There’s a lot of things to do in the beautiful and historic state of South Dakota.
It’s a great place for a family vacation. There’s literally something for everyone:
outdoor adventurists, bikers, hikers, hunters, bird watchers, educators, golfers,
beach lovers, and historical enthusiasts. The following list is just a few things
to do on a South Dakota vacation.
Museums & Visitor Centers
The Smith-Zimmermann Heritage Museum focuses on the ethnic
history of the early settlements in Lake Country and surrounding areas curating
a wonderful collection of artifacts from South Dakota settlers from the past to
present. The Adams House Museum in Deadwood is the oldest
history museum in the Black Hills of South Dakota. Pioneer businessman W.E. Adams
built the museum in 1930 as a memorial to his family and to honor the early pioneers
that settled the Black Hills. The Adams House, built in 1892, is an elegant Victorian
mansion which recently became the Adams House Museum. The Indian
Museum of North America is located at the Crazy Horse Memorial complex,
dedicated to keeping the heritage and culture of Native Americans alive, as is the
monumental mountain memorial itself. The museum grows each year as contributions
of artifacts and art are continuously made by people from around North America.
The Bear Butte Visitor Center located at Bear Mountain,
the Lakota name given to the unique formation at Bear Butte State Park. This mountain
is sacred to many Native Americans who see the area as a place where the creator
has chosen to communicate with them through visions and prayer. They leave prayer
cloths and tobacco ties on the trees as offerings to the creator. There are many
more museums located in the great state of South Dakota, make sure you leave time
in your vacation to visit a few, you won’t regret it.
Unique Family Fun
Mitchell Corn Palace is one of South Dakota’s most recognized
symbols and probably one of the most unique places to visit with your family in
the entire world. It’s a massive convention & visitors bureau that looks like
the Taj Mahal but artistically covered in corn and native grasses. South Dakota
is home to many fun family adventures such as national parks, monuments, museums
and indoor/outdoor activities for every age and every season. A South Dakota western
vacation will provide you and your family with an exciting, unique, educational
and memorable experience that will last a lifetime.
Outdoor Adventures
South Dakota is one of the most beautiful states in America, so it only makes sense
that many of the coolest things to do would be an outdoor adventure.
Whether you’re into hiking, biking, rock climbing, golfing, sailing, kayaking, hunting,
snow mobiling or even jet skiing, the list of outdoor adventures you can participate
in is lengthy. Motorcyclists and Bicyclists alike rave about South Dakota's awesome
and breath-taking rides. South Dakota also has a massive hiking trail system providing
some of the best scenery to experience on foot.
Outdoor Photography
Professional and amateur photographers alike will find a variety of terrain and
wildlife to document in the great state of South Dakota. Mount Rushmore National
Memorial is one of South Dakota’s most-visited spots and makes for stunning, memorable
photographs. Whatever you shoot will sure to be picture-perfect as South Dakota
offers the most stunning landscapes, monuments, over 400 species of wild animals
and some of the most colorful people this country has to offer (especially during
Sturgis Bike Week). If you’re a outdoor photographer
looking for some great new shots for your book, then South Dakota will offer you
great inspiration with five distinctive seasons to document: Winter, Spring, Summer,
Sturgis Rally and Fall.
State Park Education
South Dakota has countless millions of acres of absolutely beautiful land designated
as state parks and recreational areas. Visiting a South Dakota state
park is a great way to get educated about America’s history from its
Native American inhabitants to the earliest settlers. There are plenty of activities
to do at state parks for the entire family all year-round. Enjoy a cozy log cabin,
visit the military forts, see the dinosaur fossils at the many prehistoric sites
and travel the exciting historical path of Lewis & Clark on the lower Missouri
River.
Cozy Camping
Enjoy a leisurely week or weekend of camping and sleep under the stars in one of
South Dakota’s cozy campgrounds. Most of our camp grounds
have modern facilities and accommodate tents, campers and even RVs. You’ll find
cute rental cabins or group lodges to make your camping experience easy. South Dakota
state park camping provides a ton of outdoor fun such as hunting, fishing, hiking,
biking and campfire cookouts.
Archaeology & Paleontology
If you’re an explorer like Indiana Jones and want to know what lies just beneath
the surface then exploring South Dakota’s ancient past will be a thrilling, educational
experience for you. Extinct species of giant wooly mammoths and dinosaur bones have
been discovered in South Dakota’s fertile fossil beds. A visit to one of our many
archaeological or paleontological areas
is an experience you won’t soon forget.
Hunting & Fishing
South Dakota is well known for its world-class hunting and fishing.
Sportsmen from all over the world come to the great state of South Dakota to hunt
small game species such as ring-necked pheasants, waterfowl and many others. Pheasant
season is the state’s biggest event with thousands of hunters in chase of millions
of birds. With countless miles of shoreline South Dakota has plenty of freshwater
fish. So unlike other places in the country, South Dakota’s fishing season is year
round and the walleye, pike and bass are always biting.
Motorcycling
South Dakota offers spectacular motorcycling riding with some of the most scenic
routes in the world. This is just one of the reasons that every August, millions
of bikes rumble into South Dakota and head for a small town called Sturgis. The
annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally started out almost 70
years ago as a small, hometown event and has grown into the world’s largest biker
rally. This is a phenomenon that you have to see to believe. Since the rally has
become the largest in the world, South Dakota considers it one of the seasons.
Winter Activities
South Dakota offers one of the best, most exciting Winter getaways in the country.
Enjoy the mesmerizing view of frozen glacier lakes surrounded by thousands of acres
of snow covered enormous pines. When it begins to snow here, that’s when the fun
begins for every age. Try cross-country skiing, winter hiking or snowshoeing through
the Badlands or Great Bear state parks or try downhill skiing or snowboarding at
Terry Peak or Deer Mountain Ski Resorts. Fly through 325 miles of snowmobiling trails
in the legendary Black Hills. You can opt for a more relaxing pace of ice-skating
or ice fishing at one of South Dakota’s many placid glacier lakes. One of the best
parts of enjoying South Dakota’s winter activities all
day in the cold, is coming home and snuggling by the cozy fireplace with your loved
ones and enjoying some hot cocoa.