State: South Dakota
Address 1: 21176 Flood Club Road
City: Lake Preston
Zip: 57249
Phone: (605) 847-4893
Open: Open May through October
Number of Sites: 103
Electric: 97
Camp URL: http://www.sdgfp.info/Parks/Regions/GlacialLakes/LakeThompson.htm
Full Hook: Yes
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.
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.
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.
