Dude Ranch Lakeside Use Area

We found this on the way out West. We were the only ones there. Road getting in was about a mile of paved and then a mile of dirt but it was a good dirt road. It was quiet. Pit toilet, dumpster, and flies. Would definitely stay here again.
They have fireplace rings if you want to have a fire and picnic tables. It was $11.63 per night.

We arrived at 4 PM on A Thursday afternoon just as a storm was rolling in. We quickly paid $12 and pulled our 24 Ft TT into site #2 overlooking the water. There were only 2 other campers there—a class A and another TT. As the weather cleared, about 3 other campers settled in. The campground was quiet & well kept. I should mention they were out of envelopes in the self-pay kiosk located right next to us, so I was able to use a zip lock bag to put the cash in and squeeze into the pay-post. We rolled out in the morning without incident. I would highly recommend this camping spot—well worth the $11.67 they charge for a night. We had a picnic table & fire pit along with a level site so we didn’t even have to unhitch. Easy in, easy out.

Wonderful spot. Beautiful location along the Missouri River, with beautiful views of the river bluffs. Very peaceful location. Easy access. Only 3 miles off the exit of I90. 1.5 miles paved + 1.5 miles good gravel. A few of basic services in Oacoma. Nice level parking area. Vault toilet in good condition. Can fill up with water and dump at either the Presho I90 rest area or I90 rest area west of Mitchell.

We stopped here for quick overnight. Close to Interstate 90, Good Verizon cell phone coverage. Previous reviews had stated that this was free camping. South Dakota Fish & Game recently installed signage, site numbers and they now charge $11.67 per night. No water, but there are pit toilets, and dumpsters. Easy access for big rigs. We have 38 ft 5th Wheel.

We stayed here in mid-September, 2021 and really enjoyed it! We opted for right along the water on the East side just a bit N of the launch ramp. We enjoyed the water view and had a perfect afternoon the day we got there. The dog enjoyed the water at the beach. Second day we had wind, so water was dirty. Nice walking on the little beach - nice walking up the road. Were surprised at how many people showed up in the afternoon and one even in the dark. We had decent t-mobile here and would definitely stay here again - found on Campendium of course! Including a video of our "campground review".

We arrived here Thursday before labor day weekend. There was nobody here. Our only companions were flies and swallows. We were a little concerned that it might be a mud hole due to the massive amount of rain in the last 24 hrs. We were pleasantly surprised. The road in was gravel packed as well as the parking area. We had no problems getting our 35 ft motorhome in and parked. I expect it to get busy this weekend.

Free Camping at Dude Ranch Lakeside Use Area in South Dakota provides campers a scenic view of the Missouri River. Dude Ranch offers up to 14 consecutive nights of free camping in the designated camping area. A vault toilet and a trash dumpster are available onsite in addition to a boat ramp and dock. This free camping area is administered by the South Dakota Game, Fish, and Parks. Verizon cellular service clocked in at 99.1 Mbps download speed and 39.6 Mbps upload speed. AT&T cellular service clocked in at 5.89 Mbps download speed and 1.55 Mbps upload speed. T-Mobile cellular service clocked in at 8.96 Mbps download speed and 7.66 Mbps upload speed.