Cottonwood Campground
Lewis and Clark Lake · Nebraska · 76 sites
Photos: US Army Corps of Engineers via Recreation.gov
Overview
Cottonwood Campground is a US Army Corps of Engineers campground in Lewis and Clark Lake, Nebraska, with 76 sites in 2 loops. Mostly shady: most sites have good shade. T-Mobile, Verizon and AT&T report coverage at every site.
64 of 76 sites shaded
8 of 76 sites in full sun
12 of 76 sites with clear sky
Map of the campground
Every site from the Recreation.gov listing. Choose a layer to see it across the campground; tap a site to open it in Roam.
Layers
More in Roam Premium
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Questions
Which sites at Cottonwood Campground are the shadiest?
Most of them. 64 of 76 sites have good shade, much of it from the afternoon sun; the other 12 are more open.
See the tree canopy in RoamWhich sites at Cottonwood Campground get the most sun?
Only a few. 8 of 76 sites are truly sunny and 3 more get some sun; the rest are shaded.
See the tree canopy in RoamWill Starlink work at Cottonwood Campground?
Only at a few. About 12 of 76 sites have a clear gap in the trees for Starlink and 9 a partial one; most sit under tall trees. Satellite texting on a phone needs less open sky, but still works best from the most open spot you can find. This is our estimate from tree heights — check with the Starlink app's obstruction check when you arrive.
See the tree canopy in RoamWhich sites at Cottonwood Campground are the most level?
35 of 76 sites are flat, and 28 more have a gentle slope most RVs can level with blocks; 13 are steeper, better for tents. Sites that take RVs or trailers fit rigs up to 80 ft.
See the slope at each site in RoamDoes Cottonwood Campground have cell service?
Yes. T-Mobile, Verizon and AT&T all report coverage at every site at Cottonwood Campground. That's the coverage each carrier reports to the FCC, not a measured signal, so under trees or below a ridge it can be weaker.
See the coverage map in RoamWhat’s the weather like at Cottonwood Campground in October?
In October, expect highs around 63°F and lows around 38°F, with about 2.5 inches of rain over the month and 1 inch of snow. Every month’s averages are in Roam Premium.
Open Cottonwood in RoamCampground facts
- Sites
- 76 in 2 loops
- Kinds
- 76 for RVs or trailers
- Hookups
- 76 with electric
- Longest rig
- 80 ft
- Accessible
- 1 site
- Elevation
- 1,176–1,183 ft
- Every site
- Picnic table · Fire ring · Pets allowed · Campfires allowed · Check-in 4 PM, check-out 2 PM
- Managed by
- US Army Corps of Engineers
- Booking
- Reserve on Recreation.gov
How we know Sources and limits
Shade, sun and Starlink are our estimates from Meta and the World Resources Institute’s canopy-height model (about 2 m pixels, from satellite imagery calibrated with space lidar; CC BY 4.0). From 2 m above each site we trace 72 lines out to 60 m and note the tallest tree in each direction. Shade counts trees overhead, the canopy within 30 m and how much of the afternoon sky is blocked. Sun counts how open the southern sky is. Starlink needs open sky above 35°, with the northern half counted twice because US dishes tilt north, and we keep the best spot within 8 m of the site’s post. The model sees tree heights only, not trunks, buildings or hills, so check with the Starlink app when you arrive.
Slope is the ground at each site’s post over about 4 m, from USGS 3DEP 1 m lidar: level under 2%, gentle to 4% (most rigs level on blocks), sloped to 8% (fine for a tent), steep beyond.
Cell coverage is from the FCC Broadband Data Collection (carrier filings as downloaded May 2026): each site is tested against each carrier’s modelled outdoor 4G/5G coverage. It is what the carriers report, not a measured signal.
Weather is NOAA’s 1991–2020 climate normals for the campground. Sites and facts are from Recreation.gov’s open data (July 2026). Map imagery: USGS The National Map. Photos: Recreation.gov.
From the campground’s Recreation.gov listing: “All 77 campsites have electric hookups, and all sites are reservable. Two modern shower houses with flush toilets are available for campers. A playground, horseshoe pits and picnic shelter are available within the campground and the adjacent Day-Use Area has a large reservable picnic shelter, picnic area, accessible fishing dock, disc golf course and a boat ramp for access to Lake Yankton. Nearby Training Dike Day-Use Area has a popular swimming beach on Lake Yankton along with access to the Missouri River downstream of Gavins Point Dam. A RV dump station is located just north of Cottonwood Campground off of Toe Road. Cottonwood Recreation Area is located in the in the lush golden chalkstone-lined Missouri River Valley. Many visitors to the lake area prefer to stay at Cottonwood because of the calmer, quieter waters of Lake Yankton, a much smaller lake of approximately 250-acres in size - versus the much larger Lewis and Clark Lake upstream of the dam. Lake Yankton provides excellent habitat for a variety of waterfowl and other bird species.”
Page data as of October 15, 2026. Full source notes are in each layer’s info in the app.