Openings · last 7 days
0
01 · Detected Opening History · the openings record · file CS-255134
When Left Tailrace reopens
Left Tailrace's openings record: every site-date Campsite Sniper detected turning available, logged and time-stamped. Refreshed hourly.
Openings · last 30 days
0
Openings · last 90 days
115
115 openings were recorded here in the last 90 days, but none in the last 30 — the pattern below would describe the past, not this season, so we do not chart it. A free Campsite Sniper alert watches around the clock instead, and pings you the moment one opens.
02 · Availability Outlook · May 1 – May 3, 2027 · of 91 monitored sites
Of the 264 tracked site-nights (May 1 – May 3, 2027): 264 open for online reservation.
Where the open windows are
0% of tracked site-nights are not currently open for online reservation. 264 of 264 remain open; here is where they are.
Load status
May 1 – May 3, 2027Not open online0%
Open site-nights264 / 264
Reserved (of online inventory)0 / 264
Weekday openings88
Weekend openings176
Of the open site-nights on mapped sites, 88 fall on weekdays and 176 on weekends (Fri–Sun).
Open dates by month
May 2027 – May 2027May holds the most room. 264 of 264 site-nights are still open there.
Holiday windows
Sites open per night · of 88 sites| Window | Night | Sites open | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Memorial Day | FRI May 28 | 0 | None open |
| SAT May 29 | 0 | None open | |
| SUN May 30 | 0 | None open | |
| MON May 31 | 0 | None open |
Memorial Day: no online availability on any tracked night.
Best-availability sites
Most open site-nights · tracked window| Site | Open site-nights |
|---|---|
| 01 | 3 |
| 02 | 3 |
| 03 | 3 |
| 04 | 3 |
| 05 | 3 |
The 5 sites with the most open site-nights in the current snapshot. Pair a bookable date with a free alert to cover everything else.
Tracked window
CoverageCampsite Sniper's data for this facility starts May 1, 2027. That is about 180 days after the current snapshot was taken, so dates before May 1, 2027 are not covered by what Campsite Sniper tracks here — they are not known to be unavailable. The site-nights shown on this page describe May 1, 2027 onwards only. Check Recreation.gov for earlier dates.
Stays and site detail
264 open site-nights across 88 sites at Left Tailrace, from the same hourly snapshot as everything above.
Multi-night stays. 88 2-night, 88 3-night openings where a single site is free for every night, per Campsite Sniper's current snapshot — soonest May 1, 2027 at site 01.
RV length. Longest recorded site here is 89 ft. 76 sites take 25 ft, 76 sites take 35 ft, 76 sites take 40 ft. 12 sites of 88 have no recorded maximum and are not counted.
Showing 60 of 88 sites with current availability
| Site | Max RV | Hookups | Open site-nights | Longest run | Dates |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | 89 ft | Yes | 3 | 3 nights | May 1, 2027, May 2, 2027, May 3, 2027 |
| 02 | 84 ft | Yes | 3 | 3 nights | May 1, 2027, May 2, 2027, May 3, 2027 |
| 03 | 76 ft | Yes | 3 | 3 nights | May 1, 2027, May 2, 2027, May 3, 2027 |
| 04 | 76 ft | Yes | 3 | 3 nights | May 1, 2027, May 2, 2027, May 3, 2027 |
| 05 | 74 ft | Yes | 3 | 3 nights | May 1, 2027, May 2, 2027, May 3, 2027 |
| 06 | 76 ft | Yes | 3 | 3 nights | May 1, 2027, May 2, 2027, May 3, 2027 |
| 07 | 79 ft | Yes | 3 | 3 nights | May 1, 2027, May 2, 2027, May 3, 2027 |
| 08 | 80 ft | Yes | 3 | 3 nights | May 1, 2027, May 2, 2027, May 3, 2027 |
| 09 | 80 ft | Yes | 3 | 3 nights | May 1, 2027, May 2, 2027, May 3, 2027 |
| 10 | 77 ft | Yes | 3 | 3 nights | May 1, 2027, May 2, 2027, May 3, 2027 |
| 11 | 77 ft | Yes | 3 | 3 nights | May 1, 2027, May 2, 2027, May 3, 2027 |
| 12 | 71 ft | Yes | 3 | 3 nights | May 1, 2027, May 2, 2027, May 3, 2027 |
| 14A | 51 ft | Yes | 3 | 3 nights | May 1, 2027, May 2, 2027, May 3, 2027 |
| 14B | 50 ft | Yes | 3 | 3 nights | May 1, 2027, May 2, 2027, May 3, 2027 |
| 15A | 55 ft | Yes | 3 | 3 nights | May 1, 2027, May 2, 2027, May 3, 2027 |
| 15B | 63 ft | Yes | 3 | 3 nights | May 1, 2027, May 2, 2027, May 3, 2027 |
| 16A | 57 ft | Yes | 3 | 3 nights | May 1, 2027, May 2, 2027, May 3, 2027 |
| 16B | 50 ft | Yes | 3 | 3 nights | May 1, 2027, May 2, 2027, May 3, 2027 |
| 17A | 60 ft | Yes | 3 | 3 nights | May 1, 2027, May 2, 2027, May 3, 2027 |
| 17B | 53 ft | Yes | 3 | 3 nights | May 1, 2027, May 2, 2027, May 3, 2027 |
| 18A | 65 ft | Yes | 3 | 3 nights | May 1, 2027, May 2, 2027, May 3, 2027 |
| 18B | 53 ft | Yes | 3 | 3 nights | May 1, 2027, May 2, 2027, May 3, 2027 |
| 19A | 67 ft | Yes | 3 | 3 nights | May 1, 2027, May 2, 2027, May 3, 2027 |
| 19B | 57 ft | Yes | 3 | 3 nights | May 1, 2027, May 2, 2027, May 3, 2027 |
| 20A | 55 ft | Yes | 3 | 3 nights | May 1, 2027, May 2, 2027, May 3, 2027 |
| 20B | 64 ft | Yes | 3 | 3 nights | May 1, 2027, May 2, 2027, May 3, 2027 |
| 21A | 54 ft | Yes | 3 | 3 nights | May 1, 2027, May 2, 2027, May 3, 2027 |
| 21B | 62 ft | Yes | 3 | 3 nights | May 1, 2027, May 2, 2027, May 3, 2027 |
| 22A | 54 ft | Yes | 3 | 3 nights | May 1, 2027, May 2, 2027, May 3, 2027 |
| 22B | 60 ft | Yes | 3 | 3 nights | May 1, 2027, May 2, 2027, May 3, 2027 |
| 23 | 84 ft | Yes | 3 | 3 nights | May 1, 2027, May 2, 2027, May 3, 2027 |
| 24 | 85 ft | Yes | 3 | 3 nights | May 1, 2027, May 2, 2027, May 3, 2027 |
| 25 | 75 ft | Yes | 3 | 3 nights | May 1, 2027, May 2, 2027, May 3, 2027 |
| 26 | 84 ft | Yes | 3 | 3 nights | May 1, 2027, May 2, 2027, May 3, 2027 |
| 27 | 80 ft | Yes | 3 | 3 nights | May 1, 2027, May 2, 2027, May 3, 2027 |
| 28 | 84 ft | Yes | 3 | 3 nights | May 1, 2027, May 2, 2027, May 3, 2027 |
| 29 | 85 ft | Yes | 3 | 3 nights | May 1, 2027, May 2, 2027, May 3, 2027 |
| 30 | 85 ft | Yes | 3 | 3 nights | May 1, 2027, May 2, 2027, May 3, 2027 |
| 31 | 83 ft | Yes | 3 | 3 nights | May 1, 2027, May 2, 2027, May 3, 2027 |
| 32 | 84 ft | Yes | 3 | 3 nights | May 1, 2027, May 2, 2027, May 3, 2027 |
| 33 | 75 ft | Yes | 3 | 3 nights | May 1, 2027, May 2, 2027, May 3, 2027 |
| 34 | 77 ft | Yes | 3 | 3 nights | May 1, 2027, May 2, 2027, May 3, 2027 |
| 35 | 78 ft | Yes | 3 | 3 nights | May 1, 2027, May 2, 2027, May 3, 2027 |
| 36 | 77 ft | Yes | 3 | 3 nights | May 1, 2027, May 2, 2027, May 3, 2027 |
| 37 | 77 ft | Yes | 3 | 3 nights | May 1, 2027, May 2, 2027, May 3, 2027 |
| 38 | 79 ft | Yes | 3 | 3 nights | May 1, 2027, May 2, 2027, May 3, 2027 |
| 41 | 73 ft | Yes | 3 | 3 nights | May 1, 2027, May 2, 2027, May 3, 2027 |
| 44 | 47 ft | Yes | 3 | 3 nights | May 1, 2027, May 2, 2027, May 3, 2027 |
| 45 | 55 ft | Yes | 3 | 3 nights | May 1, 2027, May 2, 2027, May 3, 2027 |
| 46 | 54 ft | Yes | 3 | 3 nights | May 1, 2027, May 2, 2027, May 3, 2027 |
| 47 | 56 ft | Yes | 3 | 3 nights | May 1, 2027, May 2, 2027, May 3, 2027 |
| 48 | 56 ft | Yes | 3 | 3 nights | May 1, 2027, May 2, 2027, May 3, 2027 |
| 49 | 60 ft | Yes | 3 | 3 nights | May 1, 2027, May 2, 2027, May 3, 2027 |
| 50 | 59 ft | Yes | 3 | 3 nights | May 1, 2027, May 2, 2027, May 3, 2027 |
| 51 | 58 ft | Yes | 3 | 3 nights | May 1, 2027, May 2, 2027, May 3, 2027 |
| 52 | 56 ft | Yes | 3 | 3 nights | May 1, 2027, May 2, 2027, May 3, 2027 |
| 53 | 52 ft | Yes | 3 | 3 nights | May 1, 2027, May 2, 2027, May 3, 2027 |
| 54 | 56 ft | Yes | 3 | 3 nights | May 1, 2027, May 2, 2027, May 3, 2027 |
| 55 | 52 ft | Yes | 3 | 3 nights | May 1, 2027, May 2, 2027, May 3, 2027 |
| 56 | 54 ft | Yes | 3 | 3 nights | May 1, 2027, May 2, 2027, May 3, 2027 |
About Left Tailrace
Overview
Left Tailrace Campgound at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers - Big Bend Project, sits on the shore of Lake Francis Case on the Missouri River below Big Bend Dam. Just upstream of Left Tailrace, Lake Sharpe, a popular recreation destination in the Great Plains,was created by the completion of Big Bend Dam in 1966.
Today, approximately 80,000 acres of public lands and water provide a variety of benefits to the public including flood control, recreation, conservation of our natural resources, fish and wildlife habitat, irrigation, and hydropower production.
It is possible to view many types of wildlife on the Missouri River at Lake Sharpe. Tribal bison herds can be seen grazing the lake area's grasslands north of the towns of Fort Thompson and Lower Brule. The shoreline areas of the lake also offer excellent waterfowl, upland game birds and big game hunting opportunities. Big game animals include whitetail and mule deer, elk, bison, coyotes and wild turkeys. Waterfowl and upland game birds include ducks, geese, pheasants, prairie chickens, and grouse. Hunting regulations are established and enforced by the State of South Dakota, and the Lower Brule and Crow Creek Tribes.
For more information, visit the Big Bend Project website .
Recreation
Lake Sharpe provides many opportunities for outdoor recreation. Recreation areas vary from primitive to highly developed areas like the Left Tailrace area located below the dam. Facilities at the Left Tailrace include campsites with electrical hookups, comfort stations with showers, a dump station, boat ramp, fish cleaning station, courtesy dock, picnic shelters, tables, grills, drinking water, disc golf, etc. Fishing is the main attraction to the area, with walleye being the primary sport fish, although sauger, smallmouth bass, white bass, channel catfish and northern pike also provide great fishing action.
Facilities
Left Tailrace Campground offers 81 electrical hookups and 12 non-electrical tent sites. Electrical sites have a 30 and 50 amp pedastal, paved pull-thru and back-in sites. Left Tailrace Campground also offers men's and women's comfort stations with showers and toilet stalls. Each site has a picnic table and most with shelter covering, fire ring and shade nearby. Tents sites have fire rings and picinic tables. The area also offers large day use areas with shelters and grills, play grounds and a nine-hole disc golf range.
Natural Features
Left Tailrace Campground is located in central South Dakota, three miles from the town of Fort Thompson, 20 miles from Chamberlain and 65 miles from Pierre, which is the state capitol. Lake Sharpe was the last of the Missouri River reservoirs completed and follows a serpentine course of 80 miles between Big Bend Dam and Pierre, SD.
91 monitored sitesRVs up to 89 ft76 with hookups73 shadedWaterfrontLakefrontPets OKFire pitsMax party 8
Getting there
From west bound I-90 take exit 265 at Chamberalin SD, turn right on to Highway 50 travel approximatly 16 miles, turn left on to BIA Highway 4, travel 8 miles to FT. Thompson SD, turn left on to highway 47 travel 3 miles then take a left at the Left Tailrace Campground sign on Big Bend Dam then travel approximately 1 mile to the Left Tailrace Campground. From East bound I-90 take exit 248 at Reliance SD take a left onto Highway 47 north bound, travel 18 miles to Big Bend Dam. Turn right after crossing the Power House bridge, then turn right at the Left Tailrace Campground sign, and travel about 1 mile to the Left Tailrace Campground.
U.S. Army Corps Of Engineers, Chamberlain, SD 57325605-245-2173. FOR RESERVATIONS, PLEASE CALL 1-877-444-6777.
BirdingCampingDay Use AreaDisc GolfFishingHuntingIce FishingPicnickingPlayground Park Specialized Sport SiteRanger Station
View on Recreation.gov ↗ Get directions ↗
03 · Field Photos · roll CS-255134 · facility + sites
Photo gallery
Roll CS-255134 · Left Tailrace · Chamberlain SD12 frames · facility + sites
FAQ
How do I get a reservation at Left Tailrace?
Reservations for Left Tailrace are made through Recreation.gov. The current snapshot shows substantial availability: 264 of 264 tracked site-nights are open (100%), though availability can change. Campsite Sniper has also detected 115 site openings here in the last 90 days, so further dates may appear. Pick a site on the map to see its calendar, or set a free Campsite Sniper alert. You complete the reservation yourself on Recreation.gov.
Does Campsite Sniper book this campground for me?
No. Campsite Sniper sends alerts and direct Recreation.gov links. It never books, pays for, holds, hoards, or resells reservations.
How current is this availability data?
Campsite Sniper re-checks public Recreation.gov availability for this facility every hour and republishes whenever anything changes. This facility's data last changed at Nov 2, 2026 18:20 UTC; an older timestamp means nothing has changed since that time, not that checking stopped. Always confirm final availability on Recreation.gov when you book.
How often do new openings appear at Left Tailrace?
Campsite Sniper detected 115 site-date openings here over the last 90 days, none in the last 7. A free alert watches around the clock and pings you the moment one appears.
Can I get a multi-night stay at Left Tailrace?
88 three-night openings are showing, counting only runs where the SAME site is free for all three nights. The soonest starts May 1, 2027 at site 01. Confirm and book on Recreation.gov.
Which sites at Left Tailrace fit a 35-foot RV?
76 of the 88 sites that support RV analysis have a recorded maximum of 35 ft or more; the longest recorded is 89 ft. 76 of those 88 sites have a recorded maximum length and 12 do not; they are not counted as fitting.
Which month has the most availability at Left Tailrace?
May 2027, with 264 open site-nights in the current snapshot of 264.
When is the next open date at Left Tailrace?
Campsite Sniper cannot answer that from the current snapshot. The availability data held for Left Tailrace begins May 1, 2027 — about 180 days after this snapshot was taken, so any earlier dates are outside what Campsite Sniper is tracking here rather than known to be unavailable. Check Recreation.gov for dates before May 1, 2027.
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