Must-see attractions in South Dakota

  • Top Choice
    Mount Rushmore National Memorial

    Visitors can't help but be impressed by the sheer scale and massive physical effort of the team behind Mount Rushmore National Memorial in South Dakota…

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    Corn Palace

    The Corn Palace is the king of roadside attractions, enticing more than half a million people to pull off I-90 each year. Close to 300,000 ears of corn…

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    Wall Drug

    Wall Drug is a surprisingly enjoyable tourist attraction of the old school. It really does have 5¢ coffee, free ice water, good donuts and enough…

  • Top Choice
    Statues of Presidents

    From a shifty-eyed Nixon in repose to a triumphant Harry Truman, lifelike statues dot corners throughout the center of Rapid City. Collect all 42. Maps…

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    Falls Park

    Stroll along the grass-lined paths to Sioux Falls' star attraction – its rambling namesake waterfall – at this picturesque park. Popular with amorous…

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    Badlands National Park

    Pinnacled rock formations with vivid color bands, sharp-edged cliffs with tiptoeing bighorn sheep, and sprawling colonies of feverish prairie dogs are…

  • Top Choice
    Custer State Park

    Mt Rushmore may lure travelers to the Black Hills, but it's nearby Custer State Park that often creates the most lasting memories. Not only does it boast…

  • Top Choice
    Hwy 240 Badlands Loop Rd

    Badlands National Park's North Unit gets the most visitors; this stunning road is easily reached from I-90 (exits 110 and 131) and you can drive it in an…

  • Top Choice
    Kidney Springs

    The best water you'll drink in the Black Hills flows freely from this spring right in the center of town. It's not cold, but it's also not so hot you'll…

  • Top Choice
    Akta Lakota Museum & Cultural Center

    This engaging museum and cultural center at St Joseph's Indian School has Lakota cultural displays and contemporary art from numerous tribes. Check the…

  • Top Choice
    Mt Moriah Cemetery

    Calamity Jane (born Martha Jane Burke; 1852–1903) and Wild Bill Hickok (1837–76) rest side by side up on Boot Hill at this very steep cemetery. Pick up…

  • Sage Creek Rim Rd

    The portion of the Badlands west of Hwy 240 along this gravel road is much less visited than the sights of the Badlands Loop Rd. There are scenic…

  • Crazy Horse Memorial

    The world's largest monument is this 563ft-tall work-in-progress (with a lot of work to go). When finished it will depict the Sioux leader astride his…

  • Wind Cave National Park

    This park, protecting 44 sq miles of grassland and forest, sits just south of Custer State Park. The central draw is, of course, the cave, which contains…

  • Wounded Knee Massacre Site

    The massacre site, 16 miles northeast of Pine Ridge town, is marked by a faded sign. It helps to read up on the events before you arrive. The mass grave…

  • Sanford Lab Homestake Visitor Center

    Gape at the 1250ft-deep Homestake Gold Mine to see what open-pit mining can do to a mountain. Nearby are the mine's shafts, which plunge more than 1.5…

  • Delta-09 Missile Silo

    This Cold War–era missile silo, located down a dirt road in a desolate area 5 miles southeast of Wall, gives you a glimpse into the enormous network of…

  • Jewel Cave National Monument

    If you visit only one Black Hills cave, this would be a good choice. It's 13 miles west of Custer and is so named because calcite crystals line much of…

  • Red Cloud Heritage Center

    This well-curated art museum has traditional and contemporary works and a craft shop with locally made artisan goods. Haunting photos taken after the…