South Dakota State Parks · South Dakota
Lake Thompson Recreation Area
South Dakota State Parks · South Dakota, United States
- Sites
- 103
- 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 - open the site map to pick yours.
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.)
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.