Paddling near Yankton, SD

Yankton sits along the Missouri River in southeastern South Dakota, where the river transitions from the controlled waters below Gavins Point Dam into a freer-flowing stretch protected as the Missouri National Recreational River. Lewis and Clark Lake, just west of town, and the tailrace below the dam are the area's primary paddling destinations, drawing kayakers, canoeists, and SUP paddlers to calm flatwater and wide-open river scenery.