Gavins Point Dam

Yankton · 31127 SD-52 Yankton SD 57078

Location Details

Visual Character

“Lowest dam on the Missouri River; dramatic Lewis and Clark Lake; Yankton historic frontier town; wide Missouri River valley; Meridian Bridge and vintage Yankton architecture”

About this location

Gavins Point Dam is the lowest of six major dams on the Missouri River, creating Lewis and Clark Lake on the Nebraska-South Dakota border near Yankton. The Missouri River valley at this location carries extraordinary historical weight: Lewis and Clark's Corps of Discovery camped here in August 1804 on their historic upstream journey, and Yankton served as the capital of Dakota Territory from 1861 to 1883. The dam structure is dramatic — the river's power is viscerally present. The Omaha District manages commercial filming permits. Historic Yankton preserves an exceptional collection of Victorian frontier architecture, including the Meridian Bridge and the old territorial capitol area. Lewis and Clark Lake's shoreline ranges from sandy beaches to wooded bluffs. Strong for Lewis and Clark historical productions, frontier narratives, Missouri River documentaries, and stories rooted in the American West's origins. Exceptional for wide-screen historical epics.

Where you'll be