Campground 3 — Oahe Downstream Recreation Area

This campground lies just below the Oahe Dam on the Missouri River and offers lots of opportunities for boating activities of all kinds. With over 200 sites there are plenty of options for everyone, from large trailers to small tents. Showers (cost included in campground fee) and bathrooms are sparkling clean and warm.  Water spigots are scattered throughout the campground and nearby. 

All reservations must be done through their online system (http://travel.campsd.com/Reserve-A-Campsite) or over the phone, although there is a campground office open during the day. We arrived late without a reservation and found the smartphone app non-functional and needed to call in order to make one, which cost us another $2. 

In the prime campgrounds (flush toilets & showers), electric sites are $21; in the preferred campgrounds, electric sites are $19; and non-electric sites are $15. The $5 per day entrance fee is not included in the reservation.

Beautiful family campground

Every year in May, we return to Oahe Downstream and usually get site 196 facing the River. The bird watching is wonderful here and the Bald Eagles will put on a show for you. The area is picture perfect. This area is very popular. There is a swimming beach, a nice playground, hiking trails, and great fishing spots. In this campground they also offer cute cabins. The bathrooms/showers are clean as is the campgrounds.

Oahe also offers an archery range, shooting range, disc golf and horseshoe pits, a marina and bike rentals.

Our site is $19/day for Electric and we usually get good cell service here.

So Relaxing We Come Back Every Year

Reservations:  800-710-2267 or oahe@state.sd.us

Fee: Daily   $8.00   Annual $36.00   Purchase on line

Campsites   Electrical   $23.00 (30-50)

                      Camping cabins   $55.00

                      Modern cabins     $120.00 - $150.00

                      Group lodge          $125.00

This campground is open year round but the campgrounds are close to camping November 15 through the last Friday in March.  Bald eagles are winter roosting and can be easily disturbed.

Disc golf   archery   biking   birding   boating   fishing   gocatching   horseshoes   lawn games   swimming with sand beach

Campground is well maintained, pads are pull through level with mature trees.  Nice showers and toilets.  This is a beautiful wooded site that can handle large RV's including pull throughs and double sites.

Directions:  5 miles north of Fort Pierre on highway 180 located on the south side of dam.

Beautiful

This is one of my favorite campgrounds. I look forward going to. We always get a waterfront campground and since we camp during the week when school is still going there’s hardly anyone there and it is truly a very peaceful place. Love watching the bald eagles. There’s lots of trees and shade. 

One of my favorite places to camp

This is one of my favorite campgrounds. The best spots are 194-196. They are back in sites and we have a large window on the back of our camper and get to look at the beautiful river.  Great bird watching and lots of bald eagles. The sites are electric only but you can fill water before you come in. Sites are spacious with gravel. There is a picnic bench and fire ring at each site. This campground offers 8 cabins and tent sites also. The grounds and restrooms are kept up well. We came in September so there was hardly anyone around. Very peaceful