Can you reserve a site at Cottonwood (Ne)?

Yes, Cottonwood (Ne) is reservable through Recreation.gov.

How many campsites does Cottonwood (Ne) have?

77 sites in total, of which 76 can be booked.

What is the maximum RV length at Cottonwood (Ne)?

125 ft. That is the longest vehicle the sites here are recorded as taking; individual sites may be shorter.

Are pets allowed at Cottonwood (Ne)?

Yes, pets are allowed at Cottonwood (Ne).

Are campfires allowed at Cottonwood (Ne)?

Campfires are allowed at Cottonwood (Ne). Check for a current fire restriction before you go.

Cottonwood (Ne), South Dakota — 76 sites, fees and cancellation alerts

Overview

Cottonwood Recreation Area is located just downstream of Gavins Point Dam and Lewis & Clark Lake along the western shore of Lake Yankton. The numerous outdoor recreational opportunities attract more than 2 million visitors annually to the Lewis & Clark Lake area, making it one of the most popular recreation destinations in the Upper Great Plains. Lewis & Clark Lake is 31,400-acres in size with more than 90 miles of shoreline is impounded by Gavins Point Dam, which was authorized by the Flood Control Act of 1944, commonly called the Pick-Sloan Plan.

For more information about Lewis and Clark Lake, please visit the Gavins Point Project website .

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.

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.

Contact Info

For facility specific information, please call (402) 667-2546.

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 .

Charges & Cancellations

Reservation changes and cancellations can be made on Recreation.gov or by calling 1-877-444-6777.

For more information on rules and policies regarding reservation cancellations and changes, please visit: https://www.recreation.gov/rules-reservation-policies.

The facts

76 bookable sites
77 sites in total, including non-bookable
1 accessible site
Vehicles up to 125 ft
Up to 8 people per site
Loops: NLOO, SLOO

Site types

76 Standard Electric
1 Management

Amenities

Electric hookups
Sewer hookups
Campfires allowed
Fire pits
Picnic tables
Shade
Pets allowed

Not recorded upstream: water hookups, grills.

Book on Recreation.gov

77 campsites at Cottonwood (Ne)

Check-in 4:00 PM · Check-out 2:00 PM

Accessible only

Site	Loop	Type	Entry	Surface	Grade	Water	Max rig	People
01P	NLOO	Standard Electric	Back In	Gravel	—	Lakefront	75 ft	8	🐾
02P	NLOO	Standard Electric	Back In	Gravel	Slight	Lakefront	76 ft	8	🐾
03	NLOO	Standard Electric	Back In	Gravel	Slight	—	69 ft	8	🐾
04P	NLOO	Standard Electric	Back In	Gravel	Slight	Lakefront	48 ft	8	🐾
05	NLOO	Standard Electric	Back In	Gravel	—	—	57 ft	8	🐾
06P	NLOO	Standard Electric	Back In	Gravel	Slight	Lakefront	60 ft	8	🐾
07	NLOO	Standard Electric	Back In	Gravel	Slight	—	66 ft	8	🐾
08P	NLOO	Standard Electric	Back In	Gravel	Slight	Lakefront	64 ft	8	🐾
09P	NLOO	Standard Electric	Back In	Gravel	Slight	Lakefront	65 ft	8	🐾
10P	NLOO	Standard Electric	Back In	Gravel	Slight	Lakefront	61 ft	8	🐾
11	NLOO	Standard Electric	Back In	Gravel	Slight	—	71 ft	8	🐾
12	NLOO	Standard Electric	Back In	Gravel	Slight	—	64 ft	8	🐾
13	NLOO	Standard Electric	Back In	Paved	Slight	—	46 ft	8	🐾
14	NLOO	Standard Electric	Back In	Paved	—	—	46 ft	8	🐾
15	NLOO	Standard Electric	Back In	Paved	Slight	—	32 ft	8	🐾
16	NLOO	Standard Electric	Back In	Paved	Slight	—	50 ft	8	🐾
17	NLOO	Standard Electric	Back In	Paved	Slight	—	50 ft	8	🐾
18	NLOO	Standard Electric	Back In	Paved	Slight	—	48 ft	8	🐾
19	NLOO	Standard Electric	Back In	Paved	Slight	—	49 ft	8	🐾
20	NLOO	Standard Electric	Back In	Paved	Slight	—	52 ft	8	🐾
21	NLOO	Standard Electric	Back In	Paved	Slight	—	50 ft	8	🐾
22	NLOO	Standard Electric	Back In	Paved	Slight	—	69 ft	8	🐾
23	NLOO	Standard Electric	Back In	Paved	Slight	—	41 ft	8	🐾
24	NLOO	Standard Electric	Back In	Paved	Slight	—	63 ft	8	🐾
25	NLOO	Standard Electric	Back In	Paved	Slight	—	58 ft	8	🐾
26	NLOO	Standard Electric	Back In	Paved	Slight	—	66 ft	8	🐾
27	NLOO	Standard Electric	Back In	Paved	Slight	—	50 ft	8	🐾
28	NLOO	Standard Electric	Back In	Paved	—	—	48 ft	8	🐾
29	NLOO	Standard Electric	Back In	Paved	—	—	48 ft	8	🐾
30	NLOO	Standard Electric	Back In	Paved	Slight	—	49 ft	8	🐾
31	NLOO	Standard Electric	Pull Through	Paved	Slight	—	99 ft	8	🐾
32	NLOO	Standard Electric	Back In	Paved	—	—	55 ft	8	🐾
33	NLOO	Standard Electric	Back In	Paved	Slight	—	66 ft	8	🐾
34	NLOO	Standard Electric	Back In	Paved	Slight	—	51 ft	8	🐾
35	SLOO	Standard Electric	Back In	Paved	Slight	—	39 ft	8	🐾
36	SLOO	Standard Electric	Back In	Paved	Slight	—	60 ft	8	🐾
37	SLOO	Standard Electric	Back In	Paved	Slight	—	69 ft	8	🐾
38	SLOO	Standard Electric	Back In	Paved	Slight	—	61 ft	8	🐾
39	SLOO	Standard Electric	Back In	Paved	Slight	—	54 ft	8	🐾
40	SLOO	Standard Electric	Back In	Paved	Slight	—	60 ft	8	🐾
41	SLOO	Standard Electric	Back In	Paved	Slight	—	60 ft	8	🐾
42	SLOO	Standard Electric	Back In	Paved	Slight	—	66 ft	8	🐾
43	SLOO	Standard Electric	Back In	Paved	Slight	—	51 ft	8	🐾
44	SLOO	Standard Electric	Back In	Paved	Slight	—	73 ft	8	🐾
45	SLOO	Standard Electric	Pull Through	Paved	Slight	—	89 ft	8	🐾
46	SLOO	Standard Electric	Back In	Paved	Slight	—	55 ft	8	🐾
47	SLOO	Standard Electric	Pull Through	Paved	Slight	—	73 ft	8	🐾
48	SLOO	Standard Electric	Back In	Paved	Slight	—	46 ft	8	🐾
49	SLOO	Standard Electric	Back In	Paved	Slight	—	49 ft	8	🐾
50	SLOO	Standard Electric	Back In	Paved	Slight	—	43 ft	8	🐾
51	SLOO	Standard Electric	Pull Through	Paved	Slight	—	125 ft	8	🐾
52	SLOO	Standard Electric	Back In	Paved	Slight	—	41 ft	8	🐾
53P	SLOO	Standard Electric	Back In	Paved	Slight	Lakefront	65 ft	8	🐾
54	SLOO	Standard Electric	Back In	Paved	Slight	—	37 ft	8	🐾
55	SLOO	Standard Electric	Back In	Paved	Slight	—	34 ft	8	🐾
56	SLOO	Standard Electric	Back In	Paved	Slight	—	57 ft	8	🐾
57P	SLOO	Standard Electric	Pull Through	Paved	Slight	Lakefront	80 ft	8	🐾
58	SLOO	Standard Electric	Back In	Paved	Slight	—	70 ft	8	🐾
59P	SLOO	Standard Electric	Back In	Paved	Slight	Lakefront	61 ft	8	🐾
60P	SLOO	Standard Electric	Back In	Paved	Slight	Lakefront	60 ft	8	🐾
61	SLOO	Standard Electric	Back In	Paved	Slight	—	51 ft	8	🐾
62P	SLOO	Standard Electric	Back In	Paved	Slight	Lakefront	57 ft	8	🐾
63	SLOO	Standard Electric	Back In	Paved	Slight	—	58 ft	8	♿ 🐾
64P	SLOO	Standard Electric	Back In	Paved	Slight	Lakefront	52 ft	8	🐾
65	SLOO	Standard Electric	Back In	Paved	Slight	—	43 ft	8	🐾
66P	SLOO	Standard Electric	Back In	Paved	Slight	Lakefront	65 ft	8	🐾
67	SLOO	Standard Electric	Back In	Paved	Slight	—	63 ft	8	🐾
68	SLOO	Standard Electric	Back In	Paved	Slight	—	42 ft	8	🐾
69	SLOO	Standard Electric	Back In	Paved	Slight	—	55 ft	8	🐾
70	SLOO	Standard Electric	Back In	Paved	Slight	—	47 ft	8	🐾
71	SLOO	Standard Electric	Back In	Paved	Slight	—	37 ft	8	🐾
72	SLOO	Standard Electric	Back In	Paved	Slight	—	51 ft	8	🐾
73	SLOO	Management	Back In	Paved	Slight	—	53 ft	8	🐾
74	SLOO	Standard Electric	Back In	Paved	Slight	—	52 ft	8	🐾
75	SLOO	Standard Electric	Back In	Paved	Slight	—	62 ft	8	🐾
76	SLOO	Standard Electric	Back In	Paved	Slight	—	47 ft	8	🐾
77	SLOO	Standard Electric	Back In	Paved	Slight	—	49 ft	8	🐾

Getting there

From U.S. Hwy 81 in Yankton, South Dakota, drive four miles west on South Dakota Highway 52, then south on Dam Toe Road and follow signs.

42.85861, -97.48250 · 42°51'31.0"N 97°28'57.0"W

Directions (Google Maps) · Directions (Apple Maps)

Typical weather

Typically 87°F in Jul, down to 30°F in Jan.

	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
High °F	30	35	47	60	72	82	87	85	78	63	47	34
Low °F	10	14	25	35	48	59	64	62	52	39	25	15
Precip in	0.7	0.9	1.6	3.4	3.7	4.0	3.5	3.3	2.9	2.6	1.3	1.0

1991–2020 averages from the nearest NOAA station, 6.2 mi away — not measured at the facility itself, and elevation can make a real difference over that distance.

Map

Fees and stay limits

Camping reservations can be made at Recreation.gov or by calling 1-877-444-6777.

From Recreation.gov, which is not always current. The operator's own page is the authority on what you will be charged.

Common questions about Cottonwood (Ne)

Can you reserve a site at Cottonwood (Ne)?: Yes, Cottonwood (Ne) is reservable through Recreation.gov.
How many campsites does Cottonwood (Ne) have?: 77 sites in total, of which 76 can be booked.
What is the maximum RV length at Cottonwood (Ne)?: 125 ft. That is the longest vehicle the sites here are recorded as taking; individual sites may be shorter.
Are pets allowed at Cottonwood (Ne)?: Yes, pets are allowed at Cottonwood (Ne).
Does Cottonwood (Ne) have hookups?: Electric, Sewer.
Are campfires allowed at Cottonwood (Ne)?: Campfires are allowed at Cottonwood (Ne). Check for a current fire restriction before you go.

Camping near Cottonwood (Ne)

Cottonwood (NE) Day Use Shelter 0.3 mi · Campground · we watch it
Gavins Point Overlook Day Use Shelter 0.8 mi · Campground · we watch it
Nebraska Tailwaters 0.9 mi · Campground · we watch it
Gavins Point National Fish Hatchery 1.2 mi · Facility
Green Island Primitive Camping 4 mi · Campground
Missouri National Recreational River Headquarters 5 mi · Visitor Center
Bow Creek Primitive Camping 17.8 mi · Campground
Goat Island Primitive Camping 22 mi · Campground

Contact

Phone 402-667-2546. FOR RESERVATIONS, CALL 877-444-6777.
Book Recreation.gov

Recreation.gov last updated this record on 2026-03-11.

Cottonwood (Ne)