Left Tailrace
- Right now
- Nobody has saidNo season, no closure, no bookings to read
- A night
- $16–$22Across the site types the agency prices
- Sites
- 9391 on recreation.gov
The place
the agency’s own description · what’s there · 4 notices
In the agency’s own words
Left Tailrace Campgound at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers - Big Bend Project, sits on the shore of Lake Francis Case on the Missouri River below Big Bend Dam. Just upstream of Left Tailrace, Lake Sharpe, a popular recreation destination in the Great Plains,was created by the completion of Big Bend Dam in 1966. Today, approximately 80,000 acres of public lands and water provide a variety of benefits to the public including flood control, recreation, conservation of our natural resources, fish and wildlife habitat, irrigation, and hydropower production. Keep reading
It is possible to view many types of wildlife on the Missouri River at Lake Sharpe. Tribal bison herds can be seen grazing the lake area's grasslands north of the towns of Fort Thompson and Lower Brule. The shoreline areas of the lake also offer excellent waterfowl, upland game birds and big game hunting opportunities. Big game animals include whitetail and mule deer, elk, bison, coyotes and wild turkeys. Waterfowl and upland game birds include ducks, geese, pheasants, prairie chickens, and grouse. Hunting regulations are established and enforced by the State of South Dakota, and the Lower Brule and Crow Creek Tribes. For more information, visit the Big Bend Project website .
Recreation
Lake Sharpe provides many opportunities for outdoor recreation. Recreation areas vary from primitive to highly developed areas like the Left Tailrace area located below the dam. Facilities at the Left Tailrace include campsites with electrical hookups, comfort stations with showers, a dump station, boat ramp, fish cleaning station, courtesy dock, picnic shelters, tables, grills, drinking water, disc golf, etc. Fishing is the main attraction to the area, with walleye being the primary sport fish, although sauger, smallmouth bass, white bass, channel catfish and northern pike also provide great fishing action.
Facilities
Left Tailrace Campground offers 81 electrical hookups and 12 non-electrical tent sites. Electrical sites have a 30 and 50 amp pedastal, paved pull-thru and back-in sites. Left Tailrace Campground also offers men's and women's comfort stations with showers and toilet stalls. Each site has a picnic table and most with shelter covering, fire ring and shade nearby. Tents sites have fire rings and picinic tables. The area also offers large day use areas with shelters and grills, play grounds and a nine-hole disc golf range.
Natural Features
Left Tailrace Campground is located in central South Dakota, three miles from the town of Fort Thompson, 20 miles from Chamberlain and 65 miles from Pierre, which is the state capitol. Lake Sharpe was the last of the Missouri River reservoirs completed and follows a serpentine course of 80 miles between Big Bend Dam and Pierre, SD. Contact Info For facility specific information, please call (605) 245-2255.
Nearby Attractions
Charges & Cancellations Reservation changes and cancellations can be made on Recreation.gov or by calling 1-877-444-6777. For more information on rules and policies regarding reservation cancellations and changes, please visit: https://www.recreation.gov/rules-reservation-policies .
What the agency tells you
Summary of Campground Rules & Policies: - All public-use of Corps of Engineers lands and waters are governed by Title 36 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR). - Maximum length of Reservation: Each person and camping unit is limited to a 14 day stay in a 30 day period, 14 day stay 16 days away. Reference Title 36 Sec. 327.7(b). - Standard Electric Campsites are limited to one (1) wheeled camping unit and one (1) tent. If there is no wheeled camping unit then two (2) tents are allowed. - Tent-only campsites are limited to two (2) tents. - All motor vehicles are restricted to designated roadways only, off-road use is prohibited. - All motor vehicles parked at campsites are restricted to two (2) wheels on pavement and two (2) on grass. - No All-Terrain Vehicles (ATVs/UTVs), golf carts, or dirt bikes - unless licensed and considered street legal. - Pets are allowed, but must be kept on a leash of no more than six feet (6'). - Fireworks are prohibited. - For more information, please call (605) 245-1800.
Firewood Alert! Don't Move Firewood: Due to the spread of invasive insects such as Emerald Ash Borer (EAB), firewood from outside the area is not permitted. Help protect your forests from tree-killing pests by buying your firewood locally and burning it on-site. Visit DontMoveFirewood.org for further information.
Protect Your Waters! Attention Boaters, Paddlers and Anglers: Do your part to help stop the spread of Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) by remembering to always Clean, Drain, and Dry! Visit SDLeastWanted.com for more information.
Everything else this campground posts · 1
Want to know the latest happenings at Big Bend Dam? Be sure to like and follow us on Facebook at USACE Big Bend Dam for up-to-date information.Big Bend: Social Media
Tents and rigs
- Sites
- 93 · 12 tent-only
- Hookups
- 79 electric
- Longest rig
- 89 ft
- Paved pads
- 81 of 93
- Accessible sites
- 3
- Pets
- Allowed
- Campfires
- Allowed, barring fire bans
- Shade
- Every site
Facilities
- Showers
- Yes, the record doesn’t say what kind
- “Facilities at the Left Tailrace include campsites with electrical hookups, comfort stations with showers, a dump station, boat ramp, fish cleaning station, courtesy dock, picnic shelters, tables, grills, drinking water, disc golf, etc.”
- Drinking water
- Yes
- “…dock, picnic shelters, tables, grills, drinking water, disc golf, etc. Fishing is the main attraction to…”
- Dump station
- Yes
- recreation.gov lists “Dump Station”
- Boat ramp
- Yes
- Stay limit
- 14 nights
- recreation.gov facility rule maxStay
Around the campground
- On the water
- Lake, River, Creek, Beach
- Birding
- Disc Golf
- Fishing
- Hunting
- Ice Fishing
- Picnicking
- Playground Park Specialized Sport Site
- Ranger Station
- Night sky · 29th darkest of 52 in SD
- Bortle 3
No reading yet, book on recreation.gov
recreation.gov lists 91 of the 93 campsites the agency files here. The rest aren’t on its booking system, so a reservation won’t get you one.
No availability snapshot inside the last 36 hours, so this page draws nothing rather than ageing a reading into fiction.
Watch for a cancellation
Full? Watch it.
One email when a night opens, plus More Than Just Parks dispatches. Unsubscribe any time.
We read recreation.gov once an hour, at 40 minutes past, and write the first time a site in your window is free for the nights you asked for.
Scanners that check every few minutes exist, and most of them charge. This one is free, it reads the same calendar, and it won’t always be first.
Tell me when the season opens
Watch for the season to open
One email when the season goes on sale, plus More Than Just Parks dispatches. Unsubscribe any time.
We check once an hour, at 40 minutes past, and write the first time the agency has that season on sale.
Scanners that check every few minutes exist, and most of them charge. This one is free, it reads the same calendar, and it won’t always be first.
We make nothing when you book. The link goes straight to the government.
Every line of the receipt · 14
What you actually pay
Derived by CAMPANAC: the agency’s published rates for this season, $16–$22 a night, plus one $8 recreation.gov reservation fee for the booking. A weekend here means Friday and Saturday night, booked once. Optional charges (an extra vehicle, a second tent, a dump-station fee) are listed separately and aren’t in this total.
“Reservation changes and cancellations can be made on Recreation.gov or by calling 1-877-444-6777. For more information on rules and policies regarding reservation cancellations and changes, please visit: https://www.recreation.gov/rules-reservation-policies.” · this campground’s own terms
Who keeps the booking fee
The agency’s own policy text says the reservation fee and the cancellation processing fee are “retained by the reservation service contractor”, and that a campground concessionaire will decline to refund them because “they did not receive these fees”. Recreation.gov is run under contract by Booz Allen Hamilton. What share of your booking fee the contractor keeps isn’t published in any federal dataset we can read, so we print no number for it. Our reporting on the contract →
How we know this receipt · 6
rules read Sep 9, 2026 · rates Oct 1, 2026 · How we know all this
The sites
93 sites · which ones have room · the site map
The sites, ranked
from 88 mapped sitesAll 93 sites
The price is derived by CAMPANAC, not published per site: the per-night rate this campground publishes for each site’s own site type. 91 of the 93 sites listed carry one, and a site whose type has no published rate sits out of the price rather than being called free.
| LEFT TAILRACE | 13 | standard electric | 50 amp | $22 | ||||
| Lower Loop Sites 1-12 singles | 01 | standard electric | 89 ft | 50 amp | 81 ft | 416 ft | $22 | |
| Lower Loop Sites 1-12 singles | 02 | standard electric | 84 ft | 50 amp | 73 ft | 366 ft | $22 | |
| Lower Loop Sites 1-12 singles | 03 | standard electric | 76 ft | 50 amp | 66 ft | 322 ft | $22 | |
| Lower Loop Sites 1-12 singles | 04 | standard electric | 76 ft | 50 amp | 66 ft | 289 ft | $22 | |
| Lower Loop Sites 1-12 singles | 05 | standard electric | 74 ft | 50 amp | 73 ft | 254 ft | $22 | |
| Lower Loop Sites 1-12 singles | 06 | standard electric | 76 ft | 50 amp | 73 ft | 249 ft | $22 | |
| Lower Loop Sites 1-12 singles | 07 | standard electric | 79 ft | 50 amp | 73 ft | 258 ft | $22 | |
| Lower Loop Sites 1-12 singles | 08 | standard electric | 80 ft | 50 amp | 76 ft | 266 ft | $22 | |
| Lower Loop Sites 1-12 singles | 09 | standard electric | 80 ft | 50 amp | 73 ft | 277 ft | $22 | |
| Lower Loop Sites 1-12 singles | 10 | standard electric | 77 ft | 50 amp | 71 ft | 282 ft | $22 | |
| Lower Loop Sites 1-12 singles | 11 | standard electric | 77 ft | 50 amp | 65 ft | 264 ft | $22 | |
| Lower Loop Sites 1-12 singles | 12 | standard electric | 71 ft | 50 amp | 65 ft | 247 ft | $22 | |
| Lower Loop Sites 14-22 doubles | 14A | standard electric | 51 ft | 50 amp | 42 ft | 319 ft | $22 | |
| Lower Loop Sites 14-22 doubles | 14B | standard electric | 50 ft | 50 amp | 42 ft | 313 ft | $22 | |
| Lower Loop Sites 14-22 doubles | 15A | standard electric | 55 ft | 50 amp | 49 ft | 253 ft | $22 | |
| Lower Loop Sites 14-22 doubles | 15B | standard electric | 63 ft | 50 amp | 49 ft | 246 ft | $22 | |
| Lower Loop Sites 14-22 doubles | 16A | standard electric | 57 ft | 50 amp | 39 ft | 188 ft | $22 | |
| Lower Loop Sites 14-22 doubles | 16B | standard electric | 50 ft | 50 amp | 39 ft | 189 ft | $22 | |
| Lower Loop Sites 14-22 doubles | 17A | standard electric | 60 ft | 50 amp | 53 ft | 177 ft | $22 | |
| Lower Loop Sites 14-22 doubles | 17B | standard electric | 53 ft | 50 amp | 53 ft | 145 ft | $22 | |
| Lower Loop Sites 14-22 doubles | 18A | standard electric | 65 ft | 50 amp | 45 ft | 170 ft | $22 | |
| Lower Loop Sites 14-22 doubles | 18B | standard electric | 53 ft | 50 amp | 45 ft | 133 ft | $22 | |
| Lower Loop Sites 14-22 doubles | 19A | standard electric | 67 ft | 50 amp | 50 ft | 172 ft | $22 | |
| Lower Loop Sites 14-22 doubles | 19B | standard electric | 57 ft | 50 amp | 50 ft | 133 ft | $22 | |
| Lower Loop Sites 14-22 doubles | 20A | standard electric | 55 ft | 50 amp | 47 ft | 173 ft | $22 | |
| Lower Loop Sites 14-22 doubles | 20B | standard electric | 64 ft | 50 amp | 47 ft | 135 ft | $22 | |
| Lower Loop Sites 14-22 doubles | 21A | standard electric | 54 ft | 50 amp | 47 ft | 167 ft | $22 | |
| Lower Loop Sites 14-22 doubles | 21B | standard electric | 62 ft | 50 amp | 47 ft | 130 ft | $22 | |
| Lower Loop Sites 14-22 doubles | 22A | standard electric | 54 ft | 50 amp | 61 ft | 151 ft | $22 | |
| Lower Loop Sites 14-22 doubles | 22B | standard electric | 60 ft | 50 amp | 51 ft | 114 ft | $22 | |
| Tent Area | T01 | tent only nonelectric | 65 ft | 431 ft | $16 | |||
| Tent Area | T02 | tent only nonelectric | 55 ft | 410 ft | $16 | |||
| Tent Area | T03 | tent only nonelectric | 51 ft | 435 ft | $16 | |||
| Tent Area | T04 | tent only nonelectric | 74 ft | 359 ft | $16 | |||
| Tent Area | T05 | tent only nonelectric | 51 ft | 428 ft | $16 | |||
| Tent Area | T06 | tent only nonelectric | 47 ft | 491 ft | $16 | |||
| Tent Area | T07 | tent only nonelectric | 55 ft | 460 ft | $16 | |||
| Tent Area | T08 | tent only nonelectric | 62 ft | 490 ft | $16 | |||
| Tent Area | T09 | tent only nonelectric | 59 ft | 548 ft | $16 | |||
| Tent Area | T10 | tent only nonelectric | 63 ft | 529 ft | $16 | |||
| Tent Area | T11 | tent only nonelectric | 47 ft | 536 ft | $16 | |||
| Tent Area | T12 | tent only nonelectric | 59 ft | 603 ft | $16 | |||
| Upper Loop Sites 23-72 | 23 | standard electric | 84 ft | 50 amp | 86 ft | 636 ft | $22 | |
| Upper Loop Sites 23-72 | 24 | standard electric | 85 ft | 50 amp | 76 ft | 613 ft | $22 | |
| Upper Loop Sites 23-72 | 25 | standard electric | 75 ft | 50 amp | 76 ft | 590 ft | $22 | |
| Upper Loop Sites 23-72 | 26 | standard electric | 84 ft | 50 amp | 85 ft | 590 ft | $22 | |
| Upper Loop Sites 23-72 | 27 | standard electric | 80 ft | 50 amp | yes | 76 ft | 605 ft | $22 |
| Upper Loop Sites 23-72 | 28 | standard electric | 84 ft | 50 amp | 75 ft | 630 ft | $22 | |
| Upper Loop Sites 23-72 | 29 | standard electric | 85 ft | 50 amp | 71 ft | 657 ft | $22 | |
| Upper Loop Sites 23-72 | 30 | standard electric | 85 ft | 50 amp | 62 ft | 680 ft | $22 | |
| Upper Loop Sites 23-72 | 31 | standard electric | 83 ft | 50 amp | 71 ft | 700 ft | $22 | |
| Upper Loop Sites 23-72 | 32 | standard electric | 84 ft | 50 amp | 55 ft | 723 ft | $22 | |
| Upper Loop Sites 23-72 | 33 | standard electric | 75 ft | 50 amp | 55 ft | 731 ft | $22 | |
| Upper Loop Sites 23-72 | 34 | standard electric | 77 ft | 50 amp | 59 ft | 656 ft | $22 | |
| Upper Loop Sites 23-72 | 35 | standard electric | 78 ft | 50 amp | 70 ft | 640 ft | $22 | |
| Upper Loop Sites 23-72 | 36 | standard electric | 77 ft | 50 amp | 63 ft | 613 ft | $22 | |
| Upper Loop Sites 23-72 | 37 | standard electric | 77 ft | 50 amp | 67 ft | 593 ft | $22 | |
| Upper Loop Sites 23-72 | 38 | standard electric | 79 ft | 50 amp | 66 ft | 568 ft | $22 | |
| Upper Loop Sites 23-72 | 39 | type not stated | 79 ft | 50 amp | 549 ft | |||
| Upper Loop Sites 23-72 | 40 | type not stated | 75 ft | 50 amp | yes | 525 ft | ||
| Upper Loop Sites 23-72 | 41 | standard electric | 73 ft | 50 amp | yes | 89 ft | 501 ft | $22 |
| Upper Loop Sites 23-72 | 42 | standard electric | 50 amp | $22 | ||||
| Upper Loop Sites 23-72 | 43 | standard electric | 50 amp | $22 | ||||
| Upper Loop Sites 23-72 | 44 | standard electric | 47 ft | 50 amp | 51 ft | 459 ft | $22 | |
| Upper Loop Sites 23-72 | 45 | standard electric | 55 ft | 50 amp | 51 ft | 471 ft | $22 | |
| Upper Loop Sites 23-72 | 46 | standard electric | 54 ft | 50 amp | 51 ft | 485 ft | $22 | |
| Upper Loop Sites 23-72 | 47 | standard electric | 56 ft | 50 amp | 48 ft | 504 ft | $22 | |
| Upper Loop Sites 23-72 | 48 | standard electric | 56 ft | 50 amp | 48 ft | 521 ft | $22 | |
| Upper Loop Sites 23-72 | 49 | standard electric | 60 ft | 50 amp | 49 ft | 532 ft | $22 | |
| Upper Loop Sites 23-72 | 50 | standard electric | 59 ft | 50 amp | 50 ft | 551 ft | $22 | |
| Upper Loop Sites 23-72 | 51 | standard electric | 58 ft | 50 amp | 50 ft | 565 ft | $22 | |
| Upper Loop Sites 23-72 | 52 | standard electric | 56 ft | 50 amp | 48 ft | 576 ft | $22 | |
| Upper Loop Sites 23-72 | 53 | standard electric | 52 ft | 50 amp | 48 ft | 597 ft | $22 | |
| Upper Loop Sites 23-72 | 54 | standard electric | 56 ft | 50 amp | 28 ft | 576 ft | $22 | |
| Upper Loop Sites 23-72 | 55 | standard electric | 52 ft | 50 amp | 54 ft | 529 ft | $22 | |
| Upper Loop Sites 23-72 | 56 | standard electric | 54 ft | 50 amp | 54 ft | 508 ft | $22 | |
| Upper Loop Sites 23-72 | 57 | standard electric | 51 ft | 50 amp | 48 ft | 492 ft | $22 | |
| Upper Loop Sites 23-72 | 58 | standard electric | 48 ft | 50 amp | 46 ft | 480 ft | $22 | |
| Upper Loop Sites 23-72 | 59 | standard electric | 44 ft | 50 amp | 46 ft | 465 ft | $22 | |
| Upper Loop Sites 23-72 | 60 | standard electric | 47 ft | 50 amp | 51 ft | 449 ft | $22 | |
| Upper Loop Sites 23-72 | 61 | standard electric | 48 ft | 50 amp | 43 ft | 435 ft | $22 | |
| Upper Loop Sites 23-72 | 62 | standard electric | 47 ft | 50 amp | 43 ft | 418 ft | $22 | |
| Upper Loop Sites 23-72 | 63 | standard electric | 49 ft | 50 amp | 84 ft | 383 ft | $22 | |
| Upper Loop Sites 23-72 | 64 | standard electric | 47 ft | 50 amp | 28 ft | 598 ft | $22 | |
| Upper Loop Sites 23-72 | 65 | standard electric | 45 ft | 50 amp | 50 ft | 648 ft | $22 | |
| Upper Loop Sites 23-72 | 66 | standard electric | 46 ft | 50 amp | 53 ft | 701 ft | $22 | |
| Upper Loop Sites 23-72 | 67 | standard electric | 44 ft | 50 amp | 67 ft | 762 ft | $22 | |
| Upper Loop Sites 23-72 | 68 | standard electric | 46 ft | 50 amp | 69 ft | 812 ft | $22 | |
| Upper Loop Sites 23-72 | 69 | standard electric | 46 ft | 50 amp | 53 ft | 792 ft | $22 | |
| Upper Loop Sites 23-72 | 70 | standard electric | 45 ft | 50 amp | 53 ft | 784 ft | $22 | |
| Upper Loop Sites 23-72 | 71 | standard electric | 46 ft | 50 amp | 55 ft | 758 ft | $22 | |
| Upper Loop Sites 23-72 | 72 | standard electric | 45 ft | 50 amp | 55 ft | 740 ft | $22 |
25 of 93 listed
Getting there
the map and the coordinate · the agency’s directions · the phone number
Where it is
- From west bound I-90 take exit 265 at Chamberalin SD, turn right on to Highway 50 travel approximatly 16 miles, turn left on to BIA Highway 4, travel 8 miles to FT. Thompson SD, turn left on to highway 47 travel 3 miles then take a left at the Left Tailrace Campground sign on Big Bend Dam then travel approximately 1 mile to the Left Tailrace Campground.
- From East bound I-90 take exit 248 at Reliance SD take a left onto Highway 47 north bound, travel 18 miles to Big Bend Dam. Turn right after crossing the Power House bridge, then turn right at the Left Tailrace Campground sign, and travel about 1 mile to the Left Tailrace Campground.
The weather
the next four days · the thirty-year normal
Next four days, and the thirty-year normal
Forecast
NWS forecast for Fort Thompson, SD
Typical weather
Typical October night 36°F, day 62°F.
Coldest month of the year: typical January night 7°F, below freezing. Bring a bag rated colder than that, and expect ice in the water bottle.
Daily high and lowDays with 0.10 in or more
A normal is the 1991-2020 average for the month, not a forecast: about half of all Julys are colder than the July line. The seven-day forecast above answers the other question.
The land, and who answers for it
who answers for it
Who answers for this land
Left Tailrace is in South Dakota’s at-large congressional district. Its representative, Dusty Johnson (R), votes on the laws that decide what happens to this land. Public-lands grade so far: F. See every public-lands vote →