Explore Things to do Today in South Dakota
South Dakota is one of the most visited states. Known for its stunning natural beauty and landscapes. Both are geographically and historically significant. Today it’s known for the towering faces of four of America’s great presidents carved into the stone of the famous monument Mount Rushmore.
Popular attractions in South Dakota include national parks known for jaw-dropping vistas. Some of the world’s most impressive cave formations.
Mount Rushmore National Park
Mount Rushmore one of the country’s most famous landmarks. Should definitely be at the top of your list of South Dakota attractions. The mountain is actually a massive sculpture carved into the mountainside. Featuring the faces of four of America’s most famous presidents. George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln.
Presidential trail provides changing views of Mount Rushmore as you walk among granite outcrops and through ponderosa pine trees. Start from the Grand View Terrace. As you face the mountain go to the far-left side to begin the trail.
Badlands National Park
The Badlands National Park known for its eroded buttes, intermixed with sharp pinnacles and spires. The national park land has long held significance for regional Native American Tribes. Today much of its protected as a wilderness and national park.
Most visitors to Badlands National Park drive the Loop Road as part of their visit. Whether you get out at every overlook on the Loop Road or enjoy the views from the comfort of your car, you’re sure to see some amazing vistas. Along Badlands Loop Road, there are over a dozen spectacular overlooks and trailheads. These provide views of the park, informative displays, and access to hiking trails.
Jewel Cave National Monument
Jewel Cave is one of the longest caves in the world. With over 215 miles of mapped passageways. Its splendor is revealed through fragile formations and glimpses of brilliant color. Its maze of passages lures explorers.
Visitors can access the cave via a park service tour. General Cave Tour Information. Ranger-guided tours are required to enter Jewel Cave, and the various tours are offered at scheduled times, which vary by season. Throughout the year, cave tours often book in advance. For this reason, visitors are encouraged to make advanced tour reservations.
Custer State Park
Custer State Park is South Dakota’s largest state park, and it is also a wildlife reserve. Located in the Black Hills region. The park is famous for its herd of free roaming bison. Several other native species including elk, mule deer, mountain goat, white-tailed deer. Bighorn sheep, pronghorn, mountain lions, and feral burros.
Encompassing 71,000 acres in the Black Hills, Custer State Park is home to abundant wildlife and adventure. Camping, hiking, biking, swimming, fishing, or relaxing, there’s something here for everyone. Custer State Park Visitor Center is located at the junction of US Hwy 16A and Wildlife Loop Road. Open year-round the Visitor Center is a great starting point for all of your adventures.
Great Plains Zoo & Delbridge Museum of Natural History
Great Plains Zoo & Delbridge Museum of Natural History is home to more than 1,000 animals. From over 137 species including endangered species. The 45-acre park offers up-close views to animals often not found in larger Zoos including Tigers, Rhinos, Bears, Bison, Giraffe, and an award-winning Snow Monkey exhibit.
The Zoo also includes the Delbridge Museum of Natural History, a rare collection of 150 mounted animals including 38 “vanishing species.” Approximately 150 mounts from six continents are currently on display and are grouped geographically and by habitat.
Storybook Land
This magical theme park Storybook Land is a favorite of children and those that are still young at heart. It brings to life some of everyone’s favorite storybook characters. At Storybook Land, families enjoy a world of imagination inspired by familiar nursery rhymes.
You can slide down Jack and Jill’s Hill or visit Goldilocks and the Three Bears. Chickens and turkeys roam wild around Old MacDonald’s Barn. The Land of Oz located within Storybook Land features Dorothy’s House a gift shop and offers a simulated tornado experience. The entire family will enjoy a ride on the Storybook Land Express miniature train or the Humpty Dumpty Roller Coaster.
Crazy Horse Memorial
The Crazy Horse Memorial is a monument to the famous Oglala Lakota warrior. Crazy Horse Memorial is located in the heart of the beautiful Black Hills. The elevation on the Mountain is 6,532 feet above sea level and ranks 27th highest mountain in South Dakota. It is made of pegmatite granite.
The 40,000 square foot Welcome Center at Crazy Horse Memorial is the main entrance to the Visitor Complex. From the Welcome Center you can take a bus ride to the base of the mountain. Watch the historic video in one of two theaters, and enter the museums.
Falls Park
In the city of Sioux Falls, visitors can stroll through Falls Park named for the cascading waterfalls in its center. The park also has a café, overlooking the waterfalls. In the summer, the park is home to a light and sound show, and in the winter, people come to view the falls as they ice over.
Climb around on the rocky outcrops of Sioux quartzite to get a better view. The park also features walking paths, viewing platforms to see the cascading water from different angles, and climb up in the lookout tower for an aerial view.
Mammoth Site
Mammoth Site is a museum and paleontological site near Hot Springs, South Dakota. It is an active paleontological dig site, which boasts the largest concentration of mammoth remains in the world. The world’s largest mammoth research facility and one of the top fossil interpretive sites in North America. Over 60 mammoths have been unearthed, along with at least 87 other Late Ice Age animals.
The museum now contains an extensive collection of mammoth remains. The bones displayed as discovered. Walkways allow visitors a close-up view of the fossils. You can tour this indoor active dig site and view Ice Age fossils.
Corn Palace
Quirky roadside attractions don’t work out to be the most visit-worthy destinations, but this massive palace made entirely of corn is an exception. The Corn Palace built in 1921 and is redecorated annually with new corn, grain and grass.
However, it’s never completely bare, so you will always see a building that is truly an American icon. A different theme is chosen each year, and murals are designed to reflect that theme. Besides being a popular tourist destination, the palace also acts a venue. Hosting concerts, sports events, exhibits, and other events.
Things to Do in South Dakota
If you are the type of traveler that wants to explore history and nature during your journeys. You’re someone who just wants to see something that will knock you off your feet. South Dakota is a state that will certainly impress you.