About Cottonwood (NE)
Number of accommodations: 74
Seasonal information
2026 Season availability
Campground Amenities
Most popular amenities
Pet friendly
Playground
Water and Hygiene
- Potable Water
On Site Services
- Playground
Water Access
- Lake Access
Pets and Policies
- Pet friendly
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Rates, Sites & Availability
74 Sites Available
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Site Details
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74 Sites Available
No available sites
All sites are booked for your selected dates. Try showing all sites to see booked options, create an alert to be notified when something opens up, or adjust your dates.
Reviews (1013)
What Guests Are Saying
Cottonwood Campground offers spacious, level sites with water and electricity, along with clean restrooms and hot showers. Campers appreciate the beautiful lake views, friendly hosts, and a peaceful atmosphere enhanced by bike trails. While some maintenance issues were noted, overall experiences are highly positive, with many campers expressing a desire to return.
What Guests Are Saying
Cottonwood Campground offers spacious, level sites with water and electricity, along with clean restrooms and hot showers. Campers appreciate the beautiful lake views, friendly hosts, and a peaceful atmosphere enhanced by bike trails. While some maintenance issues were noted, overall experiences are highly positive, with many campers expressing a desire to return.
Review Summary
Joel B
VerifiedJune 6, 2024 • Stayed at: 62P, Loop: SLOO
Campground is very well maintained, shower house was clean with plenty of how water for taking showers. Their is a lake for fishing and kayaking, also a larger lake on the other side of the dam for recreational boating and fishing. Just down the road is the Dam and Missouri river for more fishing. We always have an enjoyable experience at this campground, and hope we can have many more camping trips there.
Joel B
VerifiedJune 6, 2024 • Stayed at: 62P, Loop: SLOO
Campground is very well maintained, shower house was clean with plenty of how water for taking showers. Their is a lake for fishing and kayaking, also a larger lake on the other side of the dam for recreational boating and fishing. Just down the road is the Dam and Missouri river for more fishing. We always have an enjoyable experience at this campground, and hope we can have many more camping trips there.
Bill E
VerifiedJune 6, 2024 • Stayed at: 41, Loop: SLOO
Campground was well maintained with clean restrooms and shower area.
Fire pit cleaned out before I was at my spot. Camp host was friendly and answered any questions.
Park ranger patrolled the area numerous times .
Lake Yankton at the campground offering fishing, swimming, kayaking and SUP if you bring them. Fishing the Missouri River and Lewis and Clark lake close by .
Miles of asphalt bike- walk trails.
My go to camp for 50 years.
David S
VerifiedJune 5, 2024 • Stayed at: 58, Loop: SLOO
Very quiet and peaceful visit. Loved being able to walk over to the Day Use spot from the campground. Would be an added asset if the two were connected with a riverfront walkway. Love staying at Cottonwood!
David S
VerifiedJune 5, 2024 • Stayed at: 58, Loop: SLOO
Very quiet and peaceful visit. Loved being able to walk over to the Day Use spot from the campground. Would be an added asset if the two were connected with a riverfront walkway. Love staying at Cottonwood!
Martin P
VerifiedMay 31, 2024 • Stayed at: 21, Loop: NLOO
Mostly enjoyed the stay although my camper and pickup were covered with bird poop. Also we left a day early & weren't reimbursed for the last day as had happened in the past. They tried to make our friends move one day before they were to leave after they suggested that they move to the site they were on.
Martin P
VerifiedMay 31, 2024 • Stayed at: 21, Loop: NLOO
Mostly enjoyed the stay although my camper and pickup were covered with bird poop. Also we left a day early & weren't reimbursed for the last day as had happened in the past. They tried to make our friends move one day before they were to leave after they suggested that they move to the site they were on.
Laurie H
VerifiedMay 27, 2024 • Stayed at: 03, Loop: NLOO
Great place to be! Clean, quiet.Ranger presence excellent.
Laurie H
VerifiedMay 27, 2024 • Stayed at: 03, Loop: NLOO
Great place to be! Clean, quiet.Ranger presence excellent.
Dion W
VerifiedMay 24, 2024 • Stayed at: 28, Loop: NLOO
The campgrounds were very clean, quiet, and well-maintained. Hats off to the campground hosts. They were wonderful. Best campgrounds around!
Location Cottonwood (NE)
Address:
U.S. Army Corps Of Engineers, Cottonwood Campground, 198 Toe Rd
Yankton, SD, 57078
United States
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.
Latitude & Longitude: 42.8586 / -97.4825
Elevation: 361 feet
Policies & Rules
Arrival & departure
Check in time
4PM
Check out time
2PM
- Campers must check in, with limits on guests, campsite types, vehicle parking, and pet regulations.
- Contact information for park staff is provided for inquiries.
Cancellation policy
- Reservation fees are non-refundable. For campsites, cabins, lookouts, yurts, group sites, and similar stays, we charge a reservation service fee of $8.
- Standard cancellations usually have a $10 cancellation fee. Customers can generally cancel before the check-in date online.
- Late cancellation rules differ by stay type.
- Individual campsites: cancelling after 12:00am local time the day before arrival usually means a $10 cancellation fee plus forfeiting the first night's fee.
- Cabins, lookouts, and yurts: cancelling less than 14 days before arrival usually means a $10 cancellation fee plus forfeiting the first night's fee.
- One-night reservations: a late cancellation usually forfeits the full amount paid, up to the total original reservation cost.
- Modifications are allowed before the cut-off window, but fees depend on the change. Changing to dates completely outside the original reservation dates may trigger a $10 change fee. Extending or shortening a stay that still includes original dates usually has no change fee, though refunds may depend on timing and facility rules. Switching to the same type of campsite for the same dates usually has no change fee, but price differences are charged or refunded.
- Early departures may or may not be refunded. At certain facilities, partial refunds may be possible if staff can mark the site available for other visitors. No refund is given for a night if the early departure is requested after that day's check-out time.
- Security deposits are separate. Security deposits may be refunded to the original payment method if the facility is left in acceptable condition, as determined by the property.
Fires & fuel
- Bringing firewood from outside the area is prohibited to protect local forests.
Safety & rules
- Boaters and anglers must clean, drain, and dry equipment to prevent the spread of aquatic invasive species.
Nearby Campgrounds
Last updated: June 4, 2026
