Featuring an island nature area, a beautiful lake, and eight miles of trails, Farm Island Recreation Area is a perfect destination for RV holidays. The 1,800-acre park established in 1946 is located four miles east of Pierre, off Highway 34 in South Dakota, and attracts all types of visitors, including RV campers, swimmers, anglers, hiker, bicyclists, and bird watchers. This is because the park offers unique opportunities to enjoy hiking, biking, fishing, boating, archery, swimming, water skiing, cross-cross country skiing, as well as other fun activities.
Farm Island Recreation Area features 90 standard pet-friendly campsites available for RVs and tents and equipped with electric RV hookups as well as camping cabins. Amenities at Farm Island Recreation Area include a beach, bicycle rentals, boat ramps, camping cabins, canoe/kayak rentals, drinking water, dump station, amphitheater, electric campsites, fish cleaning station, fishing dock, fishing pole checkout, flush toilets/showers, paddleboard rentals, picnic shelter, playground, snowshoes, visitor center, warming shelter, and Wi-Fi. The fishing dock, picnic shelter, showers, as well as some camping sites are ADA accessible.
The Farm Island Visitor Center stands in the center of the original Fort Sully and provides exhibits that help visitors learn more about the fort.
Local and nearby attractions include Encounters on the Prairie Chapter, Pierre Area Chamber of Commerce, South Dakota Cultural Heritage Center, Verendrye Museum, and Fort Pierre Depot and Museum.
Accessibility to Farm Island Recreation Area by RVs, trailers, and cars is easy as the park is located four miles east of Pierre, off Highway 34 in South Dakota. Within the park, the campgrounds and waterfront are easy to access by local paved roads. As a result, you’ll find it easy to navigate wherever you want in the park in your rig. There are no driving restrictions in Farm Island Recreation Area.
There is only one parking lot for RVs, trailers and cars in Farm Island Recreation Area located in the western part of the park just around the park entrance. One RV/trailer can be parked at each campsite in the park. Overnight parking is available in the park for RV campers.
There are no public transportation facilities available at Farm Island Recreation Area.
Main Campground in Farm Island Recreation Area features 70 standard pet-friendly campsites available for RVs and tents. One campsite in the campground is ADA accessible. All 70 campsites are equipped with electric hookups for RVs. RV length limit at the campground is 50 feet. Amenities at the campground include vault toilets, amphitheater, drinking water, camping cabins, restrooms, playgrounds, and waterfront access.
East Campground in Farm Island Recreation Area features 20 standard pet-friendly campsites available for RVs and tents. All the campsites are equipped with electric hookups for RVs. RV length limit at the campground is 40 feet. Amenities at the campground include shelter house, drinking water, and waterfront access.
Farm Island Recreation Area features two trails for RV campers and vacations to enjoy; Nature Exploration Trail, and Lewis and Clark Trail.
Nature Exploration Trail, which is three miles long, is a trail for RV campers to enjoy hiking and biking, while learning about the interpretive history of the area and enjoying nature views. The trail surface is gravel/limestone and is appropriate for campers of all ages. A toilet and parking lot are located at the Nature Exploration trailhead.
Lewis and Clark Trail, which is also a hiking and biking trail in Farm Island Recreation Area, connects LaFramboise Nature Area, and Oahe Downstream Recreation Area. The trail surface is paved/gravel/limestone and rated easy in terms of difficulty and appropriate for all campers of all ages. The trail is 14.5 miles from Farm Island to Oahe Downstream.
Anglers and lovers of fishing enjoy Farm Island Recreation Area because of the fish species available in Hipple Lake. Some of the fish species that RV campers catch in the lake include paddlefish, black crappie, largemouth bass, walleye, yellow perch. The ADA accessible fishing dock further makes fishing an activity for all campers at the park. RV campers that enjoy fishing can use the fishing dock and fish cleaning station, and even checkout a fishing pole in the park.
Hipple Lake affords RV campers at Farm Island the opportunity to enjoy boating and canoeing at Farm Island Recreation Area. The convenient location of the two boat ramps available at the eastern and western parts of the park provide easy access for campers at both campgrounds in the park to engage in their desired boating and canoeing adventures.
Farm Island Recreation Area has four and a half miles of road available for RV campers to engage in road walking. These roads loop through the Main Campground and East Campground, and pass by the boat ramps, fish cleaning station, and other interesting spots in the park. Hence, campers that decide to take a walk on the road in the park are treated to scenic views along the way. All road walkers are required to walk on the left side of the road and wear reflective clothing.
Swimming is a popular activity in Farm Island Recreation Area, particularly in summer. The swim beach in the park offers campers the opportunity to dive into Hipple Lake and have a nice time while on RV holiday at the park.
Farm Island Recreation Area offer both water skiing and cross-country skiing opportunities for RV campers at the park. As a result, campers visit the park with their skiing gear ready to enjoy skiing along the designated cross-country skiing trails as well as on Hipple Lake.
