James River access points and trip distances, South Dakota
3 access points (3 public) along 28.4 river miles of the James River in South Dakota. Distances are measured along the river on the NHDPlus V2 main-stem flowline, not straight-line. River mile 0 is the farthest-upstream access listed here.
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Time estimates use the speed above; 2 mph is a typical relaxed recreational pace with light current. Set your own.
Map
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Dark dots are public access points; brown dots are private, members-only or agency-land access. Tap a dot for its river mile and coordinates.
Access points in river order
| River mile | Access | Latitude, longitude | To next (river mi) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.0 | Boat ramp near Dry Run (east ramp) Mapped in OpenStreetMap, check access locally. Launch page View in Google Earth (opens in a new tab) Directions (opens in a new tab) | 44.88672, -98.35283 | 27.8 |
| 27.8 | James River Diversion Access North Boat Ramp Launch page View in Google Earth (opens in a new tab) Directions (opens in a new tab) | 44.59871, -98.23988 | 0.6 |
| 28.4 | James River Diversion Access South Boat Ramp Launch page View in Google Earth (opens in a new tab) Directions (opens in a new tab) | 44.59202, -98.24378 | end |
Sources: river line and lengths from NHDPlus V2 via EPA WATERS (lengths scaled to each reach's published length); access points from OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), U.S. Bureau of Reclamation Boat Ramps. Only access points in our launch data are shown, so there may be others. Check access, dams and conditions before you go.
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