Family travel guide to the South Dakota outdoors
If it weren’t for the assumption that the Great Plains are just that — plain — you would’ve known the truth about South Dakota long ago: its peaks and valleys, waterfalls and rivers, and ancient grasslands and canyons are gorgeous and ever-changing. Here, the first hints of the Wild West are right outside your front door. The world’s largest caves stretch underneath your feet, and history is etched into the granite before your eyes.
To see it all for yourself, pack up the Airstream, aim for I-90, and start your family’s journey in one of the four regions below. Each holds experiences that are uniquely South Dakota, getting you close to adventures that are nowhere near plain but that are, indeed, great.
Note: Some of the sites and businesses listed below may not currently be operating as described due to safety guidelines. Please contact all locations prior to visiting.
WEST REGION:
BLACK HILLS & BADLANDS
Badlands National Park
Out of the plains rises an ancient sea floor, carved over time into pinnacles, buttes, and spires...
Badlands National Park
Out of the plains rises an ancient sea floor, carved over time into pinnacles, buttes, and spires more reminiscent of a landscape you might expect to encounter on the moon. Badlands National Park is 244,000 acres of another universe — one that used to be an ocean, where three-toed horses and saber-toothed cats later reigned.
Be sure to drive the 39-mile Badlands Loop State Scenic Byway and — between skirting rock formations left, right, and center — watch for bison, pronghorn, golden eagles, bighorn sheep, black-footed ferrets, and chattering prairie dogs. For hiking, the short Door, Window, and Notch Trails near the Ben Reifel Visitor Center give quick and accessible peeks into what this epic landscape holds.
Photo: Scott Sporleder
Spearfish Canyon
Spearfish Canyon is best described in the words of Frank Lloyd Wright...
Spearfish Canyon
En route to the town of Spearfish from US-14A, Spearfish Canyon is best described in the words of Frank Lloyd Wright: “But how is it that I’ve heard so little of this miracle and we, toward the Atlantic, have heard so much of the Grand Canyon when this is even more miraculous?”
You’ll come to understand Wright’s words while driving the Spearfish Canyon Scenic Byway, passing 1,000-foot limestone palisades and waterfalls that practically splash onto the road. Park the rig for fresh-air adventures, like hiking to Spearfish Falls or mountain-biking the Iron Creek Drainage.
Photo: Shutterstock/ Jim Cottingham
Custer State Park
Custer State Park is on par in size and quality with any national park...
Custer State Park
Don’t be fooled by the name: Custer State Park is on par in size and quality with any national park. At 114 square miles and abutting the Black Hills National Forest and Wind Cave National Park, that $20 entrance fee (good for seven days) is a steal.
Here, you’ll hear the footsteps of 1,400 bison. You’ll stand amongst granite giants on the 1.6-mile Cathedral Spires Trail. You’ll spend hours leisurely exploring the 18-mile Wildlife Loop Road, and you’ll find one of the country’s most photogenic swimming holes at Sylvan Lake. Sound like a list your kids might enjoy?
Photo: Scott Sporleder
Wind Cave National Park
This is one of the world’s longest caves, coming in at just under 150 miles...
Wind Cave National Park
Wind Cave — protected as America’s first “underground” national park — is one of the world’s longest caves, coming in at just under 150 miles. It’s a vast network of delicate, detailed boxwork that’s still being mapped and explored.
But what most don’t realize is that, above ground, Wind Cave National Park is a wildlife refuge. Watch for American bison, prairie dogs, pronghorn, deer, and elk as you wander the hiking trails — Rankin Ridge and Prairie Vista are easy one-mile trails suitable for the whole family.
*Note: Cave access is currently suspended. Check the NPS website for updates.
Photo: Scott Sporleder
Fort Pierre National Grassland
America’s national grasslands protect one of the country’s defining ecosystems...
Fort Pierre National Grassland
America’s national grasslands protect one of the country’s defining ecosystems, where seas of wildflowers and waving meadows once sustained bison and the Native American peoples who depended on them.
On what was once considered the frontier, you can now wander through the Fort Pierre National Grassland, a quiet place for backcountry camping, hunting, fishing, wildlife-scouting, and wildflowers — by the thousands. Find it to the south of Pierre, the state capital.
Photo: Travel South Dakota
West Whitlock State Recreation Area
West Whitlock also has all the makings of a great weekend...
West Whitlock State Recreation Area
Sitting on a peninsula in the Missouri River, West Whitlock State Recreation Area is almost entirely surrounded by water — the same water that propelled Lewis & Clark to historical fame more than 220 years ago.
Most popular for fishing and camping — cabins run $55/night — West Whitlock also has all the makings of a great weekend spent birdwatching, boating, and canoeing or kayaking the Missouri.
Photo: Scott Sporleder
Farm Island State Recreation Area
Not quite an island in the Missouri River — but close — Farm Island is a riparian oasis...
Farm Island State Recreation Area
Not quite an island — but close — Farm Island State Recreation Area is a riparian oasis in the Missouri River just east of the capital, Pierre.
Close to Lake Sharpe and with plenty of beaches and trails, this is a go-to spot throughout the year among anglers, birders, campers, hikers, cyclists, and naturalists looking for a quick getaway into the pristine outdoors. Whatever your family is into, you can probably find it here.
Photo: Travel South Dakota
Native American Scenic Byway
This driving route helps visitors see South Dakota’s story from a different perspective...
Native American Scenic Byway
Roughly following the course of the Missouri River, the Native American Scenic Byway helps visitors see South Dakota’s story from a different perspective. The route — through and along mixed-grass prairie, rolling hills, colossal lakes, and limestone cliffs — showcases the lands of the Yankton, Crow Creek, Lower Brule, Cheyenne River, and Standing Rock Sioux tribes.
The Akta Lakota Museum & Cultural Center, the South Dakota Cultural Heritage Center, and the Sacagawea and Sitting Bull Monuments are just a few of the places on this drive that deserve your attention. And remember: Much of the byway runs along tribal land — you are a guest here.
Photo: Scott Sporleder
Lake Kampeska, Watertown
South Dakota has a string of glittering glacial lakes running from north to south...
Lake Kampeska, Watertown
Glaciers don’t care about state boundaries — just like Minnesota, South Dakota has a string of glittering glacial lakes running from north to south, Watertown’s Lake Kampeska being one of the standouts. Chat up any ice-fisherman here, and you might be talking to a national champ.
In the warmer months, you can also paddle, kayak, or paddleboard on the lake, take the fam to the Bramble Park Zoo — it’s AZA-accredited — or bike or play disc golf at one of four parks along the shoreline. Whatever you choose to do, stop at The Prop afterward for their famous Garlic Burger and a dose of iconic Watertown.
Photo: Jacqueline Kehoe
Wylie Park, Aberdeen
Here, you can follow the yellow brick road all the way to the Land of Oz...
Wylie Park, Aberdeen
The 200-acre Wylie Park in Aberdeen is what happens when you combine a theme park with the great outdoors. Miles of trails, lake access for canoeing and kayaking, and great camping spots meet Storybook Land, a nursery rhyme come to life. Here, you can follow the yellow brick road all the way to the Land of Oz.
Back in today’s world, there’s go-karting on Thunder Road, bungee trampolines, a Laser Maze, bumper boats, mini golf, and even the Wylie Zoo. The kids won’t know where to begin (or end).
Photo: Travel South Dakota
Fort Sisseton Historic State Park
This is one of the nation’s best-preserved forts...
Fort Sisseton Historic State Park
Right off Scenic Highway 10 but a world away, Fort Sisseton Historic State Park dates back to the Civil War. It’s an 1860s Army outpost with 14 original buildings still standing.
Pioneers, soldiers, and surveyors passed through here for decades on their way to settle the Dakota Territory; now, it’s one of the nation’s best-preserved forts.
Photo: South Dakota Tourism
Brookings
Just a few hours from Minneapolis, Brookings is as family-friendly as it gets...
Brookings
Just a few hours from Minneapolis, Brookings is as family-friendly as it gets. Here are just a few ideas for a solid weekend:
- Eight connecting glacial lakes make up Oakwood Lakes State Park, where you could spend weeks hiking, swimming, and cross-country skiing.
- The Children’s Museum of South Dakota is all about doing. The kids will build, climb, paint, learn, discover, and imagine.
- Seventy acres of nature are open to the public (most of it free) at McCrory Gardens, a great stop to relax on your whirlwind tour of South Dakota.
Photo: Travel South Dakota
SOUTHEAST REGION:
SIOUX FALLS AND BEYOND
Palisades State Park
Nope, eastern South Dakota isn’t all prairie...
Palisades State Park
The red-rock formations at Palisades State Park are your first big clue that eastern South Dakota isn’t all prairie. Just northeast of Sioux Falls, fantastic quartzite formations rise over Split Rock Creek, making this state park a hotspot for rock climbing, hiking, picnicking, kayaking, paddleboarding, and camping.
Devil’s Gulch Park, a bit farther north, continues the rocky landscape so distinctive to this corner of South Dakota.
Photo: Scott Sporleder
Lewis and Clark State Recreation Area
The 25-mile Lewis and Clark Lake is the heartbeat of this recreation area...
Lewis and Clark State Recreation Area
The 25-mile Lewis and Clark Lake is the heartbeat of this recreation area, one of the most popular sites in the state. Locals set up their colorful umbrellas on the beach, unpack the paddleboards and jet skis, and hit the biking/hiking trail — and most stay for the night to enjoy the views of the water over a campfire.
Photo: Travel South Dakota
Falls Park
Cities are always made better with waterfalls running through the middle of them...
Falls Park
One thing’s for certain: Cities are always made better by waterfalls running through the middle of them. Just north of downtown Sioux Falls, Falls Park covers 123 verdant acres where small tiers of cascades steadily accumulating to a 100-foot drop.
Walking paths meander along the falls’ course, trails lead all the way to downtown, and the visitor information center, observation tower, Falls Overlook Cafe, and the relics of the Queen Bee Mill will keep you within misting distance all afternoon.
Photo: Shutterstock/Sopotnicki
Greater Sioux Falls
Beyond the town’s waterfall, there are plenty of outdoor spaces that will encourage you to linger...
Greater Sioux Falls
Beyond the town’s waterfall, there are plenty of outdoor spaces that will encourage you to linger in Sioux Falls longer than you might’ve planned:
- The Great Plains Zoo features more than 1,000 animals, as well as the onsite Delbridge Museum of Natural History.
- At the Kirby Science Discovery Center at the Washington Pavilion, it’s all about fossils. The kids will touch real dinosaur bones, excavate replicas, and encounter dinosaur eggs up close.
- The Outdoor Campus is a 100-acre nature park home to numerous trails as well as an aquarium, archery range, and more.
- The Butterfly House & Aquarium is as great for your Instagram as it is the kids. Some 800 butterflies fly freely in this conservatory, providing a shoulder-tickling good time.
Photo: Shutterstock/Jacob Boomsma