Richland Dam Recreation Area

We made our own mistake coming during a heat wave and no way to run the ac. We are the only ones here and it’s really peaceful and quiet. I personally LOVE that. It’s SUPER hot and the air is very moist and there’s not really anywhere to park to be shaded from the sun at all. The grass is mowed and maintained and there is a pit toilet. I haven’t been in it, but if it’s anything like the rest of the place, I’d assume it’s maintained. Not a whole lot of lake access points from what I’ve found. There isn’t a human, car, road, house of building within ear or eye shot of this place, so if you’re lookin for somewhere to just be for a few days that’s free and beautiful, I’d recommend it. The gravel road is a little rough at first, but it looks way tougher than it actually is. If we weren’t in an oven on wheels right now, I’d enjoy this place way more. Service isn’t great, but there’s no trees to block the starlink.

Very remote indeed. Just be careful, the address given that is outside the National Grassland is INCORRECT. Even though we are in Pierre SD, didn't catch on right away. If you ended up out there, look at Little Bend Rec Area. Richland is small and much like a ranchers dam for cattle and other livestock. You might find hay-bales in the camp area. Kids may find the area a bit boring after an hour or two. Folks wanting some peace and quite will find it to be a gem. Would not recommend swimming because of ranch land run-off. Small non-motorized boats or kayaks okay and seen some small fish jumping. Great one to two night stay!

It rained .3” the night we stayed and the roads out were slick! Good old gumbo, slick and sticky all at once.
Very quiet, beautiful spot. I enjoyed kayaking the little lake. The pit toilet was very clean. An enjoyable stay over—and I guess the drive out just added to the adventure!
We have a 21’ class C Chinook, towing a Suzuki Samurai (we unhooked to climb the first hill out,upon leaving)

I arrived late afternoon and had the place to myself. I could hear numerous Morning Doves and watched a couple ducks. There was a slight breeze when I arrived that probably kept the mosquitoes away. As the wind died I had some buzzing me that went away as the temperature dropped. As others have stated the pit toilet was very clean. Everything is very green at this time of year. I would have gladly stayed another night but was getting very low on propane. My phone is close enough that it auto switched to Mountain time.

Don’t come to this area and expect you to have loads of things to do(which we didn’t). It is calm peaceful and sometimes windy.

Follow Route 83 north about 15 miles and then turn left onto 226th St. You’ll This road is gravel and dirt with a little bit of washboard here and there. There are some hills and a few turns, but, nothing of great concern. Follow 226th St. about 3.4 miles and you’ll take the right onto 286th Ave. In about 1.5 miles you’ll see the sign for Richland Dam Recreation area on the left.

There is loads of room for any size rig at the area. We are in a 37’ Montana High Country and were able to park on a spot right next to the reservoir. The sunsets are spectacular pretty much every night. We were there the second week of May for a two week stay. There was one day that the winds were howling at 40 MPH sustained with 50 MPH gusts. We ended up moving to the tree line and that was MUCH better.

We were able to go and view the prairie chickens one morning. This is a spring time mating event and we are glad we were able to do it.

The pit toilet is the cleanest that we have ever seen.


If you have ANY questions call the rangers office. The number is (605) 223-2041. Carol is the BEST! She made sure that we knew exactly how to get there and also provided us with useful information regarding the area. If you drive by the ranger station and don’t stop in and talk to Carol, you are doing yourself a disservice.

One of the best boondocking spots I have come across. It is isolated enough to feel like the middle of nowhere, but the roads in and the site itself are quite well-maintained, not to mention that it actually has toilets! Signal was a little spotty and there were literally hundreds of bugs everywhere I stepped, but the sunrise and sunset were both breathtaking and I've been itching to get back up here since I left!

Flat area with room for big rigs and hunters alike. A flat grassy area no defined campsites. NO FIRES. We picked up very little garbage mostly just small pieces of plastic. This place: "is pack in pack out" and no water. New vaulted toilets a gentleman said, they were just put in, in May, and that his father worked on the completion of the dam.
WIFI was more hit then miss. Wind seem to play apart of the irregularity.

Although it is necessary to drive several miles on dirt roads accessibility was no problem. The camping area is a wide open space and will accommodate any size rig and plenty of room for everyone. I unknowingly stayed on opening season for grouse and there were at least a dozen parties and their dogs. No problem. Normally I'm sure there are fewer campers. The toilet looks new and well kept but didn't use it. The little reservoir has pan fish and is fine for kayaks. No water, electricity, or dump station. Expect a nice sunrise and sunset.