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Best RV Parks & Resorts near Lake Preston, SD

88 Reviews

Several RV campgrounds serve the Lake Preston area in eastern South Dakota, each offering varied amenities. The Lake Preston City Park & Campground provides basic RV sites with no hookups but includes sanitary dump stations, picnic tables, and toilet facilities. Ingalls Homestead, located in nearby De Smet, features four RV sites with water and electric hookups in a historic setting. "Great place to spend the night. Only a few campsites. Dirt road going to it. Only issue is the Grey water dump is on a slight hill, with the ground washed away," one camper noted about Ingalls Homestead. For full-service options, Dakota Sunsets RV Park in Salem (about 40 miles south) offers 55 pull-through rv pads with full hookups including 50-amp service.

The camping season in this region typically runs from spring through fall, with some facilities closing between October and April. Dakota Sunsets RV Park operates from April 15 to October 31, while some state parks maintain year-round accessibility. RV travelers should note varying levels of site preparation across parks - Dakota Sunsets maintains well-groomed gravel roadways to each site, while smaller municipal parks may have more basic setups. Most campgrounds welcome pets but implement standard leash policies. Cellular coverage proves reliable across the region, with one visitor reporting "over 50Mbps on Verizon and ATT hotspot as well as the RV park's WiFi system" at Dakota Sunsets. When planning visits during summer months, advance reservations are recommended as limited availability can affect larger rigs seeking specific amenities.

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Best RV Sites Near Lake Preston, South Dakota (40)

    1. Ingalls Homestead

    7 Reviews
    Lake Preston, SD
    8 miles
    Website
    +1 (605) 854-3984

    "For $30, we had W&E, fire pit (firewood not sold), picnic table and free access to the homestead. Bathrooms were so clean and smelled like cedar wood. "

    "This is a truly magical place, and if you’ve ever read any of the Little House on the Prairie books and are anywhere near De Smet South Dakota, do yourself a favor and swing by."

    2. Dakota Sunsets RV Park

    12 Reviews
    Canistota, SD
    46 miles
    Website
    +1 (605) 705-3234

    $30 - $55 / night

    "The gravel roadways to each campsite are groomed perfectly level. Art, sculptures and flower pots are everywhere. Not a thing out of place."

    "The super nice and informative couple who own the campground (CG) checked us in and then we were escorted to pull through site 41 with FHUs."

    3. Campground 2 — Oakwood Lakes State Park

    5 Reviews
    Bruce, SD
    20 miles
    Website
    +1 (605) 627-5441

    $26 - $55 / night

    "Large grassy sites with fire pit and picnic table. Clean bathrooms with hot showers. Nice path around lake for walking the dog. Lots of families having a good time! Very pleasant evening."

    "Wasn’t busy, kids liked playground, walking path, and checking out Mortimer’s cabin. Electric hook-ups."

    4. Lake Herman State Park Campground

    5 Reviews
    Madison, SD
    28 miles
    Website
    +1 (605) 256-5003

    "I was right next to a little lake on one side and Lake Herman about 150ft away. Nice hiking trails just outside my door. Will definitely be back."

    "RV spots have electric. Many spots have shade, some are near the lake, and some with lake views. They have small cabins for rent, as well as paddle boards, kayaks, and canoes."

    5. Outback Campground

    1 Review
    Lake Preston, SD
    5 miles
    Website
    +1 (605) 203-3211

    "It is close to two lakes. Lake Whitewood and Lake Thompson. Very good fishing at both lakes. You are within 10 minute drive from fishing, swimming and boating on 2 fun lakes."

    6. River of the Double Bend Campground

    1 Review
    Dell Rapids, SD
    48 miles
    Website
    +1 (605) 428-5472

    7. Lake Preston City Park & Campground

    1 Review
    Lake Preston, SD
    0 miles
    Website
    +1 (605) 847-4140

    $15 / night

    "We came through just to visit the Ingall’s homestead and enjoyed this peace and quiet so much we decided to stay for four days.

    It’s self service, so first come first served."

    8. Memorial Park

    5 Reviews
    Watertown, SD
    39 miles
    +1 (605) 882-6290

    "Close to beach, fishing dock and close to playground for kids!"

    "We had a great time at the lake our campsite was in view of the water beautiful Town beautiful atmosphere very green the one and only thing I would say is that there is a rocky very Rocky Lake other than"

    9. Pioneer / Montrose City Campground

    10 Reviews
    Canistota, SD
    46 miles
    Website
    +1 (605) 363-5065

    $25 / night

    "Gravel sites in the pull through. Water and electric with a dump station. Lots of grass and places to walk the dog. Bath house was clean and close by."

    "We’re from out west where you can typically find BLM or national forest land anytime. For our trip east we needed to plan. This is a cool, small town campground. Nothing fancy but quiet and safe."

    10. Norland Park

    2 Reviews
    Arlington, SD
    12 miles
    Website
    +1 (605) 983-5911

    "Passing town of Arlington and found a couple of city parks with electrical hookup and about six sites with picnic tables! On busy truck route but very quiet after dark! Nice town to bike or walk!"

    "We visited Arlington, SD on our way west and easily located this cute little campground on the main drag."

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Recent RV Camping Photos near Lake Preston, SD

58 Photos of 40 Lake Preston Campgrounds

RV Park Reviews near Lake Preston, SD

88 Reviews of 40 Lake Preston Campgrounds

  • Robert O.
    Sep. 15, 2020

    Dakota Sunsets RV Park

    So good I did want to tell anyone about it

    We only stayed 2 nights here but could have stayed much longer. This RV campground is perfect. The attention to detail you see in this park is not something we have seen a lot during our travels. The gravel roadways to each campsite are groomed perfectly level. Art, sculptures and flower pots are everywhere. Not a thing out of place. The Wifi was really fast…the best we have seen in over 1 yr and full time camping. The office and store have ice and a wonderful selection of goodies, The park is surrounded by corn and soybean fields and is quiet. This is a real gem of a campground. Not a thing wrong with it. We highly recommend. We had over 50Mbps on our Verzion and ATT hot spot as well as the RV park's Wifi system. This place is smoked hot for internet connectivity. This park is Big Rig friendly with very large pull throughs

  • M2 O.
    Aug. 19, 2022

    Memorial Park

    Decent campground with easy water access

    Great campground right on Lake Kampeska. Lots of sites for RVs that need electric, some with water, fewer with full hookups... There is a dump station. The walking path through the trees and campground is nice and long, same for the bike path. Multiple jungle gyms scattered throughout. Pet friendly, keep em on the leash. Seems like the put-in could get busy since it's free parking. Beware, the lake does have zebra mussels.

  • Bibs O.The Dyrt PRO User
    Jul. 2, 2024

    Lake Carthage Lakeside Use Area

    We stayed overnight here

    2 fire pits. 1 porta-potty. Open area you can camp anywhere. No water, no electric, no dump station, no potable water.

    Town is 2 miles away, and they have a free dump station. Town also offers free showers. The laundry mat is available next to showers.

    One mile out of town is a paid campground at the Lake Carthage campgrounds.

    In town at the city park is a paid campground ss well.

  • SThe Dyrt PRO User
    Jul. 14, 2025

    Lake Thompson Recreation Area

    Lovely lake site

    Beautiful location on the north shore of Lake Thompson. Some sites face the lake, others have shade with enough open sky for your StarLink dish. Beach access at the campground. Great fishing spots with cleaning stations available. For history buffs, campground is less than 10 miles from the Laura Ingalls Wilder homestead and De Smet. There are 4 dump stations near the campground entrance with multiple fresh water hookups around the campground. Staying here mid-week and there are few campers here.

  • r
    Jul. 13, 2021

    South Dakota State Fairgrounds

    Clean well kept limited full hookup sites

    Overall this park is average the sites are level and grassy limited shade sites tho, showers and bathrooms are close by and it’s quiet except the occasional train. It’s walking distance from the dirt track. Dumpsters close and trash barrels at each site which they empty often. Mostly weekenders here or people passing thru few seasonal workers.

  • J
    Sep. 7, 2022

    Sexauer City Park

    Ideal small campground, reserve in advance!

    Although an envelope system is in use and we were told we didn't need one, reservation slips made out by the park (ON ORANGE) take precedence over the white slips (which are the duplicate layer of your registration form). After we came, found a pull- through spot open that night, filled and posted our form, we we left - and returned to a filled spot- THAT camper reserved by phone just hours earlier (perhaps while we were selecting). Fortunately we saw another spot where we could still stay hooked up. This is a really pleasant (under big oaks) electric only sites campground. 2 handicap shower/bathrooms. Picnic tables and fire rings. Little free library.

  • B
    Jul. 11, 2025

    Pioneer / Montrose City Campground

    Great overnight stop

    This campground was not far off I90 and was easy to find and navigate. Gravel sites in the pull through. Water and electric with a dump station. Lots of grass and places to walk the dog. Bath house was clean and close by. There is a small play area and also a pool with a lifeguard. It does cost extra but I’m sure it’s affordable. The camp host were so very nice and friendly. We had a small problem when we were getting ready to leave. And he was there ready to help and offer any assistance. And she called a place nearby to check on hours and service.
    We ate the nice restaurant in town…My Place… and it was very good! Would definitely return and recommend!

  • MickandKarla W.The Dyrt PRO User
    Nov. 26, 2021

    Dakota Sunsets RV Park

    Very Nice Campground

    The super nice and informative couple who own the campground (CG) checked us in and then we were escorted to pull through site 41 with FHUs. The site was more than long enough for our 39’ 5th Wheel and F-450 truck. WiFi was average but there were not many RVs in the park for our 3 nights stay, and we got 4 bars on Verizon. They do not have cable and not being too far from Sioux Falls, we got a good amount of OTA channels. The CG was well taken care of and very clean. We did experience flies this time of year and they were aggressive about getting inside our RV. I had some insect fogger and that worked well spraying before entering our rig. There is no formal dog park, but plenty of area around the CG to walk. The town of Salem down the road has your basic amenities and we enjoyed playing a round of golf on their 9 hole course that is decently priced.  Well run little CG that we would definitely stay at again.

  • Kristen L.
    Aug. 23, 2020

    Lake Preston City Park & Campground

    Great place to stop for a few days

    This park is a nice little stop in a super small town. We came through just to visit the Ingall’s homestead and enjoyed this peace and quiet so much we decided to stay for four days.

    It’s self service, so first come first served. We were the only ones here for a day or so and then a few others came, but it never filled up. You just put your cash in a lock box.

    All the sites have electrical and there’s water available in a few sites. Splitter on the spout makes it easy for two campers to share the water.

    The back in spots have plenty of shade. The pull throughs are in direct sun. But all the spots are freshly graveled and we’ll maintained.

    There’s a playground for the kids and clean bathrooms with showers.

    The town is super small, so don’t expect to have a touristy experience or anything. But if you’re on your way to the ingall’s homestead, or just need a place to park for a night or two, the spot is great.

Guide to Lake Preston

RV camping near Lake Preston, South Dakota, offers a variety of options for travelers looking to enjoy the great outdoors with the comforts of home. With well-equipped parks and friendly atmospheres, you'll find the perfect spot to unwind.

Big rigs should check out Dakota Sunsets RV Park

  • Dakota Sunsets RV Park features spacious pull-through sites, making it ideal for larger RVs while providing amenities like electric hookups and a dog park.

RV Park Pricing

Most parks have electrical and sewer hookups

  • At Spot, you'll find essential amenities such as electric and sewer hookups, along with a welcoming environment for pets and families.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is the most popular RV campsite near Lake Preston, SD?

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular RV campground near Lake Preston, SD is Ingalls Homestead with a 5-star rating from 7 reviews.

What is the best site to find RV camping near Lake Preston, SD?

TheDyrt.com has all 40 RV camping locations near Lake Preston, SD, with real photos and reviews from campers.

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