South Dakota State Parks · South Dakota
Lake Thompson Recreation Area
South Dakota State Parks · South Dakota, United States
- Sites
- 103
- Season
- Year-round
- Drinking water
- Yes
- Restrooms
- Yes
- Showers
- Yes
- Dump station
- Yes
- Pets
- Yes
- Elevation
- 1,713 ft
- Dark sky
- Bortle class 1
- Cell coverage
- T-Mobile good · AT&T good · Verizon good (carriers' 4G LTE filings to the FCC, 2025-12; not measured here)
- Nearest town
- Lake Preston
- Address
- 21176 Flood Club Road Lake Preston, SD 57249
- Phone
- 605.847.4893
111 numbered sites are mapped one by one - the site map below shows each with its facts and pictures.
Site map
111 numbered sites are mapped one by one on the imagery, with the operator's own facts and pictures for each site where it publishes them. Tap a site to rate it, keep a note and add your own photos; press and hold the map for a pin of your own. Your ratings, notes, pins and photos are kept with the campground on your Saved list, the same list the camping map and the drive page keep.
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About
Lake Thompson Recreation Area is a South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks Recreation Area with 103 campsites available for camping.
Fees
Lake Thompson Recreation Area's own published camping fees: Campsites - electrical: $30 per night; Campsites - non-electrical: $16 per night; Camping Cabins: $60 per night; Group Lodge: $280 per night. Plus a required Park Entrance License at every GFP park/recreation area: Daily $10 resident / $15 nonresident, Annual $40 resident / $60 nonresident. (Source: gfp.sd.gov/pel-fees/ and each park's own Fees section.)
Between October 1 and April 30, showers, flush toilets and other water systems may be closed. Please contact the park directly for current status. Vault toilets usually remain open.
Weather, month by month
| Month | Typical high | Typical low | Coldest night | Hottest day | Years with a night below 32°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 24° | 4° | -21° | 47° | 11 of 11 |
| February | 28° | 9° | -23° | 60° | 11 of 11 |
| March | 41° | 25° | -7° | 71° | 11 of 11 |
| April | 55° | 32° | 15° | 79° | 10 of 11 |
| May | 68° | 48° | 34° | 85° | 0 of 11 |
| June | 80° | 61° | 49° | 95° | 0 of 11 |
| July | 84° | 65° | 57° | 93° | 0 of 11 |
| August | 80° | 63° | 55° | 91° | 0 of 11 |
| September | 78° | 59° | 39° | 89° | 0 of 11 |
| October | 59° | 41° | 23° | 77° | 3 of 10 |
| November | 46° | 31° | 8° | 66° | 7 of 10 |
| December | 31° | 21° | -10° | 49° | 10 of 10 |
Mid-month figures from 2016–2026 of daily weather at this spot (ERA5 reanalysis via Open-Meteo, CC BY 4.0), in °F. Typical is the median; coldest and hottest are the extremes seen.
Nearby campgrounds
- Lake Preston City Campground · City, County & Regional Parks · 4 mi · 17 sites
- Washington Park Campground · City, County & Regional Parks · 8 mi
- Lake Carthage Lakeside Use Area · South Dakota State Parks · 17 mi · 16 sites
- Howard City Campground · City, County & Regional Parks · 22 mi · 7 sites
- Lake Poinsett Recreation Area · South Dakota State Parks · 23 mi · 112 sites
All public campgrounds in South Dakota · Every state and province · Facts read from the operator 2026-08-24. Confirm fees, rules and current status with the operator before you go.