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Missouri National Recreational River - Plan Your Visit

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Operating Hours & Seasons

Of the approximately 33,800 acres included within the boundaries, the National Park Service owns about 30 acres at the Mulberry Bend Overlook and 220 acres at the Bow Creek confluence with the Missouri River. Both are on the Nebraska side. Access to the river is available at various locations throughout the year depending on weather and road conditions. A National Park Service field office is located in the Lewis and Clark Visitor Center near Yankton, SD. This facility is open 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., with hours extended Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend. Call 402/667-2550 for further information.

Those visitors who are planning to follow the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail by boat north of Sioux City, Iowa, should also call 402/667-2550. There are no locks on the Missouri River and boaters will have to portage around the six big dams.

Local Partners & Information Resources

Yankton, SD, Chamber of Commerce

Southeast South Dakota Visitors Association

Gavins Point Dam/Lewis and Clark Lake

Village of Niobrara, NE

Village of Elk Point

Getting There

Plane
Sioux City Gateway Airport is a regional airport served by American West, United, TWA Express, TWA, and Northwest Link. However, there is no public transportation from there to the park and to its various public accesses.

Chad Gurney Airport is located on the north side of Yankton, SD. Again, there is no public transportation to the park, though car rental is available (605/665-3473).

Car
South Dakota Route 50 and Nebraska Route 12 parallel the park for much of its length. Most of the public accesses to the river are off these two highways. Call 402/667-2550 for a list of the more popular river accesses. NPS Rangers are stationed in the Lewis and Clark Visitor Center, which is located on Nebraska Route 121 about four miles west of Yankton, South Dakota.

Public Transportation
No public transportation is available within the park corridor. Limited taxi service is available in Yankton (605/665-2777).

Getting Around

The Missouri National Recreational River is largely on the Nebraska-South Dakota border. Most public accesses to the river are on gravel or dirt roads. In winter, be prepared for hazardous driving conditions; blowing and drifting snow can also pose challenges for motorists.

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