STANDARD ELECTRIC

52 ft

vehicle

8

people

Yes

shade

Site 58

SLOO

STANDARD ELECTRIC

70 ft

vehicle

8

people

Yes

shade

Site 11

NLOO

STANDARD ELECTRIC

71 ft

vehicle

8

people

Yes

shade

Site 46

SLOO

STANDARD ELECTRIC

55 ft

vehicle

8

people

Yes

shade

Site 13

NLOO

STANDARD ELECTRIC

46 ft

vehicle

8

people

Yes

shade

Site 23

NLOO

STANDARD ELECTRIC

41 ft

vehicle

8

people

Yes

shade

Site 02P

NLOO

STANDARD ELECTRIC

76 ft

vehicle

8

people

Yes

shade

Site 53P

SLOO

STANDARD ELECTRIC

65 ft

vehicle

8

people

Yes

shade

Site 17

NLOO

STANDARD ELECTRIC

50 ft

vehicle

8

people

Yes

shade

Site 22

NLOO

STANDARD ELECTRIC

69 ft

vehicle

8

people

Yes

shade

Site 55

SLOO

STANDARD ELECTRIC

34 ft

vehicle

8

people

Yes

shade

Site 44

SLOO

STANDARD ELECTRIC

73 ft

vehicle

8

people

Yes

shade

Site 76

SLOO

STANDARD ELECTRIC

47 ft

vehicle

8

people

Yes

shade

Site 74

SLOO

STANDARD ELECTRIC

52 ft

vehicle

8

people

Yes

shade

Site 03

NLOO

STANDARD ELECTRIC

69 ft

vehicle

8

people

Yes

shade

Important notices

Summary of Cottonwood Campground Rules and Policies: Check-In Time is 4:00 P.M. / Check-Out Time is 2:00 P.M. All campers must check-in and register with the campground host. A maximum of eight (8) people are allowed per campsite and daily occupancy is required. Each campsite is limited to a maximum of either: (a) One (1) wheeled camping unit and (2) two sleeping tents, OR (b) three (3) sleeping tents. Title 36 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) applies to all visitors to U.S. Army Corps of Engineers lands and waters. All vehicles are restricted to designated roadways and parking areas only, off-road travel is prohibited. All vehicles must be parked on campsite pads or within designated parking areas only. All vehicles parked at campsites must have at least two wheels on the campsite pad, with a maximum of (2) two wheels permitted on grass. Vehicles may not be parked on or along roadways or in a manner that prohibits or restricts traffic flow. Quiet hours are 10:00 P.M. to 6:00 A.M. Fireworks are prohibited. All pets must be on a leash of 6 feet in length or less. Pet waste must be picked up and properly disposed of promptly.
Firewood Alert: Don't Move Firewood! Due to the spread of invasive insects (such as Emerald Ash Borer (EAB)) firewood from outside the area is not permitted. Help protect your forests by purchasing near your camping destination and burning it on-site. Firewood is not available for sale on-site, however several local businesses sell firewood a short distance away, see the campground host or attendant for more information. Visit DontMoveFirewood.org for more information.
Attention Boaters, Paddlers, and Anglers - Protect Your Waters! Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) are present in Lewis & Clark Lake, Lake Yankton and the Missouri River below Gavins Point Dam - including Zebra Mussels and Bighead/Silver Carp. Do your part to help stop the spread of these and other aquatic invasives by remembering to always Clean, Drain, and Dry! For more information, click here. Special laws and regulations are currently in place to help prevent the spread of aquatic invasive species (AIS). For more information, click here .
For questions or to contact park staff, please call: 402-667-2546 or email: gavinspoint.nwo@usace.army.mil. Reservations can not be made at this number.

More at Lewis and Clark Lake

Other tracked campgrounds from the same park or area.

Surrounding campgrounds

Other tracked campgrounds within driving distance, nearest first.

Cottonwood (Ne) Day Use Shelter

Lewis and Clark Lake

0.3 mi

Gavins Point Overlook Day Use Shelter

Lewis and Clark Lake

0.8 mi

Nebraska Tailwaters

Lewis and Clark Lake

0.9 mi

Common questions

Is Cottonwood (Ne) available right now?

Kestrel's most recent scan found openings on 14 of the next 14 days, starting Wed, Sep 9. Availability changes constantly — check the calendar above, then confirm on Recreation.gov.

How do I book Cottonwood (Ne)?

Reservations are handled by Recreation.gov, not by Kestrel. Use the official reservation link on this page to book. Kestrel only watches availability and tells you when a site frees up.

How quickly will I hear about a cancellation?

Kestrel rescans every two minutes, and every 30 seconds during the provider's daily release window. Alerts go out by email as soon as a matching site appears.