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"It’s got one pit toilet, clean, no hookups so no RVs, except me, a great view from any site, and, most of all not crowded, in fact I’ve been here twice now, once in mid to late fall and also late June"
"Nice spots, beautiful lake and beach, not crowded at all. Only negative point is it’s close to the street. But since there is not a lot of traffic it was pretty quiet."
RangerThis was a very pleasant surprise. I normally do not go to campsites (that is put in for context) but was passing through on a business trip and needed a place with electric hookups. After a Harvest Host disaster I found this. Like I said, very pleasantly surprised. While there were a lot of campers who seemed to be setting up elaborate sites with everything you would need to live there for a year (laundry lines, flag poles, pens for their dog), I was able to get a spot that backed right up to the beautiful river and had plenty of space on all sides. The campsite was surprisingly quiet for how large it was. The sunset paddle boarding on the river was a real treat. Kinda cool to say you SUP'd from South Dakota to Nebraska with a beer on the board.
Bathrooms were clean and had showers. Garbage and recycling on premises. AT&T signal was strong.
Leave no trace.
LegendFees: Daily $8.00 Annual $36.00 Campsites 26.00 electrical 50 amp (.available) Campsites $22.00 Non electrical Horsecamp 22.00 Non electrical
Reservations 800-710-2267 on line travel.compsd.com northpoint@state.sd.us
Open year round Oct 1– April 30 water systems may be shut down.
Contact Park for more info
23 sites 5 horsecamp sites
PROS Secluded, well maintained, new comfort station, horsecamp I don’t think any site is bad
CONS Short sites, narrow country road
Firewood fish cleaning station water horse trails playground biking birding boating fishing hunting swimming flush toilets showers picnic tables fire ring/grill boat ramp dump station
The Pease Creek Recreation Area Horse campground is a nonelectric site. You will find a fire ring picnic table horse corral vault toilets water spigots Generator may be used from 8 am to 9 pm. Dogs must be on a ten foot leash. Make sure out of state horses have proper documentation for health.
Recreation Area was created when the Fort Randall Dam was created in 1953. There are 540 miles of shoreline and 102,000 acres of surface water. The land surrounding the recreation area was the ancestral homeland to numerous Plains Indians. Mainly short sites in this cozy campground with a new bath/shower house. Campground is well maintained. The road in is a very narrow country road meaning the camp and road are better suited for smaller rigs. You will find 600 acres to hike, horseback ride, fish, bird watch, hunt, all things outdoors along the Missouri River. This area provides all types of water sports, winter sports, wildlife viewing, fishing and hunting.
Firewood Alert: Please purchase firewood in the local area. Do not transport from another state, if you do please burn immediately due to the Emerald Ash Borer.
CLEAN, DRAIN, DRY Another issue that has become an increasing problem is Aquatic Invasive Species .(AIS) which is spreading in the United States. There are different types of AIS and they are being spread by several methods. Boaters, of all types, help spread or help stop the spread by taking care of their watercraft. Before leaving a boat launch practice the CLEAN, DRAIN, DRY technique. Many states require a AIS permit before you place watercraft in the water.
Directions: 9 miles south of Geddes off SD highway 1804 GPS 43.14021-98.73186
LNT
Better than when you found it
Stay safe Happy travels
TravelerNeeded a camping spot for some hunting I was doing in the area. This worked great. Had good spots for pitching a tent and had fire rings for a camp fire. Vault toilets were located in the camping area as well.
LegendThis is a very well maintained campground. We were here from December 08 through 12, 2024. Bathrooms and showers, along with water faucets, are all shut down for the season. We stayed on site 9 and enjoyed the shelter all the trees provided. Wind was 24 mph gusts hit 45 mph and didn't affect us at all. Sites are gravel and, for the most part, level. We didn't require any leveling blocks at all. 50 - 30 - 20 amp service with no errors at the electric box. The pit toilet was reasonably clean and stocked. Small playground for children. Small picnic area down the road between sites 8 and 9. Sites 4 and 8 were covered with large seed pods from the trees. I imagine it would sound like branches hitting your camper when they fall in the fall. We are not far from the Missouri River, and we were delighted with the company of 4 Bald Eagles. Hundreds of migrating Canadian Geese. Walking paths are available along with a boat ramp down the hill. Cost is the same in nearly all South Dakota State Parks, $26.00 a night. Seems costly for no water, flush toilets, showers, or garbage dumpsters. This is a nice place.
LegendWhen you turn off the highway you will encounter the South Shore Swimming Beach. Lined with mature trees to offer a nicely shaded picnic area with a large parking area. There are some primitive campsites at the swimming beach with fire rings, picnic tables, covered picnic table, gravel beach, pit toilet, water, and trash
Fees: $8.00 Per vehicle Day use $36.00 Annual Pass
Campsite $11.67 per night
South Shore Primitive Camping
FCFS Pit toilet Fire ring Trash Small covered pavilion with a picnic table Drinking water
To reach the second section of South Shore pull back onto the secondary road and turn right. Less than 1/10 of a mile you will see the well maintained sites. The road is in good shape and the campground is exceptional for a primitive site. A few sites are on the water and the remaining just on the other side of the camp road. There are no bad sites, just not many of them. This campsite runs along the Missouri River and Lake Francis Case.
Lake Francis Case has a shoreline of 540 miles and a depth of 140 feet. The area is rural and shopping can be difficult. I suggest buying local when possible but stock up before you arrive.
Fishing from shore. Fishing: walleye northern pike sauger sunfish perch common carp black bullhead channel catfish smallmouth bass
Enjoy watching the bald Eagles during the winter months
LNT
Better than when you found it
Stay safe Happy travels
LegendElectric sites by the highway near the park entrance, but don't overlook the 4 RV sites by the fishing pond. Cabins, primitive camping, hiking, and lovely scenery.
Campsite #43 is the only site with what I would call a view, but the view from there is excellent. The hiking was great. The area is pretty cool with Native American exhibits, the casino, and Lewis and Clark Lake nearby.
Though we loved the scenery and wanted to stay, the park had shut off all the water. We expected the $15 off-season price since there were no longer horse rides, pool or other activities but there were no showers or restrooms in the RV site. No water to wash dishes in!
The regular season is $20 a night but they are discussing raising that. Don't bother with the off-season.
Also, see my reviews of Crofton and Verdigre. Camping there is not as nice but they are close and more affordable.
LegendPease Creek Recreation Area is off the Missouri River out in the middle of nowhere but if you are a water/fishing person it is worth the drive for a quiet, laid back vacation.
South Dakota has some long straight roads and the GPS worked most of the time as well as cell phone signal. It would on occasion drop off so make sure you have your trusty map. The signage in was good and don’t be surprised when you hit gravel roads, just slow down ;)
The campground was pretty quiet and mostly deserted when we overnighted. It was dark, quiet and plenty of sites to choose from. Basic hook up, plenty of space to set up in, more of an RV geared campground. The area was well maintained but facilities could use an update/good cleaning.
Right outside the area is a privately owned campground that looked like it was expanding so that will add to the boatramp traffic and noise. It was more of a permanent RV area but may have short term rentals.
There was hiking to be had and horses were allowed but it’s definitely a water recreation area. Due to the weather , 40’s when we visited and raining we did not get to enjoy the water like I had wanted. Town is not nearby so fuel up and stock up before driving out!
GuideNice camping for extended stay of 14 days. Different length back in sites with picnic table and fire ring with grill. Camp host available. Handicap pad sites. I would have given a five star except for the cost!
We think $30/day for just electric is expensive but we’d been boon docking so we sprung for the expense for 3 nights. Showers are extra😳. Laundry available.
Little town of Niobrara, just a few miles away has limited shopping but a nice little grocery store, hardware store, museum, and fuel.
Confluence of the Missouri and Niobrara Rivers.
Nebraska State Parks have walk up and reservable spaces. We usually risk it and easily found a walk up on a Monday afternoon after the weekend crowd left.
We stayed in the RV campground but took a bike ride around the rest of the park. We stopped at the park office and chatted with assistant superintendent Nate. Very nice guy with lots of good info.. He told us about a nice loop we could continue our bike ride and we went around the picnic and tent area. Some incredible exclusive sites and great views of the Niobrara.
RangerReally nice campground. Shelters at each site. Picnic table and fire rings, too . Washroom was clean and stocked. Sites are nicely spaced. There were stairs down from our campsite to a gravel beach. Water was warm in Lake Francis Case on the Missouri River.
Tent camping near Fairfax, South Dakota, offers a blend of serene landscapes and outdoor activities, perfect for nature enthusiasts looking to escape the hustle and bustle.
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According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Fairfax, SD is South Shore Lakeside Use Area with a 3.8-star rating from 5 reviews.
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