South Dakota Vacations

The best time of the year to plan South Dakota travel is spring or autumn, but don’t let the weather deter you. South Dakota is interesting any time of the year and you can often find cheap South Dakota vacations during the winter.

Take the 1880 train through the Black Hills on a two-hour trip on a traditional steam engine.

Enjoy an evening of fine dining at Deadwood Grille as you visit the historic town and stop in the restaurant that fits the period.

Get a taste of homemade treats and sweets at the Purple Pie Place in Custer as you relax and take a break during your South Dakota travel.

Enjoy an educational experience at the largest mammoth research facility in the world in Hot Springs.

Stop in Keystone for truly unique artwork on your South Dakota vacations where you will see Dahl’s Chainsaw Art.

Mount Rushmore National Memorial is our Nation’s Shrine of Democracy and a breathtaking work of art. In 1927, sculptor Gutzon Borglum came to the Black Hills to carve his masterpiece into the side of a granite mountain. Today, visitors from all over the world come to South Dakota to see the four faces of Mount Rushmore National Memorial and to explore the beautiful Black Hills.

Crazy Horse Memorial is the world’s largest mountain carving in progress. Blasting on the memorial started as a way to honor the culture and traditions of North American Indians. Visitors to Crazy Horse can see the progress of the mountain carving as well as tour a Native American Museum and art center on the campus of the Memorial.

Badlands National Park is an experience that is “out-of-this-world.” Its 244,000 acres of sharply eroded buttes and jagged spires create a moon-like surface that is full of ancient history. Thousands of fossils of prehistoric beasts have been uncovered in the park. Many archeological and paleontological digs continue today.

Wind Cave National Park and Jewel Cave National Monument take Black Hills visitors deep beneath the surface. Wind Cave is considered one of the world's longest and most complex caves. Its thin calcite fins and honeycomb rock structures complement the 28,295 acres of mixed-grass prairie, ponderosa pine forest, and roaming buffalo. Jewel Cave National Monument is the second longest cave in the world at 141 miles. Its colorful calcite crystals create spectacular jewel-like formations giving the cave its name. The official length of Jewel Cave is continually growing as explorers find new passageways. In January 2008, 476-feet of new passageways were discovered.

Custer State Park in the southern Black Hills offers families a unique vacation back to the old west. With 1,500 roaming buffalo, swift antelope, curious burros and shy elk, visitors can experience wildlife in the raw, natural beauty of the park. It also offers mountain lakes perfect for swimming, unique lodges and campsites, and dozens of trails for hiking and mountain biking. For those visitors who want to enjoy a scenic drive, Needles Highway and Iron Mountain Road offer breathtaking views, unique rock tunnels and pigtail bridges.

Black Hills National Forest is 1.2 million acres of lush forest, granite peaks and outdoor adventure. The sky-piercing granite spires, known as the Needles, provide excellent and challenging rock climbing opportunities. The 114-mile George S. Mickelson Trail has gently rolling slopes and converted railroad bridges that take bikers and hikers from the northern to the southern tip of the Black Hills. Harney Peak, in the Black Elk Wilderness, has an elevation of 7,242 feet and is the highest point in the U.S. east of the Rocky Mountains.

Minuteman Missile National Historic Site is located near Badlands National Park. The Delta One Launch Control Facility and the Delta Nine Launch Facility were ideal locations for long-term preservation because they were among the nation’s oldest—with technology dating back to the Cuban Missile Crisis. Only minor modifications have been made to the deactivated sites, and much of the original mechanical equipment and historic furnishings remain intact.

You will find plenty of activities to do in this wide-open state, whether you want to stay in one place or venture to different areas for your South Dakota travel. There is plenty of outdoor fun and indoor activities for everyone and the scenery changes as you travel across the state. You can travel through Custer State Park and see wild animals up close or visit Mount Rushmore Cave to cool off on hot summer days during your South Dakota vacations. Besides the numerous outdoor activities, you will also find museums and cultural events.

Mount Rushmore is one of the most famous monuments in the country featuring the faces of four former presidents carved into the side of the mountain.

Crazyhorse Memorial, another carving in a mountain, represents one of the chiefs of the Lakota Tribe and although it was begun in 1948, is still unfinished.

Corn Palace, located in Mitchell, South Dakota features guided tours to tell the fascinating story of the Palace and its decorative murals.

Badlands National Park, where visitors can explore the rugged terrain either by foot, by car, or even by horseback.

Laura Ingalls Wilder Museum, located in De Smet, is actually a series of buildings that portray the story from this writer’s famous book series.

Deadwood is a town in western South Dakota where even the streetlights are old fashioned lamps and the entire city is a historic landmark.

Queen Bee Mill, located in Falls Park, where the foundation of the old mill that was built in 1887 is still visible and visitors will enjoy the grand waterfalls.

Black Hills Caves, where eight different caves host some of the most unusual formations and numerous passageways.

Old Courthouse Museum, located in Sioux Falls, was built in the 1800s and provides a detailed look at the history of the area for an enjoyable stop on your South Dakota travel.

Black Hills Wild Horse Sanctuary, located in Hot Springs as part of your western South Dakota vacations, features wild horses running free over 11,000 acres.

South Dakota has a rich history that reaches from the days of the dinosaurs to the Cold War. One of the most complete T-Rex skeletons was found in South Dakota, and the largest collection of Columbian Wooly Mammoth bones are still being unearthed in the Black Hills. Hikers in Badlands National Park can watch ongoing digs in what is considered one of the richest fossil beds in the country.

South Dakota is home to the Lakota, Dakota and Nakota peoples—collectively known as the Sioux Nation. Several museums and cultural centers across the state depict the history and traditions of these nations as well as display ancient artifacts and modern artwork.

The Black Hills, called "Paha Sapa" by the Native Americans, are considered sacred ground to many tribes across the country. The Lakota Nation believes all life comes from "Paha Sapa", and they fought fiercely to protect them during the Indian Wars of the 1800s. One of the most sacred places is Bear Butte State Park in the northern Black Hills. This formation of magma never erupted and looks like a giant sleeping bear. It is still used as a place of worship for over 60 Native American tribes.

Across the eastern plains, visitors can explore our heritage along the Native American Scenic Byway or by attending a traditional powwow. More than 62,000 Native Americans currently live in South Dakota.

Gold Rush and Wild West

In 1874, an expedition led by General Custer discovered gold for the first time in the Black Hills. Two years later, the last great gold rush was on as prospectors from all over the country came looking for their fortunes. The largest find was near the town of present day Lead. Two brothers and their partner staked claim on a mine that would yield gold for over 120 years. In 2002, the Homestake Gold Mine shut down mining operations, but visitors can still tour the surface of the mine.

The Gold Rush of 1876 brought prospectors, gamblers and outlaws to the state, and the Wild West was born. The wildest town was considered to be the gold camp of Deadwood. Here is where Wild Bill Hickok was shot from behind while playing poker, where Calamity Jane created havoc and where Seth Bullock tamed the town without killing a single person.

The early pioneers conquered the prairies and left a lasting legacy across South Dakota. "Little House on the Prairie" author Laura Ingalls Wilder wrote of her life growing up in the town of De Smet. Four of her six books were written about her family's adventures on the prairies of South Dakota. You can tour her childhood homestead and see the places that inspired her classic books and a television series.

Many people don't know that South Dakota played a key role in the Cold War. In the 1960s, America began stockpiling Minuteman Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles. The 44th Missile Wing at Ellsworth Air Force Base in South Dakota operated 150 missile silos and 15 launch control facilities in the western part of the state. Two of these sites, the Delta One Launch Control Facility and the Delta Nine Launch Facility, have been preserved as a National Historic Site to provide visitors with a unique Cold War history lesson.

In 1874, an expedition led by General Custer discovered gold for the first time in the Black Hills. Two years later, the last great gold rush was on as prospectors from all over the country came looking for their fortunes. The largest find was near the town of present day Lead. Two brothers and their partner staked claim on a mine that would yield gold for over 120 years. In 2002, the Homestake Gold Mine shut down mining operations, but visitors can still tour the surface of the mine.

The Gold Rush of 1876 brought prospectors, gamblers and outlaws to the state, and the Wild West was born. The wildest town was considered to be the gold camp of Deadwood. Here is where Wild Bill Hickok was shot from behind while playing poker, where Calamity Jane created havoc and where Seth Bullock tamed the town without killing a single person.

The early pioneers conquered the prairies and left a lasting legacy across South Dakota. "Little House on the Prairie" author Laura Ingalls Wilder wrote of her life growing up in the town of De Smet. Four of her six books were written about her family's adventures on the prairies of South Dakota. You can tour her childhood homestead and see the places that inspired her classic books and a television series.

Many people don't know that South Dakota played a key role in the Cold War. In the 1960s, America began stockpiling Minuteman Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles. The 44th Missile Wing at Ellsworth Air Force Base in South Dakota operated 150 missile silos and 15 launch control facilities in the western part of the state. Two of these sites, the Delta One Launch Control Facility and the Delta Nine Launch Facility, have been preserved as a National Historic Site to provide visitors with a unique Cold War history lesson.