ACOE Omaha District
Learn about camping and boondocking at Army Corps of Engineers projects within their Omaha District
North Shore Recreation Area, Fort Thompson, SD
North Shore Recreation Area, Fort Thompson, SD Free camping is hard to find in South Dakota once you get east of the Badlands. Fortunately, the Army Corps of Engineers has set up several recreation areas along the Missouri River. Most of the better campgrounds within these recreation areas will cost you per-night fees. However, North Shore Recreation Area seems to be an exception. It’s part of the greater Lake Sharpe region, a lake created along the Missouri River after the construction of Big Bend Dam, about 30 minutes north of Chamberlain. North Shore Recreation Area and Tailrace Left Campground used ... Read more
Nelson Creek Recreation Area, Fort Peck Lake, MT
Nelson Creek Recreation Area, Fort Peck Lake, Montana Fort Peck Lake is technically property of U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, and is officially known as, “Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge”. However, the USFWS contracts the management of Fort Peck Lake Campgrounds to three different agencies. The Army Corps of Engineers manages most of the recreation areas, along with Fort Peck Dam. A few other recreation areas are managed by the Bureau of Land Management and the State of Montana. Nelson Creek Recreation Area is among those managed by the Army Corps of Engineers. There is no fee to get in and ... Read more
Dude Ranch Lakeside Use Area, Oacoma, SD
Dude Ranch Lakeside Use Area, Oacoma, SD You won’t find a lot of free camping in South Dakota east of the Badlands. Dude Ranch happens to be among the handful, and probably one of the most popular. Because it’s located just a couple miles away from I-90 and the City of Chamberlain, many RV boondockers come here to capitalize. It was primarily intended to give boaters access to Lake Francis Case, but it ended up becoming more known as a boondocking area. There are still plenty of boats launching from Dude Ranch, however. It’s just that you’ll probably see more ... Read more
