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Respectfully known as the Mighty Mo, the Missouri River is the longest river in the county at 2,340 miles carving through seven states. It eventually joins up with the second longest river the Mississippi.

South Dakota has the Flood Control Act of 1944 to thank for its four dams along Mighty Mo which began construction in 1959: Oahe Dam north of Pierre, Big Bend Dam at Fort Thompson, Fort Randall Dam, and Gavins Point Dam west of Yankton.

The Missouri River corridor has grown in popularity and become one of the most popular vacation destinations in the country for boating, fishing, camping, and overall recreation.

Get to know each tourist destination and explore the four large Missouri River lakes: Oahe, Sharpe, Francis Case, and Lewis and Clark.

South Ddakota Missouri River Dams

Oahe Dam - Lake Oahe

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Lake Oahe Drone

Big Bend Dam

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Fort Randall Dam - Lake Francis Case

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Gavins Point Dam - Lewis & Clark Lake

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Lewis & Clark Lake Drone

Offbeat adventures: Travel to the coolest hidden wonders in every U.S. state

Fuel your offbeat travel dreams. Stacker found the coolest hidden wonders in all 50 U.S. states (plus D.C.) using data from Atlas Obscura.

[WARNING: Under no circumstances should you enter private or abandoned property. By doing so you risk bodily harm and/or prosecution for trespassing.]

Gallery Credit: Sandi Hemmerlein