South Dakota is a state that I think is far too underrated. The state is full of so many things to do and the best part of South Dakota has to be the Black Hills. The Black Hills is a gorgeous area that is full of fun activities and breathtaking sites.
Courtesy of travelsouthdakota.com
Custer State Park has plenty of sightseeing with a 14-mile road that leads through beautiful pine trees and forests. There are tons of animals and if you are lucky you will be able to spot an elk, a bighorn sheep, a mule deer, a buffalo or a mountain lion. During the month of September, the state hosts the Buffalo Roundup. Each year, cowboys get the chance to roundup a herd of over 1,300 bison that happen to roam through Custer State Park. After the roundup, all of the buffalo are vaccinated and checked out. You can enjoy watching the event and then catching a bite to eat at the chuck wagon lunch.
Rapid City is the second-largest city in South Dakota and offers an up close view of the Black Hills mountain range, but the city also offers a lot of great shopping, delicious restaurants and fun things to do. The City of Presidents is in downtown Rapid City and is a collection of life-size statues of past presidents. It is a really cool thing to see and is near all of the terrific shops and restaurants.
Courtesy of allblackhills.com
Spearfish is a neat little town right in the heart of the Black Hills. The city is home to a really cool fish hatchery where visitors can feed ducks and fish and be able to really enjoy the beautiful scenery. If you are visiting during the summer months, you can enjoy a hike at Spearfish Canyon and check out all of the wildlife. Or the Community Caves at Spearfish Canyon is a great spot to go year round where you can see a stunning waterfall and a natural cave at the top.
Not far from Spearfish sits Sturgis. This town is known for its huge motorcycle rally. The Sturgis Motorcycle Rally just turned 75 this year and around 740,000 people attended the town that is home to only about 6,000 residents. When the rally isn’t going on, the little town is still a wonderful place to visit. There is a lot of history and beauty in the small town. You can also go wine tasting at Belle Joli’ Winery. The winery offers amazing views of the town’s ponderosa pines and their 5-acre vineyard.
Courtesy of bestwesternplains.com
Wall Drug might be the ultimate tourist destination. The famous store has the largest collection of western art in the country. Located in Wall, South Dakota, the drugstore has a great story of how it came about. The drugstore in the 1930s was struggling so owners Ted and Dorothy Hustead started to hand out free ice water. Now the drugstore is known throughout the United States. And they still serve free ice water to all visitors!
