Known as the Mount Rushmore State, South Dakota is home to majestic mountain carvings, rolling prairies, sky-piercing granite needles, glittering lakes and lofty river bluffs. Located in the heart of the American frontier you’ll find hospitality, affordability and a never ending supply of activities for the whole family.
South Dakota is home to America’s Shrine of Democracy – Mount Rushmore National Memorial. The majestic 60-foot faces of four U.S. presidents gaze out over South Dakota’s Black Hills and provide a monumental history lesson for all who come to see it. From the Grandview Terrace, visitors get spectacular views of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln. For a closer view, visitors can walk the half-mile Presidential Trail, which loops along the base of the mountain. The impressive Lincoln Borglum Museum contains interactive interpretive exhibits.
Other top visitor destinations in South Dakota include the on-going mountain carving of Crazy Horse Memorial. Located just 17 miles from Mount Rushmore, Crazy Horse is the largest sculptural undertaking anywhere in the world. When completed, it will tower 563 feet high, 641 feet long and be carved in the round.
The 1.2-million-acre Black Hills National Forest offers endless opportunities for both expert and novice outdoor enthusiasts. Called “Paha Sapa” by the Lakota, this isolated mountain range is covered with thick spruce and pine forests making it appear black from a distance. Visitors enjoy rock climbing, hiking, biking, horseback riding and camping amidst stunning scenery. Find mountain meadows, deep canyons, cascading trout streams and clear, clean lakes. Harney Peak, the highest point in the United States east of the Rockies, stands 7,242 feet tall in the heart of the wilderness.
Badlands National Park’s 244,000 acres of moon-like surfaces offer hiking challenges and breathtaking views. The jagged spires, eroded buttes and barren landscapes are home to an abundance of wildlife like big horn sheep, buffalo, antelope, prairie dogs and the endangered black footed ferret. Considered to be one of the world’s richest Oligocene epoch fossil beds, Paleontologists have uncovered ancient three-toed horses, tiny deer-like creatures, turtles, a saber-toothed cat, dinosaur bones and other species.
The world’s second and fourth longest caves are also located in South Dakota. At 144 miles, Jewel Cave is the second longest cave in the world and is filled with calcite crystals that make up its sparkling jewels. Wind Cave National Park, the world’s fourth longest cave, is also one of the nation’s oldest national parks. Both the surface and underground passageways have been protected by the National Parks Service since 1903.
In the 1880s explorers Lewis and Clark traveled along the Missouri River into what is now South Dakota. While most of the river has been dammed or channeled, there is a 100-mile stretch of the “Mighty Mo” that remains free-flowing as it was in the days of Lewis and Clark. The Missouri National Recreation River runs along the South Dakota-Nebraska border and offers natural beauty and exciting recreational opportunities like boating, canoeing, fishing and wildlife viewing.
The wildlife roam free in Custer State Park, the second largest state park in the country. Home to buffalo, elk, deer, mountain goats, big horn sheep and curious burros, visitors to the park can get a close-up view of nature’s wild beauty. Custer State Park also offers camping, mountain biking, hiking, canoeing, fly-fishing and scenic drives. Along with its 1,500-head buffalo herd, the park is known for its mountain lakes and unbelievable scenery.
South Dakota is home to the Lakota, Dakota and Nakota peoples—collectively known as the Sioux Nation. Several museums and cultural centers across the state depict the history and traditions of these nations, as well as display ancient artifacts and modern artwork. A drive along the Native American Scenic Byway will take you through several reservations with stops at places of historic interest.
South Dakota has a rich history that reaches from the days of the dinosaurs to the Cold War. One of the most complete T-Rex skeletons was found here and one of the largest collections of Columbian Wooly Mammoth bones are still being unearthed. The Wild West is alive in Deadwood where you can walk in the footsteps of legends like Wild Bill Hickok and Calamity Jane or tame the wild frontier with a tour of the childhood homestead of “Little House on the Prairie” author Laura Ingalls Wilder.
Outdoor sporting enthusiasts love the world-class hunting, fishing and hospitality that South Dakota offers. Pheasant is the most popular hunting season, but the land of Great Faces and Great Places is also widely known for its wild turkey, deer and other small and big game hunting. Walleye, small-mouth bass, northern pike, Chinook salmon and prehistoric paddlefish are just a few of the underwater game you can catch in South Dakota. Here the fishing season never closes.
There is so much to see and do in South Dakota that it will take you more than one vacation to experience it all!
Featured Adventures
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