South Dakota's National & State Parks

Vividly layered buttes and sandcastle-like spires stretch to the horizon at Badlands National Park, one of the world's richest fossil beds. Visitors can see scientists at work in the Fossil Preparation Lab and come face to face with prehistoric megafauna, along with present-day giants: hulking bison and bighorn sheep. Thanks to the  Open Hike Policy, you can also freely venture into 242,746 acres of the park's rugged backcountry.

A place of deep history and meaning, Wind Cave was the first cave designated a national park. For the Lakota, it’s where humanity began. Reserve a ranger-led tour to see its defining feature up close — honeycomb-like boxwork formations found in greater concentration here than anywhere else on Earth. Above ground, open meadows and mixed-grass prairie supports bison & elk and draws hikers year-round.

Just 30 miles from Wind Cave, Jewel Cave National Monument preserves more than 200 miles of underground passages, making it the third-longest cave in the world. Named for the calcite crystals that shimmer along its walls, Jewel Cave is a vast subterranean landscape beneath the Black Hills. Guided tours are required and often sell out, so book early.

The scale of Mount Rushmore's 60-foot presidential faces is something photographs can't quite capture. Learn about the monument's complex construction and history through interactive programs and exhibits. Standing in the the heart of the Black Hills, these famous faces are a natural starting point for exploring the region's most scenic drives and iconic landmarks.

Beneath the quiet prairie once stood part of America's Cold War nuclear defense system. At Minuteman Missile National Historic Site, visitors can tour a preserved launch control facility and stand at the edge of a Minuteman II missile silo. It's a fascinating window into a chapter of history that unfolded right here on the Great Plains.

Here flows some of the last untamed sections of America's longest river. Paddle peaceful waters, cast a line for walleye and catfish, or spot the wide variety of birds that call this ecosystem home. A portion of the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail runs along the river, connecting visitors to the journey of those early explorers.

Bike, hike or climb your way through the 71,000 acres of South Dakota's largest state park. Custer State Park is probably best known for its Wildlife Loop Road, where bison roam freely alongside pronghorn, elk and burro, but the park's granite spires, clear lakes, and historic resorts and campgrounds make it worth lingering for much longer than a day's drive.

Rising from the northern Black Hills, Bear Butte is the remains of a volcano that never erupted — a geological oddity the Lakota call Mato Paha, or "bear mountain." A sacred site for centuries, it remains an active place of ceremony. The 111-mile Centennial Trail ends here, making it a natural playground for hikers and mountain bikers.

Just a short drive from Sioux Falls, Palisades State Park feels like a world away from the city. Pink Sioux quartzite formations rise above Split Rock Creek, creating one of the most striking landscapes in eastern South Dakota and some of the best climbing and kayaking in the state. 

A sprawling reservoir of the Missouri River, Lewis and Clark Recreation Area is one of South Dakota's most popular destinations for boating, fishing and water recreation of all kinds. The lake and surrounding campgrounds attract families and water enthusiasts from across the state and beyond.

Sioux Falls' Good Earth State Park sits at Blood Run, one of the oldest sites of continuous human habitation in the country. Trails wind through preserved prairie and oak forest, and the excellent visitor center brings the park's cultural history to life through exhibits and interpretive displays.

Sica Hollow takes its name from a Dakota word meaning "bad" or "evil," and this striking terrain of ravines and red, gurgling bogs has an atmosphere to match. Hike the hauntingly beautiful Trail of the Spirits, and come back in the fall to watch the dense canopy transform into vivid color.

Step inside the stone walls of Fort Sisseton Historic State Park, an 1864 frontier outpost where the Old West still lingers on the windswept Coteau des Prairies. Walk the grounds, tour the original buildings and, each June, embrace the bygone days at the Fort Sisseton Historical Festival.