Lewis and Clark State Park, Yankton Section CG, Yankton, SD

Date:  Monday August 15 – Monday August 22, 2016 (7 nights)

Rate:  $20/night (plus $30 year or $6 day car pass)

Website:  Lewis and Clark Recreation Area State Park (SD)
   43349 SD Hwy 52
   Yankton, SD 57078
   605-668-2985

Description:  Located in the south east tip of South Dakota on Lewis and Clark Lake (Missouri River).  This is a huge cg with over 400 sites divided into four sections.  All roads and sites are paved with electric only hook up.  We stayed on site 362 which is 50A but most sites are 30A.  Fill up your fresh tank at the dump station before going to your site because there are very few accessible spigots near the camp sites.  The Yankton Section (about 100 sites) is same day reservation only (first come, first serve).  There are several swim areas along the shore and a couple of boat ramps.  Several cabins are available for reservation and a separate Marina and Resort are next to the cg.  About any activity you can think of is available here, such as disc golf, soccer, basketball, archery, one mile nature trail, six mile bike trail and boat rentals for the large lake.

Trash and Recycle:  Several dumpsters in the cg with recycle bins for drink cans sponsored by BSA.

Activities:  Yankton (pop 15,000) has about all the conveniences needed to make your stay here pleasant.  Even though this is a huge cg, there’s plenty of space between sites.  The bathhouse was modern and clean so we both took showers there to easily stretch our tanks.  I got my exercise by riding the bike on the paved six mile bike trail and walked the one mile nature trail.  We did manage to go to the COE Lewis and Clark Visitors Center to get a little history of the area.  They have nice displays about fallout shelters and the Missouri River history.  We saw deer across from our site just about every day along with one day visits from wild turkey.

 

New neighbors in the hood

 

On site 362

 

Hail storm... several were golf ball size

 

Gavins Point boat ramp                              Large swim beach

 

White cliffs of Nebraska (Chalk Stone Bluffs)

   

Bike trail near the waterfront

   

Sharing the wooded part of the bike trail

 

Gavins Point Dam and Powerplant            COE Lewis and Clark Visitor Center

 

Sleeping and pooping in Fallout Shelters

 

Early history of the Missouri River            History of Louisiana Purchase and exploration

   

At the helm of a steamboat

 

Powerplant and Lake history                      View of dam and lake from VC

   

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood… on the nature trail

 

Interpretive shelter at the top of the hill… nice view!

Lake Pahoja Recreation Area CG, Inwood, IA

Date of Stay:  Monday August 8 – Monday August 15, 2016 (7 nights)

Rate:  $108/week or $18/night (plus $20 year or $5 day car pass)

Website:  Lake Pahoja Recreation Area CG
   1831 Buchanan Ave
   Inwood, IA 51240
   712-753-2313

Description:  Located in north west Iowa about 20 miles from Sioux Falls, SD on a 72 acre lake (no gas motors) in Lyon County.  We stayed on site 10 over looking the 4 mile concrete bike path around the lake.  There are two sections of this cg, one with 30A electric and ours with 50A electric.  A few water spigots in the cg to fill up your fresh tank (one right next to us).  The park roads are paved but the roads in the cg are dirt/gravel as are the site pads and patios.  There are several cabins which are reservable, boat ramp, swim beach, volleyball and basketball courts along with many fishing jettys and pier.  The campsites are first come first serve.  Come in early in the week because the locals pay for a site and place a tent bag or bag chair on the picnic table starting on Wednesday for the weekend.

Trash and Recycle:  No recycle.  Trash dumpster located at the dump station.

Activities:  We enjoyed the very nice bike path around the lake (winding 8 feet wide concrete with small hills).  There are many informational signs along the route with info about plants and animals of the area.  “Pahoja” was the name of the local tribe of Native Peoples.  It means ”dusty noses”.  We really enjoyed hanging out in the shade of our site watching the ground squirrels run all over the place.  We gave them chips and bird seed.  They like junk food better.  One day we rode in to Sioux Falls, SD to check out Falls Park in downtown.  It was really nice but it was a hot day so we didn’t take our bikes.  Our neighbors left on Saturday morning so Maggie and Vel joined us for a couple nights of camping under the trees.  Their friends Michelle and Jen from Sioux Falls joined us during the day.

 

On site 10

 

Us from the bike path                                   Our patio view

 

 

Greg the thirteen-lined ground squirrel

 

Bike path from our patio                                  Swim beach

   

Gin enjoying the bike path… glad she has a new motor

 

Toad or frog crossing

   

Wildlife along the path… fox squirrel and bunny rabbit

 

Not as wild… horses and cows

   

   

Lots of informational signs along the path

 

 

Beautiful views

 

Rural school and teachers home museum

 

 

3.8 miles around from our front door

 

                                 Gin and Vel relaxing             Michelle, Maggie, Vel and Gin watching Olympics

 

Falls Park from the Observation Tower

 

Love the Falls                                   Old power plant is now a cafe

   

Falls Park Visitor Center and Observation Tower

 

Messing around with a couple of statues