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Lake Thompson Recreation Area

Originally called Dry Woods Lake by American Indians, the lake was renamed for Jacob Thompson, Secretary of the Interior under President James Buchanan. The lake is mentioned as Twin Lakes in many of Laura Ingalls Wilder’s books, including By the Shores of Silver Lake and The Long Winter. In the 1930s, the lake was completely dry and used for pasture. In 1980s, the area was a 9,000-acre marsh. Heavy rains and snowmelt in the mid 80s filled the lake to over 20 feet deep and now covers 18,000 acres in Kingsbury County. The lake is so distinct it was designated as a National Natural Landmark. The two camping cabins at Lake Thompson overlook the lake.
   
Camping/Cabins/Lodge

  • Located 6 miles SW of Lake Preston off US Hwy. 14  Location map (Requires Adobe Acrobat Reader.)  DOT Road Report

  • Open year-round

  • Park entrance license required: $6/day/vehicle or $28 for an annual pass

  • Camping & Fees: $12/non-electrical, $16/electrical. 103 campsites (97 electrical)
    One wheelchair accessible site. Six tent-only sites. Showers. Dump station.

  • Camping Cabins: Four wheelchair accessible camping cabins. Each sleeps four people. $35/night. 

  • Lodge: Five-bedroom lodge. Sleeps 12 people. $200/night. Additional occupants $15 each. See photos.

  • Reservations: (800) 710-2267 or www.CampSD.com. Up to 90 days prior to arrival. Campsites May to Sept. Cabins year-round. Lodge reservations open Nov. 1 for the upcoming calendar year. Group reservations available, open Nov. 1 for upcoming season.

  • Recreation: Camping. Cabins. Biking. Boating. Fishing. Game / equipment checkout. Accessible hiking trail. Picnicking. Playground. Ski beach. Swimming. Volleyball.

  • Swimming/Beaches: Ski beach. Swimming beach. No lifeguard on duty. Swim at your own risk.

  • Fishing/Boating: Boat ramp. Fish cleaning station. Walleye, Northern pike, crappie, perch and bass. License required.

  • Park maps: PDF files. Require Adobe Acrobat Reader.
    - Campground map
       (2 pages, 113KB)
    - Trail map and guide
        (2 pages, 123KB)
     - Walking map
        (1 page, 226KB)

Lake Thompson
Recreation Area
21176 Flood Club Road
Lake Preston, SD
57249-6516
(605) 847-4893
Email: LakeThompson@state.sd.us

Lake Thompson offers 103 campsites (97 electrical). Each campsite has a fire ring and picnic table. Four camping cabins offer breathtaking views of the lake.

The accessible group rental lodge, a newly remodeled farmhouse, is perfect for large group reunions, family functions or hunting trips. The five-bedroom facility includes a comfortable living room, dining room, kitchen with major appliances, two full bathrooms with showers and an outdoor deck with gas grill. Nearby electrical sites are available for those in the group that wish to camp. Click here for photos of the lodge.

Fishing

Area sportsmen quickly discovered large number of sport fish that the lake produced, including walleyes, perch and northern pike. Today, fishing success on Lake Thompson is rumored to be second in the state only to the Missouri River.

Boat launching facilities include a double-lane ramp, a dock, toilet and paved parking lot. Two more boat-launching sites are available at a nearby lakeside use area, located 5 miles south of DeSmet on Hwy 25, then 3 miles east. These boat ramps provide access to both lake Henry and Lake Thompson.

 
Home to Laura Ingalls Wilder
Laura Ingalls Wilder called the area around DeSmet her home, and is featured in several of her books. Lake Thompson itself is also mentioned  in her books, as one of the Twin Lakes.
Nearby Attractions

 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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