Left Tailrace COE

Corps of Engineers South Dakota

Visited June 2008

Left Tailrace CG is located at Big Bend Dam on the Missouri River near Fort Thompson, SD. The CG is just below the dam and with its boat launch is a popular spot for fishermen.

Greetings from

Left Tailrace COE

An overall view of the campground.

Ribbit! The WxToad

Around the campground

Plenty of sites to choose from - we're on 21B. Several of the sites, including this one, are pull-throughs that have been divided in half. If you have someone on the other half, then it becomes a back-in site. Most others are pull-throughs, while there are a few single back-in sites.

23B is one of the best sites - at the end with a great view of the river.

This gives you an idea as to the setting of the campground.

Site 19 is also a great spot by the river.

Site 10's inhabitants were typical - truck, 5th-wheel, and boat. The fivers have hitches on the rear, so you have the truck pulling both.

This picture of sites 37-34 shows the sun shades over each site's picnic table - very welcome in the hot summer sun.

Sites 64-47 are single back-ins and are nearer the highway and the 233,000 volt transmission line.

There are two modern bathhouses with free hot showers.

The boat launch and dock - kids were swimming from the dock while we were here.

Big Bend Dam offers daily tours of the power house - very interesting.

Nearby campgrounds

Lake Mitchell Campground, MitchellSD · 74 miles away

Badlands National Park - Cedar PassSD · 126 miles away

Bismarck LakeSD · 203 miles away

Ambush Park, BensonMN · 207 miles away

Back on the roadSee all 402 campgrounds