South Dakota

Federal Parks

• Badlands National Park
  • ☆ Ben Reifel Visitor Center – the main facility in the North Unit of the park. Rangers, Museum, Fossil Preparation Lab, and Bookstore.
  • ☆ Highway 240 scenic loop
  • ☆ Sage Creek Rim scenic road
    • ☆ Roberts Prairie Dog Town
    • ☆ Sheep Mountain Table Overlook
  • ☆ Buffalo Gap National Grassland
• Jewel Cave National Monument – https://www.nps.gov/jeca/index.htm – The third-longest cave in the world with over 215 miles of mapped and surveyed passages.  Scenic Tour is the most popular tour. 
• Minuteman Missile National Historic Site
  • ☆ Visitor Center
  • Ranger lead guided tour of the Delta-01 Launch Control Facility (reservations required).
  • ☆ Delta-09 site which has glass covering over silo with a replica missile. 1/2 mile drive from I-90 exit 116 (on a gravel road).
• Mount Rushmore National Memorial
  • ☆ Drive Iron Mountain Road (US 16A) on your way to Mount Rushmore. 45 min
  • ☆ Lincoln Borglum Visitor Center – exhibit hall and 14-min film
  • ☆ Memorial Team Ice Cream station – ice cream using Thomas Jefferson’s 1780 recipe.
  • ☆ Presidents Trail, Studio
  • ☆ Evening Lighting Ceremony – Ranger talk, film, and the lighting of the sculpture. Veterans participate in taking down the American flag.
  • Carvers Marketplace – Onsite restaurant.
• ☆ National Grasslands Visitor Center – Exhibits, films, and ranger-led programs explore North America’s grassland regions’ unique natural and cultural heritage. (708 Main Street, Wall)
• Wind Cave National Park
  • ☆ Visitor Center – Rangers, Exhibits, Bookstore, Movies,
    • ☆ Natural Entrance and Lakota Emergence Story
    • Ranger-lead cave tours.  Book tours at recreation.gov. 
  • ☆ Prairie Dog Towns and Bison
  • Scenic Drives
    • NPS 5 – This largely unpaved road takes you through some of the most beautiful parts of the park.
    • Geology Tour is a 20-mile gravel road that winds through the heart of the park. Interpretive signs, various rock formations, and beautiful views.
    • ☆ SD-87 – Connects to southern entrance of Custer State Park.
  • Rankin Ranch House and the Cold Springs Ranch Complex – historic buildings
• ☆ Missouri National Recreation River

State Parks

Name	County	Description
Adams Homestead and Nature Preserve	Union	Homestead and nature preserve on the Missouri River, this area contains one of the largest stands of cottonwood trees in the state.
Angostura Recreation Area	Fall River	Shoreline and beaches on the eastern edge of Angostura Reservoir.
Bear Butte State Park	Meade	Geological laccolith, traditional landmark and sacred religious site for the Lakota Indians.
Beaver Creek Nature Area	Minnehaha	Natural prairie, tilled field and a historic 1870s log cabin.
Big Sioux Recreation Area	Minnehaha	Recreation area along the Big Sioux River hosting some of the largest trees in the state.
Big Stone Island Nature Area	Roberts	Island in Big Stone Lake that was previously a Plains Indian village and later a resort.
Burke Lake Recreation Area	Gregory	Recreation area surrounding the 25-acre Burke Lake.
Buryanek Recreation Area	Gregory	Missouri River area where George Shannon of the Lewis and Clark Expedition was lost in 1804.
Chief White Crane Recreation Area	Yankton	Located on the Missouri River and known for its bald eagle habitat, the site is named for a Plains Indian leader who met the Lewis and Clark Expedition nearby in 1804.
Cow Creek Recreation Area	Sully	Fishing area and boat launch on the shore of Lake Oahe on the Missouri River.
☆ Custer State Park	Custer	South Dakota’s first and largest state park. Located in the southern Black Hills and known for the scenic Needles Highway, Sylvan Lake, and as a wildlife habitat with a famous herd of bison.
Farm Island Recreation Area	Hughes	A former island (now connected to mainland via causeway) located on the Missouri River.
Fisher Grove State Park	Spink	The first stagecoach road from Watertown to Pierre crossed the James River at this location.
Fort Sisseton Historic State Park	Marshall	The remains of historic Fort Sisseton, established in 1864, are preserved within the park.
☆ George S. Mickelson Trail	Lawrence,  Pennington,  Custer,  Fall River	A 109-mile long mixed-use trail running from Bear Butte to Edgemont along the historic Burlington Northern rail line through the Black Hills.
Good Earth State Park at Blood Run	Lincoln	The largest Oneota cultural site discovered to date in the upper Midwest.
Hartford Beach State Park	Roberts	American Indian burial mounds and former trading post on Big Stone Lake.
Indian Creek Recreation Area	Walworth	Camping area and boat launch on the Missouri River.
LaFramboise Island Nature Area	Hughes	Sand bar island in the Missouri River.
Lake Alvin Recreation Area	Lincoln	Beach and fishing area surrounding Lake Alvin.
Lake Cochrane Recreation Area	Deuel	Recreation area nestled between Lake Cochrane and Lake Oliver.
Lake Herman State Park	Lake	Wildlife habitat and historic Herman Luce settler’s cabin on the eastern shore of Lake Herman.
Lake Hiddenwood Recreation Area	Walworth	One of the earliest artificial lakes in South Dakota, established in 1927.
Lake Louise Recreation Area	Hand	Area adjacent to the 164-acre Lake Louise.
Lake Poinsett Recreation Area	Brookings	Camping area and boat launch on the southern shore of Lake Poinsett.
Lake Thompson Recreation Area	Kingsbury	Located on the northern shore of Lake Thompson, better known as one of the “Twin Lakes” in Laura Ingalls Wilder’s Little House on the Prairie book series.
Lake Vermillion Recreation Area	McCook	Fishing, swimming and boating area on the southern end of the 512-acre Lake Vermillion.
☆ Lewis & Clark Recreation Area	Yankton	Located upriver and adjacent to Gavins Point Dam on the former site of Fort Yankton.
Little Moreau Recreation Area	Dewey	Grassland and former winter campgrounds of Plains Indian tribes.
Llewellyn Johns Recreation Area	Perkins	Campground located where explorer Hugh Glass was attacked by a grizzly bear in 1823 and near the passage of George Armstrong Custer’s 1874 expedition to the Black Hills.
Mina Lake Recreation Area	Edmonds	Boating, fishing and swimming area on the shore of the man-made Mina Lake reservoir.
Newton Hills State Park	Lincoln	Rolling hills and woodland on the southern end of the Coteau des Prairies geological formation.
North Point Recreation Area	Charles Mix	Located on the eastern shore of Lake Francis Case on the Missouri River above Fort Randall Dam.
North Wheeler Recreation Area	Charles Mix	Small park and campground with access to Lake Francis Case on the Missouri River.
Oahe Downstream Recreation Area	Stanley	Located on the Missouri River just below Oahe Dam.
Oakwood Lakes State Park	Brookings	A former gathering spot for American Indians, the park is nestled among eight connected lakes and contains a historic 1869 log cabin.
Okobojo Point Recreation Area	Sully	A sandy peninsula on the shore of Lake Oahe on the Missouri River.
Palisades State Park	Minnehaha	Distinctive Sioux quartzite rock formations along Split Rock Creek.
Pease Creek Recreation Area	Charles Mix	River access at the confluence of Pease Creek and the Missouri River.
Pelican Lake Recreation Area	Codington	Camping, boating and other activities on the southern shore of Pelican Lake.
Pickerel Lake Recreation Area	Day	Comprising east and west sections on the 955-acre Pickerel Lake.
Pierson Ranch Recreation Area	Yankton	Primarily a campground located between Lewis & Clark Recreation Area and Chief White Crane Recreation Area on Gavins Point Dam.
Platte Creek Recreation Area	Charles Mix	Fishing and river access at the junction of Platte Creek and Lake Francis Case on the Missouri River.
Randall Creek Recreation Area	Gregory	Just downstream from Fort Randall Dam on the Missouri River and noted as a habitat for bald eagles.
Revheim Bay Recreation Area	Walworth	Day-use park on the Missouri River near Mobridge.
Richmond Lake Recreation Area	Brown	Recreation area on Richmond Lake with separate units for camping, wildlife viewing and boat access.
Rocky Point Recreation Area	Butte	Located on the 8,000-acre Belle Fourche Reservoir.
Roy Lake State Park	Marshall	Fishing, beaches and campgrounds on Roy Lake in the glacial lakes area of South Dakota.
Sandy Shore Recreation Area	Codington	Beach area on the banks of Lake Kampeska.
Shadehill Recreation Area	Perkins	Extensive shoreline of Shadehill Reservoir, one of the larger lakes in western South Dakota.
Sheps Canyon Recreation Area	Fall River	Campground, water access and horse riding trails on the western side of Angostura Reservoir.
Sica Hollow State Park	Marshall, Roberts	A significant historical site for the Sioux Indians, the park’s name comes from the word for evil or bad in Dakota, referring to the red-tinted bogs in the area.
Snake Creek Recreation Area	Charles Mix	Access and activities on Lake Francis Case on the Missouri River.
☆ Spearfish Canyon Nature Area	Lawrence	Popular waterfall viewing area in Spearfish Canyon.
Spirit Mound Historic Prairie	Clay	A prominent hill on the prairie, Spirit Mound is the site of Plains Indian legends and was visited by members of the Lewis and Clark Expedition.
Spring Creek Recreation Area	Hughes	A day-use park at the junction of Spring Creek and Lake Oahe on the Missouri River.
Springfield Recreation Area	Bon Homme	Access to Lake Oahe on the Missouri River.
Swan Creek Recreation Area	Walworth	Bluffs and water access on the eastern shore of Lake Oahe on the Missouri River.
Union Grove State Park	Union	Prairie woodland along Brule Creek with rich birdwatching and fall foliage.
Walkers Point Recreation Area	Lake	Camping and access to the 2,800-acre Lake Madison.
West Bend Recreation Area	Hughes	Recreation area with marina on Lake Sharpe of the Missouri River.
West Pollock Recreation Area	Campbell	Water access and hunting area on Lake Oahe of the Missouri River.
West Whitlock Recreation Area	Potter	Missouri River access and historic campsite for Arikara and Mandan Plains Indians.

Attractions

Eastern Side of State

Aberdeen

• Wylie Park
  • 210-acre park offers recreational opportunities including camping, picnicking, playground areas, a swimming beach, miniature golf, softball, volleyball, and miles of rambling recreational trails.
  • Storybook Land and Land of Oz – Free. 60 fairy tale sets that children and adults can enjoy. Some of its attractions are the J&J Railroad Train (which loops around most of the park), the Happy Dragon, Whirly-Bug and the Ferris wheel.  Annual festival.
  • Wylie Thunder Road – go-karts, adventure mini-golf, bumper boats, Euro Bungy and Lazer Maze Challenge/Beam Buster.
• Twist Cone – opened in 1970.
• Coughlin Campanile
• Richmond Lake Recreation Area – a few camping spots, small rocky beach and public bathrooms. There is a small “hiking” path.
• Dacotah Prairie Museum – history of Brown County and how westward expansion of the U.S. formed our region, culturally and economically. Explore the history of the railroad and pioneer settlers; a children’s exhibit allows families to experience frontier life; the Hatterscheidt Wildlife Gallery is an exciting departure into Africa, Asia and North America.

Chamberlain

• AKTA Lakota Museum – located in the heart of St. Joseph’s Indian School.
• Big Pheasant Made of Railroad Spikes – 1,900 railroad spikes, around 400 big railroad square nuts, lawn mower blades, and transmission parts.  Near South Dakota Hall of Fame.
• Dignity –  a 50 foot statue of a Native American woman wearing a dress patterned after a two-hide dress of the 1850s. She holds outstretched a quilt featuring 128 stainless steel blue diamond shapes designed to flutter in the wind.
• South Dakota Hall of Fame

Des Smet 

• Ingall’s Homestead – preserved/rebuilt the Wilder’s old homestead.  Covered wagon rides and other activities.

Elkton

• Elkton Community Museum – local history museum.  Tells story of Hero the giant elephant, and Henry Heintz who conducted the first and only flight of the “Heintz Airship,” more than three years before the Wright Brothers flew the first airplane.

Farmer

• St. Peter’s Rock Grotto – Small rock grotto building built by Father Scheier 1926-1933 using rocks from the Black Hills. Restored in 2001.

Faulkton

• Guido van Helten’s amazing painting on the Faulkton’s Agtegra grain elevator.

Garretson

• Devil’s Gulch Park – A footbridge now crosses a chasm where Jesse reportedly jumped on horseback to evade capture.
• Palisades State Park – Glittering pink quartzite 50 feet high split by a babbling creek. The second smallest state park in the state.

Gregory

• Giant Pheasant statue – There is a giant pheasant statue on the edge of town on Hwy 18.

Harrisburg

• Abby Normal’s Museum of the Strange – Stuffed two-headed animals, skulls, half a human head in a jar, etc.

Henry

• Giant Pheasant Statue – Erected in 1950 out of concrete, the bird once featured a saddle for riding photo poses. It still stands in front of the former Tinkertown Treasure Shop.

Huron

• Dakotaland Museum displays farm machinery, housewares, and taxidermy, including a 2-headed calf.
• Giant Pheasant – Twenty feet tall and 40 feet long. Next to Dakota Inn.

Kimball

• South Dakota Tractor Museum – the museum contains an impressive collection of farm equipment and other donated objects with regional historical and cultural significance.

Milbank

• Holland’s Grist Mill – Built in 1884, restored in 2009. 44 feet high with 30-foot windmill blades. Tours and demonstrations are offered several times a year.
• Grant County Historical Society Museums
• Lake Farley Park – small local park
• Abbey of the Hills – Spiritual Retreat Center

Mitchell

• Corn Palace – Ornate auditorium covered with intricate murals made entirely of corn and other grains, depicting scenes of local history and culture.
  • Cornelius, Corn Palace Mascot – A six-foot-tall fiberglass ear of corn, with a grinning cartoon face on two sides, stands as a photo-op outside the world’s only Corn Palace.
• Valtiroty Shiloh’s Tabernacle
• Prehistoric Indian Village – See the scientists dig out the village inside the comfortable Archeodome. This is a working archaeological site highlighting the Mandan tribe. Check out the artifacts and walk through the earth lodge replica, learning how the indigenous people lived. The prehistoric Indians who lived here spent a lot of time cracking buffalo bones to extract grease.
• Thunder Bunny: Jackalope Jackrabbit – sit in the saddle for pictures.  At the Thunderbird Lodge.

Montrose

• ★ Porter Sculpture Park – Fanciful junk art statues, including a 40-foot-high horse and 60-foot-high bull head. Over 50 sculptures on 18 acres.

Redfield

• Pheasant Statue at Pheasant Capital of the World – because pheasants were first released into the wild in North America nearby.  Large pheasant on a pole.

Roslyn

• International Vinegar Museum – displays of vinegar and vinegar products from across the globe. Opened in 1999. World’s only vinegar museum.

Sioux Falls

• Falls Park – Park with waterfalls where the river flows over many tiers of Sioux quartzite. Nice place to walk and historical plaques. RV parking available across the street at Farmers Market. Early Flour Mill remains on site.  Visitor Center, Observation Tower, Overlook Cafe, Sculptures, Stockyards Ag Experience
• SculptureWalk & Arc of Dreams Monument
• St. Joseph Cathedral – 
• Old Courthouse Museum – This free museum offers many artifacts of regional and historical note.  At the turn of the 20th century, the Minnehaha County courthouse played host to sensational public divorce trials.
• Great Plains Zoo & Delbridge Museum of Natural History
• Pettigrew Home & Museum – Tour the elegant 1889 Queen Anne-style home of South Dakota’s first senator, Richard Pettigrew. Take a guided tour of the historic home, or browse the museum galleries and discover the Sioux Falls of the late 1800s. Free admission. Free parking.
• USS South Dakota Battleship Memorial – Honoring the most decorated battleship of World War II, this memorial is a full-size outline of the ship with artifacts from the ship with a museum containing crew artifacts.  Original was scrapped, but they have a decommissioned World War II-era destroyer, the USS St. Mary’s, which was renamed the USS South Dakota and brought to Sioux Falls in 1969.  
• Butterfly House & Aquarium – Enjoy over 800 free-flying butterflies from around the world in the tropical conservatory. View vibrant marine fishes, jellies, and corals in twelve aquarium habitats, including the Pop-Up Dome Aquarium and Pacific Tide Pool.
• Good Earth State Park – the displays in the visitor center highlight the significance of the area for various tribal groups.
• Muffler Man: Mr. Bendo – Fiberglass giant arrived in Nov. 1965. Named for his muffler shop’s Huth Tube Bender, which could bend a single metal tube into a twisty exhaust pipe.  Moved to Brake and Exhaust in 2018.

Sisseton

• Nicollet Tower – From the top of the 75 foot tower visitors can see the ground below in South Dakota, and reportedly a little bit of North Dakota and Minnesota as well. The tower’s Interpretive Center displays a replica of Nicollet’s “mother map.”
• Song to the Great Spirit building at Sisseton Wahpeton College. Built in 2005, the structure depicts four drummers raising their mallets in a circle and is truly stunning from all sides.
• Nicollet Tower – The observation tower that provides a breathtaking view of three states. It honors Joseph N. Nicollet, the French mapmaker who explored the Coteau Des Prairies in the 1830’s. The Nicollett Interpretive Center displays John S. Wilson artwork and Nicollet’s great map. A video presentation illustrates Nicollet’s expedition and describes the culture of the Dakota tribes. Hours are 10 a.m.-5 p.m., mid-May to mid-October. Admission is free.

Stockholm

• Buggy Museum – This small museum run by the Grant County Historical Society has eighteen nicely restored horse-drawn buggies, sleigh cutters, and a Canadian and Russian sleigh.

Valley Springs

• Tri-state Monument – Stand where Iowa, Minnesota, and South Dakota meet.  The tri-state marker is at the intersection of 488 Avenue and 268 Street.

Vermillion

• National Music Museum at the University of South Dakota – 15,000 instruments from all over the world, spanning thousands of years of human history.
• Spirit Mound Historic Prairie
• W.H Over Museum – is a privately supported museum featuring the historical, natural, and cultural aspects of South Dakota and the surrounding region.  On display are the skull and bones of the former Orton Brothers circus elephant “Hero” which was shot by an angry posse when it escaped the circus.

Webster

• Museum of Wildlife, Science, and Industry – There are 23 buildings of somewhat random, yet organized, historical items. Old cars, tractors and farm implements, homewares, a post office, a blacksmith, a jail, etc. There’s also a large collection of taxidermy animals you will never get to see close up again.  Also the world’s largest hairball.

Wessington Springs

• Shakespeare Garden & Anne Hathaway Cottage – a replica of Anne Hathaway Cottage, the family home of William Shakespeare’s wife, Anne Hathaway. Free.

Yankton

• Gavins Point National Fish Hatchery & Aquarium – Very nice museum with live fish and turtles to observe.
• ☆ Meridian Bridge – a bike and pedestrian double-decker bridge. Lower deck is more picturesque.
• Bede Art Gallery – The gallery is located in the Marian Auditorium on the Mount Marty campus in Yankton to showcase student art.
• Dakota Territorial Museum – small local history museum
• ☆ Dakota Territorial Capitol Replica – Located in Yankton’s Riverside Park, this replica of the territorial capitol includes photographs of old Yankton, maps of the Dakota Territory, a collection of former Territorial governors, and other artifacts on display. This capitol replica symbolizes Yankton as being the first capitol of the Dakota Territory from 1861- 1883. (Only open upon request)
• Cramer Kenyon Heritage Home & Historic Tour – historical home with tours
• Sacred Heart Cemetery – Jack McCall grave. Jack McCall was the Man that shot Wild Bill Hickok while he was holding Aces and Eights in a saloon in Deadwood.
• Lewis and Clark Visitor Center – The COE visitor center includes various exhibts that showcase information and displays about the development of the entire Missouri River Basin. Views of Gavin Point Dam. The Calumet Bluff Theater programs highlight the construction of Gavins Point Dam, the Lewis and Clark Expedition, wildflowers and the Missouri National Recreational River of Change film.
• National Field Archery Foundation Museum – bows and arrows on display
• ☆ Mead Cultural Education Center / Dakota Territorial Museum – Previously The Dakota Hospital for the insane, Now it it showcases artifacts from indigenous and regional history. In addition, it has permanent displays that showcase items and implements used during its era as a mental institution.
• Bishop Marty Memorial Chapel – large gothic style church
• G.A.R. Hall – Grand Army of the Republic Hall. Now used by the Yankton Area Arts.

Western Side of State

Badlands National Park

• Scenic Highway 240 loop

Cactus Flats – near the eastern entrance to Badlands National Park.

• ☆ Badlands Trading Post – Prairie Dog Town at a gas station near the highway.
• Prairie Homestead Visitor Center – Visitor center, gift store, and a 1909 sod house. White prairie dogs and scrap metal horse.
• ☆ Badlands Ranch Store – Gift store. A six-ton prairie dog sits at its entrance. You can buy peanuts to feed the prairie dogs.

Edgemont

• Trails, Trains & Pioneers Museum – EdgemontMuseum.com

Faith

• Scrap metal sculpture of Sue – Faith claims itself as “Hometown of Sue” and the “T.rex Capital of the World.” Sue’s remarkably intact skeleton was discovered in a 1990 dig about 15 miles northeast of town.

Fort Pierre

• Rodeo Champion Weather Vane – Captured in mid-buck, hometown hero Casey Tibbs — the “Babe Ruth of Rodeo” — and his mount Necktie swivel with the prairie wind.

Kadoka

• Whitetail Deer made of Car Parts – A gas station displays a whitetail deer made from auto scrap parts and standing on a crushed car body

Lemmon

• John Lopez Sculpture Gallery – This sculpture gallery is home to magnificent beasts made of scrap metal and found objects.  Check out the sculpture garden that was created in the spring of 2019 on the south side of the Kokomo Inn Gallery.
• Grand River Museum – Ranching; Dinosaur Fossils; Creation Science; Native American History; Kids Games; Gift Shop; Hugh Glass Display.  John Lopez sculptures of a life-size dino-buster cowboy in action and the battle between frontiersman Hugh Glass and a grizzly bear.
• Petrified Wood Park & Museum – creations made of petrified wood.
• Scrap Metal Bronco Buster – outside Lemmon High School

Midland

• Skeleton Man walking his Skeleton Dinosaur

Mobridge

• Cowboy Rides a Giant Walleye sculpture – Sculpted by South Dakota artist John Lopez
• Disputed Grave of Sitting Bull
• Klein Museum – notable community local history museum

Murdo

• 1880 Town – South Dakota’s Original – 1880Town.com – More than 30 turn-of-the-century South Dakota buildings, plus movie props and memorabilia from Dances with Wolves!
• Pioneer Auto Show & Prairie Town – PioneerAutoShow.com – Sprawling vehicle collection.  Includes several other collections including prairie buildings from the local area.    
• Skeleton Man Walking Skeleton Dinosaur – Drive-by sculpture on exit ramp.

Oelrichs

• Skeletal Metal Rancher Monument – Small sculpture on a pedestal: a skeleton cowboy lassos a skeleton steer while astride a skeleton horse.

Pierre

• Trail of Governors – Sculptures of all the governors of South Dakota.  Inspired by the City of Presidents in Rapid City.
• South Dakota National Guard Museum – Free.

Pine Ridge

• Oglala Lakota College Historical Center – OLC.edu
• The Heritage Center at Red Cloud Indian School – RedCloudSchool.org 

Quinn

• Badlands Observatory – BadlandsObservatory.com

Scenic

• ☆ Ghost Town with several buildings are still standing, including a saloon, an outdoor iron jail, and an old church that’s been converted into a trading post.
• Pterodactyl Monument – Home-built out of rocks and cement, the Pterodactyl Monument features a cairn of stone and a cartoon prehistoric carnivore.

Shadehill

• Airplane Wind Vane – A real plane on a pole turns with the wind direction, and its propellers spin with the wind speed.  About a mile north of town.

Wall

• ☆ Wall Drug Store – A famous store with plenty of shopping and dining options. Military and Veterans get a free doughnut and a cup of coffee.
• Quirky:
  • Yard Full of Animal Sculptures – Second house behind Dairy Queen at South Blvd. and Norris Street. Private property, visible from the street.
  • ☆ 50-ton, 80-foot-long, dinosaur concrete two-tone dinosaur with white lightbulb eyes next to the freeway.
  • ☆ 40-foot Jackalope

Wasta

• 27-Foot Tall Buffalo Bill – I-90 exit 98. Drive north, and you’ll quickly see the statue, on the east side of C Ave. just north of its intersection with Ash St.
• Armed Forces Museum – This private military exhibit was opened to the public in 2010 by collector Tom Rancour. He acquired and restored vehicles, including jeeps and tanks from World War 2, and more recent conflicts. The small arms on display are from armies around the world.

Wounded Knee

• Active reservation cemetery contains monument and mass grave of hundreds of Sioux massacred on Dec. 29, 1890 by U.S. Cavalry. In 1973 it was the site of a stand-off between the American Indian Movement and the federal government.

Black Hills

Belle Fourche 

• Rocky Point Recreation Area – gfp.sd.gov/parks/detail/rocky-point-recreation-area/ – Rocky Point Recreation Area is located on the 8,000-acre Belle Fourche Reservoir. The reservoir was created in 1911, and at the time of its completion, Orman Dam was the largest earthen dam in the world. 
• ★ Tri-State Museum & Visitor Center – TheTriStateMuseum.com – The Tri-State Museum is a 4,000 square foot, city-owned and operated, historical museum
  • Geographic Center of the US – Center of all 50 states.
  • Center of the Nation Monument – north side of the Visitor Information Center and Tri-State Museum.

Custer

• 1881 Courthouse Museum – 1881CourthouseMuseum.com – Custer County Historical Museum. Local historical artifacts.
• ☆ Crazy Horse Memorial – CrazyHorseMemorial.org
  • ☆ Indian Museum of North America and its huge collection of art and artifacts from more than 300 Native American tribes.
  • ☆ Nightly multimedia laser-light show
  • Laughing Waters Restaurant, where you can try Native American tacos and Tatanka stew, made with bison meat from the Black Hills.
• Four Mile Old West Town – BlackHillsBadlands.com/Four-Mile – Four Mile is both an Old West Town and RV Campground. Visitors can step back in time and experience what life was like in the Old West by exploring the authentic Western buildings and artifacts on display.
•  

Custer State Park  CusterStatePark.com

• Lakes
  • Sylvan Lake – Canoe, kayak, and paddleboard rentals available from the store.
  • Legion Lake – Canoe, kayak, and paddleboard rentals available from the store.
• Visitor Centers
  • ☆ Custer State Park Visitor Center – Located at the junction of Wildlife Loop Road and Highway 16A.  See 20-min movie “Spirit of Tatanka,” narrated by Kevin Costner.
  • ☆ Custer State Park Bison Center – Located on Wildlife Loop Road. Interpretive installations that include hands on displays, historical readings with photographic evidence, artistic commemorations, and video footage documenting our herd being rounded up.
  • ☆ Wildlife Station Visitor Center – Located on Wildlife Loop Road.
• Badger Hole Historic Site.  Located 1/2 mile south of Highway 16A on Badger Clark Road.
• ☆ Gordon Stockade . Located near the west entrance of the park on Highway 16A.
• Scenic Drives
  • ☆ Wildlife Loop Road – The 18-mile Wildlife Loop Road takes visitors through the open grasslands and pine-speckled hills that much of the park’s wildlife call home. 45 minute drive.  Best seen at sunset.  Bring food for burros.
  • ☆ Needles Highway (SD 87 N) – See spectacular needle-like granite formations which seem to pierce the horizon along the highway. Best seen in the early morning before crowds.  Narrowest tunnel is Needles Eye Tunnel at 8′ 0″ wide and 9′ 9″ High.
  • ☆ Iron Mountain Road (US 16A N) – This winding road runs between Mount Rushmore National Memorial and the junction of US 16A and SD 36. Constructed in 1933, only a portion of this road lies within the park. Along the highway, visitors will find wildfire exhibits, pigtail bridges, magnificent Black Hills scenery, and tunnels that frame Mount Rushmore.  Narrowest tunnel is Scovel Johnson at 10′ 9″ Wide and 11′ 0″ High

• ☆ Peter Norbeck Scenic Byway

• Hikes
  • Cathedral Spires Trail – 1.5 miles one way, Moderate to strenuous. Trailhead location: South of Sylvan Lake on Needles Highway (87) along the north side of the road. 
  • Strolls
    • Cairn Trail – .3 miles one-way. South end of the Peter Norbeck Outdoor Education Center.
    • Badger Clark Trail – 1.2 mile loop.  Park at Badger Hole parking lot, trail starts right of the cabin.
    • Creekside Trail – 3 miles one-way
  • Lakeside Hikes
    • Sylvan Lake Shore Trail – 1 mile loop.
    • Legion Lake Shore Trail – 1 mile.  At the west end of the fishing dock parking lot.
• Restaurants
  • State Game Lodge Dining Room – enjoy views from historic front porch
    • Buffalo Safari Tour and Chuckwagon Cookout
  • Sylvan Lake Lodge – Make reservations on the stone veranda for al fresco dining with fabulous vistas of the Black Hills.
  • Blue Bell Lodge – Enjoy saddle stools at the bar! Specialty burgers, South Dakota dip, salads, and buffalo.
    • ☆ Evening Chuckwagon Cookout and Hay Ride
  • Legion Lake Lodge – Dockside Grill. Delight in a day at the water’s edge. Small plates, salads, sandwiches, and all-day favorites. Tap beer and specialty coffee.
• Black Hills Playhouse – BlackHillsPlayhouse.com

Deadwood 

• ☆ Historic Downtown – park for free at Welcome Center and the historic area is just an easy walk away. Be sure to pick up a map.  Once in the historic town you will find several restaurants, casinos, shops, each with its own old west theme. Most of the town burned to the ground a few years ago after Wild Bill was shot, so none of the buildings were the ones here in 1876. Nonetheless, the historic part of Deadwood has capitalized on its old west notoriety.
  • Get a map of the Historic Deadwood Walking Tour from the Visitor Center.
  • ☆ Saloon #10 – where Wild Bill was famously shot during a poker game.  The only museum in the world with a bar. The site of Wild Bill’s death is in the basement of the Wild West Casino, approximately across the street from the #10 Saloon. The #10 Saloon was originally on that site. They have wax figures showing the card game and Wild Bill and several interpretative museum cases about the killing.
  • ☆ Outlaw Square – OutlawSquare.com
• Adams Museum & House – DeadwoodHistory.com, Built in 1892.
  • Has Potato Creek Johnny’s 7.346 troy ounce gold nugget.
  • Two headed calf
• Broken Boot Gold Mine – BrokenBootGoldMine.com  Pan for gold in this historic gold mining area.  30 minute tour.
• Celebrity Hotel – displays of entertainment and pop culture paraphernalia on the wall including a lock of Elvis’ hair.
• Days of ’76 Museum – Daysof76.com.  Live re-creations of the town’s rich history started in 1924 through the Days of ’76 celebration and award-winning rodeo. The Days of ’76 Museum features exceptional displays of carriages used in the rodeo parades. Also has thousands of Western relics, including Buffalo Bill’s gloves, Calamity Jane’s rifle, and a Native American breastplate made of bullet cartridges from the 1973 standoff at Wounded Knee.
• Easy Glider: World’s Largest Log Chair – near Cousins Pub and Pizza. 
• Tatanka Story of the Bison – StoryOfTheBison.com.  A Native American Interpretive Center & Story of the Bison. Journey through an authentic Lakota Encampment with Native American Interpreters on-site giving presentations throughout the day. Also, see 14 larger-than-life bronze sculptures of bison being pursued by Native American riders.
• The Brothel Deadwood – DeadwoodBrothel.com.  Walk through one of Deadwood’s houses of prostitution, an industry that operated illegally in the city from 1876 until 1980, when a raid by federal agents finally closed them for good. Visitors will be transported through the 104-year story with a guided tour of the rooms at 610 Main Street, the original site of the Shasta Rooms brothel.
• Trial of Jack McCall – DeadwoodAlive.com
• Mt Moriah Cemetery – Small cemetery dating back to the time of cowboys, deputies and the old West.  Climb to the graves of Wild Bill Hickok, Martha Jane “Calamity” Burke, and Potato Creek Johnny.  There is a Chinese section, a children’s section, Masonic section, Jewish section and Civil War Veterans section. Teddy Roosevelt had a flag installed in remembrance of all veterans from wars past and future. The climb is difficult.  
• ☆ George S. Mickelson Trail – 112-mile rails-to-trails project which goes through the Black Hills.
• ★ Mt Roosevelt Monument – A castle tower monument created by Seth Bullock, in memory of the friendship he had with President Theodore Roosevelt.  The hike to the Friendship Tower and overlook is less than one mile from the trailhead, but moderately uphill.  

Hermosa

• ☆ Big 15-ft busts of Presidents Reagan, George W. Bush, and JFK rise out of an open field, giving travelers an alternate to the other four Big President Heads down the road at Mount Rushmore.They stand in front of the Rockin’ R Saloon & Steakhouse on South Dakota Hwy 79.
• Madonna Of The Prairies – Giant Madonna statue on the side of the road. It’s off of highway 79 south

Hill City

• ☆ Dahls Chainsaw Art – 30-Foot-Tall Smokey Bear. Tourists can sit in Smokey’s outstretched paw.
• 1880 Train – 1880Train.com – An 1880 Train ride is a two-hour, narrated 20-mile round trip between Hill City and Keystone South Dakota in the beautiful Black Hills. Join us for a relaxing, slow-pace ride while enjoying vistas of Black Elk Peak, mining encampments, and the original rail connection between Hill City and Keystone laid down in the late 1880s. The Black Hills Central Railroad is the oldest continuously operating standard gauge steam railroad in the nation.  Daily departures from mid-May to mid-October utilizing vintage steam locomotives and beautifully restored passenger equipment.
• Junk Metal Horses – Horse made up of discarded metal fragments and objects: wrench, shovel head, even an ax head.  On U.S. 385/Main St., just south of Elm Street.
• Museum at Black Hills Institute – BHIGR.com – dinosaur museum
• SD State Railroad Museum – SDSRM.org

Hot Springs

• ☆ The Mammoth Site of Hot Springs – MammothSite.or – Watch scientists unearth Mammoth bones inside a climate-controlled building.
• Evans Plunge Mineral Springs – EvansPlunge.com – The world’s largest natural warm water indoor swimming pool. *NOT A HOT WATER SPRING*  5,000 gallons of water flow from the mineral springs every hour, completely refreshing the water in the pool numerous times every day. Evans Plunge Mineral Springs opened in 1890 and is the oldest attraction in the Black Hills. Currently owned & operated by the City of Hot Springs.  Offers both an indoor and an outdoor pool, plus a health club, which is included with admission.
• ☆ Historic 1888 Wooden Jail – The oldest wooden jail in South Dakota. Next to Hot Springs Visitor Center.
• ☆ Kidney Springs in Kidney Springs Park – public spring targeting healthy kidneys.  Gazebo and sculpture.  Bring an empty milk jug.  SW corner of Minnekahta Ave and N River St.

Keystone

• Big Thunder Gold Mine – BigThunderMine.com – Take an all-horizontal tour of a real gold mine.
• Borglum Historical Center, Rushmore Borglum Story – Even if you don’t explore the museum, you can pose in front of an outdoor replica of the Stone Mountain Confederate leaders carving, or share a bench with Borglum’s “Seated Lincoln” sculpture. But one truly ego-inflating photo op allows you to substitute yourself as a Mt. Rushmore head.  There’s also a full-size replica of the giant eyeball of Lincoln. Not everyone appreciates art, but everyone respects BIG art.
• Cosmos Mystery Area – CosmosMysteryArea.com
• ☆ Dahls Chainsaw Art
  • ☆ World’s Largest Wooden Bigfoot
  • ☆ Large Mt. Rushmore Chair – Unique large outdoor chair, chainsaw-carved with the Mt. Rushmore president heads at the top. Designed for sitting and snapshots.
• Holy Terror Mini Golf – HolyTerrorMiniGolf.com
• Keystone Historical Museum – KeystoneHistory.com – Local history museum in a Victorian schoolhouse built in 1900 in historic downtown Keystone at 410 3rd Street.
• National Presidential Wax Museum – PresidentialWaxMuseum.com – over 100 lifelike wax figures, including all 46 U.S. presidents.
• Rush Mountain Adventure Park – RushMtn.com – Rushmore Cave, Rushmore Mountain Coaster, Soaring Eagle Zipride, Gunslinger 7-D Ride, and Wingwalker Challenge Course.
• Rushmore Borglum Story – RushmoreBorglum.com – Even if you don’t explore the museum, you can pose in front of an outdoor replica of the Stone Mountain Confederate leaders carving, or share a bench with Borglum’s “Seated Lincoln” sculpture. But one truly ego-inflating photo op allows you to substitute yourself as a Mt. Rushmore head. There’s also a full-size replica of the giant eyeball of Lincoln. Not everyone appreciates art, but everyone respects BIG art.
• Rushmore Tramway Adventures – RushmoreTramwayAdventures.com – scenic chairlift, alpine slide, ziplines, downhill tubing, and the Aerial Park for a crash course in rope climbing.
• Sprockets Fun Foundry – Sprockets.Fun – state of the art arcade with 50+ games
• Black Hills Helicopters – BlackHillsHelicopters.com
• Black Hills Wilderness Edge Adventures – BlackHillsWildernessEdge.com

Lead

• Black Hills Mining Museum – BlackHillsMiningMuseum.com.  Take a guided tour of a fake gold mine built in the 1980s and populated with dummies.  
• ☆ George S. Mickelson Trail – MickelsonTrail.com.  The trail is 109 miles long and contains more than 100 converted railroad bridges and 4 rock tunnels. The trail surface is primarily crushed limestone and gravel. There are 15 trailheads, all of which offer parking, self-sale trail pass stations, vault toilets, and tables.  The most scenic part of the Mickelson Trail runs from Hill City north to Deadwood. This is where the four tunnels are.
• ☆ Sanford Lab Homestake Visitor Center – SanfordLab.org/SLHVC – Open pit mine hole. Free observation platform outside the convenient Visitor Center.  Gold mine has been converted into the deepest underground science lab in the United States. 
• Terry Peak Ski Resort – TerryPeak.com

Nemo

• Wonderland Cave – BlackHillsWonderlandCave.com – “Largest variety of crystal formations.” 47 F degrees, 45 minute tour. Discovered in 1929. Promoted with a cartoon Cave Boy mascot..  127 steps down. 
• Rock Maze – The Maze consists of giant boulders that have separated and cracked over time . The maze isn’t huge.  Entrance is on Nemo Road across the street from Steamboat state picnic and camping area. 
• D&K ATV Rentals – DK-ATVRentals.com

Pringle

• ☆ Pile of Bicycles – Hundreds of bicycles have been arranged in a pile, with artistic intent, along a bicycle trail.  About 1,000 ft north of the intersection of Highways 89 and 385 on George S. Mickelson Trail

Rapid City

• Art Ally artalleyrc.com – located between 6th and 7th, and Main and Saint Joseph Streets in Rapid City, emerged as an organic, community gallery in 2003. In the beginning artists hung largely canvas artworks on the walls, and over time, evolved to painting directly on the walls.
• ☆ Bear Country U.S.A. – BearCountryUSA.com – Nestled over 200 acres, take a leisurely three-mile drive through several enclosures and encounter black bear, elk, reindeer, deer, cougars, bobcats, rocky mountain goats, bighorn sheep, pronghorn and buffalo. After your drive, stroll along the walking tour to view the antics of baby bears and smaller animals as they frolic outdoors. Grab a meal at the Cub Grub Snack Shack and enjoy the tranquil ambiance of the patio area surrounded by waterfalls.
• Black Hills Caverns – BlackHillsCaverns.com – a show cave offering tours.
• Chapel in the Hills – Chapel-In-The-Hills.org – The chapel itself is an exact reproduction of the famous Borgund Stavkirke of Laerdal, Norway.
• City of Presidents Info Center – Public art project featuring a series of life-sized bronze statues of all the U.S. Presidents.  The Visitors Center provides a map. 
• Cosmos Mystery Area – cosmosmysteryarea.com/  – geode mine, mystery house
• Dahl Arts Center – TheDahl.org – The Dahl houses a flexible use event center, five visual arts galleries, an interactive children’s gallery, the Cyclorama Mural of American History, and class rooms.
• Dinosaur Museum – BlackHillsDinosaurMuseum.com – The museum has 50+ life-size dinosaurs on display.  They also have a few new exhibits, one of which features a dinosaur leg bone that you can touch! Be sure to go through the Mirror Maze and play a round of mini golf while you’re there, which are free with admission. Finally, relax and watch a film about dinosaurs in the movie theater. The entire museum is located indoors, while the mini golf is located outside.
• ☆ Firehouse Brewing Company – South Dakota’s oldest operating brewery.  Known for its fire-pit BBQ, live music, and a mural that decorates the side of the building.
• ☆ Fort Hays Old West Town & Dinner Show – FortHaysOldWestTown.com – Dances With Wolves film set and the Fort Hays Workshops.  Chuckwagon Dinner followed by Fort Hays Wranglers variety show.
  • Buffalo Hunt – BuffaloHunt.net – combines a coaster ride with fun laser shooting at targets/bison.
• Main Street Classic Car Museum – Facebook.com/MainStreetClassicCarMuseum – private shop with museum, there are several old cars, mostly SAABs.
• Museum of Geology – Museum.SDSMT.edu
• Old MacDonald’s Farm – OldMacDonaldsFarmRC.com – Cows, pigs, horses, sheep, donkeys, goats, rabbits, chickens, ducks and so much more!  World Class Pig Races, pony rides, farm tours in our kid-sized tractor train, a picnic area, playground, plus our gift shop has farm-related toys and keepsakes for big and little farmers alike.
• Outdoor Campus – Rapid City – The purpose of The Outdoor Campus in Rapid City is to provide hands-on experiences in hunting, fishing and other outdoor skills. Visitors can explore indoor exhibits showcasing a variety of western South Dakota habitats and wildlife, along with a 4,600 gallon freshwater aquarium. The Campus also boasts over 1.5 miles of nature trails for your everyday use as well as a 14-station walking archery course and a 14-station practice range. Managed by South Dakota Game Fish and Parks.
• Reptile Gardens – ReptileGardens.com – the largest collection of reptiles on Earth, including a giant crocodile named Maniac.
• Sioux Indian Museum – DOI.gov/IACB/Our-Museums/Sioux – The Sioux Indian Museum displays an extensive array of historic clothing plus horse gear, weapons, household implements, cradleboards, and toys. A series of promotional sales exhibitions introduce unsurpassed contemporary Sioux Indian arts and crafts by emerging artists and craftspersons. Managed by the The Indian Arts and Crafts Board (IACB), U.S. Department of the Interior.
• Storybook Island – StorybookIsland.com – Free. Family-friendly theme part that caters to very young children. The Island is based on some of the most beloved children’s books from throughout the world.
• Sugar Park – SugarPark.org – Sugar Park – SugarPark.org – A family friendly adventure park for kids of all ages & the adults at heart. Offering big thrills, lasting memories, & a place for for moms and dads to relax while their kids play.
• ★ The Journey Museum & Learning Center – JourneyMuseum.org – The Journey Museum and Learning Center brings together four major prehistoric and historic collections to tell the complete story of the Western Great Plains – from the perspective of the Lakotas and the pioneers who shaped its past to the scientists who now study it.
• The Petrified Forest – Gift Store. ThePetrifiedForest.net
• Quirky:
  • Big sculpture of a buffalo in front of the Dakotah Steakhouse. It is made from parts of old appliances and various junk.  “Dakotah” is a life-size metal buffalo that cleverly hides nine other bronze castings, including Mt. Rushmore, four buffalo, a pronghorn antelope, and a mountain lion.
  • ☆ Dinosaur Park – BlackHillsBadlands.com/DinosaurPark – Free lifesize concrete sculptures of five dinosaurs that overlooks Rapid City.  
  • Memorial Park
    • Berlin Wall segments with interpretive monument stations.
    • “Rock Spinner” by Zach Coffin is a 9,000 pound, 11 foot high chuck of granite balanced on a bearing. Spin it and appreciate the malleability of the world around you.
  • Dinosaur of Old Mike Murphy – a random dinosaur out in the middle of nowhere. Built by blacksmith Murphy in 1933 to lure travelers to a long-gone general store. 60 feet long, 20 feet tall. Originally painted pink and red. Restored in 1998. Possibly the world’s oldest roadside dinosaur.   Junction of US Hwy 16 and Hwy 44/Omaha St.
  • World’s Largest Quarter-Pounder – Weighs 11.5 tons, equivalent to 92,000 real quarter-pounders. I-90 exit 61, on the southeast side. Turn left at the Golden Arches.

Spearfish

• ☆ Spearfish Canyon Scenic Byway (US 14A) – breathtaking views, pull-offs, waterfalls, trails, and rock formations.
  • ☆ Spearfish Falls – 80 foot waterfall located on the Spearfish Creek.  Visitors should park at the Latchstring Restaurant and look at the end of the parking lot for the trailhead. The trail is only about .8 miles long round trip and descends gently into the canyon leading to the falls.
  • ☆ Roughlock Falls
• D.C. Booth Historic National Fish Hatchery – DCBoothFishHatchery.org, – feed fish, see museum that has a fish train car.
• High Plains Western Heritage Center – WesternHeritageCenter.com – Features a 5-State Regional Museum founded to honor the Old West Pioneers and American Indians of North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Wyoming and Montana. Western Artifacts, Western Art, Live Animals and Family History Displays are used as a determinant of Historical Events.
• Devils Bath Tub – Scenic hike that was 3/4 mile each way. At least 10 creek crossings mostly by stone hopping. Last section involved some slippery ledges and challenging creative climbing. The parking lot for this hike is well marked but the trail is not. The only signs are NO PARKING.
• Termesphere Gallery & Museum – Termespheres.com – Dick Termes is an internationally acclaimed artist who spent several months painting spherical canvases know as Termespheres. 

Sturgis

• Saab Heritage Car Museum – SturgisCarMuseum.com
• Sturgis Motorcycle Museum & Hall of Fame – SturgisMuseum.com – A collection of unique motorcycles and a pictorial history of the Black Hills rally. 
• Old Fort Meade Museum – The museum is housed in one of the Old Fort’s Building and cost $5.00 for the self-guided tour.  Enter at gate near VA hospital and security will direct you to the museum.
• Ironhorse Saloon – more than 25,000 sprawling square feet of raucous, indoor, air-conditioned entertainment space with multiple dining options sure to please any size appetite.
• Prairie Emporium – a great resource for all the strange and wonderful antiques you’d expect to find in the Black Hills. This place is a must stop for any traveler. It’s like a museum of the absurd, with one of a kind artworks, to Neil Diamond on Vinyl.  A one of a kind shop, not to be missed!
• ☆ Buffalo Chip Campground sign – There is a large sign for the Buffalo Chip, one of the popular campgrounds for the Sturgis motorcycle rally.
• Mailman Scalped by Indians Here – A decent-size obelisk, erected in 1932 on the south  side of town, marks the spot where Charles “Red” Nolin was killed and scalped by Indians in 1876.

Vale

• Flaming Biker with Chainsaw – A rusty metal larger-than-life biker/skeletal Ghost Rider, on a flaming chopper, steering with a chainsaw perched on a pole in front of the former Full Throttle Saloon.
• ★ Muffler Man With Beer Mug – In front of the full throttle saloon, this fiberglass titan hoists a mug of suds and a fat cigar.