Pro scans every minute· 119K campsites tracked

Moderate to Book

Cottonwood (NE) Campground

Lewis and Clark Lake, South Dakota

Sold out? We check Cottonwood (NE) Campground for cancellations and email you the moment a site opens.

Cancellation alerts

Sold out for your dates?

ArriveLeave

Free to start. Email alerts included.

As of October 2026, Cottonwood (NE) Campground is a campground in South Dakota with 74 campsites. Cottonwood (NE) Campground is booked through Recreation.gov.

PermitSnag checks Cottonwood (NE) Campground for availability and tells alert holders when a site opens up.
Cottonwood (NE) Campground is located at 42.8586° N, 97.4825° W.

people allowed on each site: 8

Cottonwood (NE) Campground reservations and next available dates

October 2026

November 2026

open, tap to book on Recreation.govsold outin your alert

Stay and booking rules

Mid-stay changes allowed
Maximum consecutive stay: 15 consecutive days
Maximum reservations at once: 40 reservations
Maximum stay: 14 nights
Maximum per transaction: 10 reservations per transaction
Military discount available

Published by Recreation.gov for Cottonwood (NE) Campground, read on September 28, 2026.

Campsites at Cottonwood (NE) Campground

1P2P34P56P78P9P10P1112131415161718192021222324252627283031323334353637383940414243454647484950515253P54555657P5859P60P6162P6364P6566P67686970717274757677

Standard 74
Accessible 1
Hookups 74

What an RV fits

30–34 ft3 sites
35–39 ft4 sites
40–44 ft5 sites
45–49 ft11 sites
50–54 ft12 sites
55–59 ft8 sites
60–64 ft13 sites
65–69 ft10 sites
70–74 ft3 sites
75–79 ft2 sites
85–89 ft1 site
95–99 ft1 site
125–129 ft1 site

Amenities

restrooms
showers
potable water
dump station

At a glance: Setting: Valley · Access: Paved road.

Things to do: fishing, boating, swimming, hiking, wildlife, photography, horse riding.

All sites at Cottonwood (NE) Campground, as listed by Recreation.gov

Site	Loop	Type	Sleeps	Max RV	Hookups	Access
01P	NLOO	Standard	8	75 ft	Electric	-
02P	NLOO	Standard	8	76 ft	Electric	-
03	NLOO	Standard	8	69 ft	Electric	-
04P	NLOO	Standard	8	48 ft	Electric	-
05	NLOO	Standard	8	57 ft	Electric	-
06P	NLOO	Standard	8	60 ft	Electric	-
07	NLOO	Standard	8	66 ft	Electric	-
08P	NLOO	Standard	8	64 ft	Electric	-
09P	NLOO	Standard	8	65 ft	Electric	-
10P	NLOO	Standard	8	61 ft	Electric	-
11	NLOO	Standard	8	71 ft	Electric	-
12	NLOO	Standard	8	64 ft	Electric	-
13	NLOO	Standard	8	46 ft	Electric	-
14	NLOO	Standard	8	46 ft	Electric	-
15	NLOO	Standard	8	32 ft	Electric	-
16	NLOO	Standard	8	50 ft	Electric	-
17	NLOO	Standard	8	50 ft	Electric	-
18	NLOO	Standard	8	48 ft	Electric	-
19	NLOO	Standard	8	49 ft	Electric	-
20	NLOO	Standard	8	52 ft	Electric	-
21	NLOO	Standard	8	50 ft	Electric	-
22	NLOO	Standard	8	69 ft	Electric	-
23	NLOO	Standard	8	41 ft	Electric	-
24	NLOO	Standard	8	63 ft	Electric	-
25	NLOO	Standard	8	58 ft	Electric	-
26	NLOO	Standard	8	66 ft	Electric	-
27	NLOO	Standard	8	50 ft	Electric	-
28	NLOO	Standard	8	48 ft	Electric	-
30	NLOO	Standard	8	30 ft	Electric	-
31	NLOO	Standard	8	99 ft	Electric	-
32	NLOO	Standard	8	55 ft	Electric	-
33	NLOO	Standard	8	66 ft	Electric	-
34	NLOO	Standard	8	51 ft	Electric	-
35	SLOO	Standard	8	39 ft	Electric	-
36	SLOO	Standard	8	60 ft	Electric	-
37	SLOO	Standard	8	69 ft	Electric	-
38	SLOO	Standard	8	61 ft	Electric	-
39	SLOO	Standard	8	54 ft	Electric	-
40	SLOO	Standard	8	60 ft	Electric	-
41	SLOO	Standard	8	60 ft	Electric	-
42	SLOO	Standard	8	66 ft	Electric	-
43	SLOO	Standard	8	51 ft	Electric	-
45	SLOO	Standard	8	89 ft	Electric	-
46	SLOO	Standard	8	55 ft	Electric	-
47	SLOO	Standard	8	73 ft	Electric	-
48	SLOO	Standard	8	46 ft	Electric	-
49	SLOO	Standard	8	49 ft	Electric	-
50	SLOO	Standard	8	43 ft	Electric	-
51	SLOO	Standard	8	125 ft	Electric	-
52	SLOO	Standard	8	41 ft	Electric	-
53P	SLOO	Standard	8	65 ft	Electric	-
54	SLOO	Standard	8	37 ft	Electric	-
55	SLOO	Standard	8	34 ft	Electric	-
56	SLOO	Standard	8	57 ft	Electric	-
57P	SLOO	Standard	8	38 ft	Electric	-
58	SLOO	Standard	8	70 ft	Electric	-
59P	SLOO	Standard	8	61 ft	Electric	-
60P	SLOO	Standard	8	60 ft	Electric	-
61	SLOO	Standard	8	51 ft	Electric	-
62P	SLOO	Standard	8	57 ft	Electric	-
63	SLOO	Standard	8	58 ft	Electric	Accessible
64P	SLOO	Standard	8	52 ft	Electric	-
65	SLOO	Standard	8	43 ft	Electric	-
66P	SLOO	Standard	8	65 ft	Electric	-
67	SLOO	Standard	8	63 ft	Electric	-
68	SLOO	Standard	8	42 ft	Electric	-
69	SLOO	Standard	8	55 ft	Electric	-
70	SLOO	Standard	8	47 ft	Electric	-
71	SLOO	Standard	8	37 ft	Electric	-
72	SLOO	Standard	8	51 ft	Electric	-
74	SLOO	Standard	8	52 ft	Electric	-
75	SLOO	Standard	8	62 ft	Electric	-
76	SLOO	Standard	8	47 ft	Electric	-
77	SLOO	Standard	8	49 ft	Electric	-

About Cottonwood (NE) Campground

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.

Rules and notices at Cottonwood (NE) Campground

Recreation.gov does not date these notices. We last read them on September 28, 2026. Check Cottonwood (NE) Campground on Recreation.gov

Notices from Recreation.gov

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.

Recreation.gov permit and campground cancellations →

Cottonwood (NE) Campground FAQ

How hard is it to get a campsite at Cottonwood (NE) Campground?

Cottonwood (NE) Campground is rated "Moderate to Book" based on historical demand. With 74 sites available, you have good chances of finding availability, especially on weekdays.

How do I find last-minute availability at Cottonwood (NE) Campground?

Cancellations happen frequently at Cottonwood (NE) Campground, especially 1-2 weeks before check-in dates. PermitSnag monitors availability 24/7 and sends instant alerts when sites open up due to cancellations. This is often the best way to snag popular campsites.

How many campsites does Cottonwood (NE) Campground have?

Cottonwood (NE) Campground has 74 campsites.

Campgrounds