A 59-mile reach of the Missouri River downstream from Gavins Point Dam near Yankton, South Dakota, ending at Ponca State Park. It is one of only two stretches of the lower Missouri to still flow free of locks and dams, and the National Park Service protects it as a unit of the National Recreational River system. The river here braids around sandbars and chutes, with constantly shifting islands and gravel beaches.
The reach is good for canoeing, kayaking, and motorboating, and supports breeding populations of the federally endangered piping plover and interior least tern on the sandbars. Birders come in spring and fall migration. Access points are on both the Nebraska and South Dakota sides; the visitor centre at Gavins Point Dam in Yankton is the best place to plan a trip.