South Dakota National Parks! We’ve got six incredible national park sites for you to see on your next visit to the Mount Rushmore State.
Of all the states in America I find the air in South Dakota, particularly in the Badlands, to be the finest. There’s something truly magical about this state and its public lands.
I’ve been to so many of these amazing places since retiring from teaching in 2018. Did I mention that I taught history? I spent a lifetime teaching about the history behind these momentous sites. Then I got to see them firsthand. And now I’m sharing the stories of these incredible places with you. It doesn’t get any better than that!
South Dakota National Parks includes two national parks, two national monuments, and more.
To be clear, these include national park sites (as in managed by the National Park Service) but not capital letter National Parks. There are only 63 of those (so far) and only two of these parks is included on that list.
We’re going to give you six reasons why you’ll want to make South Dakota your next vacation destination.
South Dakota National Parks Table Of Contents
- Why Should You Trust Us When It Comes To South Dakota National Parks?
- Badlands National Park
- Jewel Cave National Monument
- Lewis & Clark National Historic Trail
- Minuteman Missile National Historic Site
- Mount Rushmore National Memorial
- Wind Cave National Park
- Map Of South Dakota National Park Sites
- The Parks Brothers
Why Should You Trust Us When It Comes To South Dakota National Parks?
You should probably know that we don’t just make this stuff up out of thin air. My sons have spent their entire adult lives exploring and filming America’s national parks and public lands.
As for me, I’m a retired lifelong educator and a proud dad of these two wonderful guys who are hopelessly obsessed with the national parks. I taught history for over a quarter of a century. Now I enjoy researching and writing articles for More Than Just Parks. I’m always on the hunt for topics where nature and history intersect so please feel free to share any ideas that you might have with me.
We’ve worked with the National Park Service, the Department of Interior, and the U.S. Forest Service for years creating films on important places and issues. Our work has been featured in leading publications all over the world and even some people outside of our immediate family call us experts on the national parks.
Best South Dakota National Parks
1. Badlands National Park
Situated in the heart of the Northern Great Plains, Badlands National Park spans 244,000 acres of spectacular landscapes, diverse wildlife, and the largest undisturbed mixed grass prairie in the United States.
Badlands National Park is one of my favorite parks in the entire country and the best national park in South Dakota. Here you’ll discover a land where bison still roam and towers rise from the prairie in dazzling formations.
This vast unending prairie is draped in a beautiful silence where the only sounds to be heard are the uninterrupted winds of the prairie and the song of the western meadowlark.
Journey With Us To The Badlands
BADLANDS 8K is the culmination of several weeks spent filming in the rugged Badlands of South Dakota.
Situated in the heart of the Northern Great Plains, Badlands National Park spans 244,000 acres of spectacular landscapes, diverse wildlife, and the largest undisturbed mixed grass prairie in the United States.
If you’re looking for things to do in the Badlands check out our article: 18+ (INCREDIBLE) Things to Do in Badlands National Park
Things To Do At Badlands National Park
The rugged beauty of the Badlands draws visitors from around the world. These striking geologic deposits contain one of the world’s richest fossil beds.
Ancient horses and rhinos once roamed here. The park’s 244,000 acres protect an expanse of mixed-grass prairie where bison, bighorn sheep, prairie dogs, and black-footed ferrets live today. (Source: NPS)
Among the popular activities awaiting you are the following:
- Night Sky Viewings: There’s no better way to understand and appreciate the beauty of the Badlands than to see its dark skies. Park rangers and astronomy volunteers are available to point out objects in the night sky and help you look through telescopes.
- Wildlife Watching: You can see bison, bighorn sheep and prairie dogs. Check out Sage Creek Rim Road, Pinnacles Overlook and Roberts Prairie Dog Town as some of the places where you will see these amazing creatures.
- Take a Scenic Drive Along the South Unit of the Badlands: There you will enjoy stunning views.
- Drive Badlands Loop Road: You can see beautiful landscapes, informational exhibits, and glimpses of wildlife on this incredible drive.
- Sunrises & Sunsets: If you love to take pictures than get up early to see some spectacular sunrises not to mention the amazing sunsets. For sunrises, try the Big Badlands Overlook, the Door Trail, the Norbeck Pass area, the Dillon Pass area, and Panorama Point, just west of Bigfoot Pass. For sunsets, try Pinnacles Overlook, Conata Basin Overlook, Bigfoot Pass Picnic Area, and the Norbeck Pass area.
2. Jewel Cave National Monument
At Jewel Cave National Monument you can immerse yourself within the third longest cave in the world. With over 210 miles of mapped and surveyed passages, this underground wilderness appeals to human curiosity.
Its splendor is revealed through fragile formations and glimpses of brilliant color. Its maze of passages lure explorers, and its scientific wealth remains a mystery. (Source: NPS)
While you’re there I recommend a Ranger-guided tour. If you’re planning to explore these amazing caves they are required.
The temperature inside Jewel Cave is 49 degrees F / 9 degrees C year-round. Visitors are encouraged to wear long pants and a sweatshirt, sweater, or light jacket.
In 2018, cave explorers mapped the 200th mile in Jewel Cave National Monument. A team of six volunteer cavers entered the cave on Saturday, December 15 and surveyed 3,338.75 feet of passages.
They reached the milestone moment on Sunday, briefly posing for a photo of the accomplishment.
Hiking Trails At Jewel Cave
There are two self-guided trails at the monument, which include the one-quarter-mile (0.4 km) Roof Trail and 3.5 mile (5.6 km) Canyons Trail. A third trail is nearby on the Black Hills National Forest, which is the 5.5 mile (8.9 km) Hell Canyon Trail.
3. Lewis & Clark National Historic Trail
The Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail follows the historic outbound and inbound routes of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. As a retired history teacher, I get goosebumps just thinking about the Corps of Discovery and their incredible trek.
Commemorating the Lewis & Clark Expedition (1804-06), the Lewis & Clark Trail connects 16 states (Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia, Kentucky, Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa, South Dakota, North Dakota, Montana, Idaho, Washington and Oregon).
The trail is administered by the National Park Service. It’s not a hiking trail, but does provide opportunities for hiking, boating and horseback riding at many locations along the route.
It’s a great opportunity to see the USA while learning about the brave men (and one woman) who weren’t able to make the journey in an air-conditioned SUV.
This South Dakota national park site is one that a lot of people have never heard of but definitely worth checking out if you’re in the area.
A clear cold morning with high wind: we caught in a trap a large gray wolf, and last night obtained in the same way a fox who had for some time infested the neighbourhood of the fort.
-Meriwether Lewis
4. Minuteman Missile National Historic Site
Minuteman Missile National Historic Site is an eerie tribute to the Cold War era. It was built at a time of heightened tensions between the U.S. & U.S.S.R. and serves as a time capsule for folks interested in visiting the past.
As part of this era, a vast arsenal of nuclear missiles were placed in the Great Plains. Hidden in plain sight for thirty years, 1,000 missiles were kept on constant alert; hundreds remain today.
As the National Park Service notes, “The Minuteman Missile remains an iconic weapon in the American nuclear arsenal. It holds the power to destroy civilization, but is meant as a nuclear deterrent to maintain peace and prevent war.”
While Minuteman Missile National Historic Site is not one of the more famous South Dakota National Parks, it is still a very popular place to visit that books out fast.
Things To Do At Minuteman Missile
As a retired history teacher, I have immersed myself in the fascinating history of this impactful period. I would recommend the following things to do:
- The Visitor Center: I always recommend that first-timers begin there. Exhibits, films, and a bookstore allow visitors to explore the story of the Minuteman Intercontinental Ballistic Missile System and its role in the larger context of the Cold War.
- The Bookstore: They offer books, educational materials, and interpretive items that relate to the themes of Minuteman Missile National Historic Site.
- The Mobile Tour: A Mobile Phone guided tour of Delta-09 and Delta-01 is available for visitors to learn the history of Minuteman Missile on the Great Plains and how it was operated for thirty years.
- The Delta 01 Launch Control Facility: Delta- 01 occupies an open, grassy tract of land approximately one-half mile north of Interstate 90. Approaching the site from the Interstate, it looks like a lone ranch house in the open grassland. There’s a thirty-minute guided tour of the control center at Delta-01 which begins with a walk through of the grounds and topside support building.
5. Mount Rushmore National Memorial
Mount Rushmore is located in the heart of the Black Hills which are full of really incredible sites including two national parks, two national monuments, a national forest, a national grassland, state parks, and more. Rushmore is one of the most visited national parks in South Dakota.
Contrary to popular belief, the faces on Mount Rushmore were not chosen by the US Government but rather the chief sculptor, Gutzon Borglum.
The carving of Mount Rushmore National Memorial took 14 years to complete from 1927 to 1941. The original plan called for carving each figure from the waist up but funding ran short and that plan was abandoned.
Top 10 Things To Do At Mount Rushmore
More Than Just Parks has our “Top Ten” list of things to see and do at Mount Rushmore.
10. Walking the Avenue of the Flags. This short stroll frames the faces on the monument beautifully between the flags of every state in the US. How long will it take for you to find your state’s flag?
9. Seeing the faces from the Grand View Terrace. It’s the main viewpoint at Mount Rushmore and best place to see the president’s faces is from the Grand View Terrace. From this point you have clear, unobstructed views of the faces.
8. Hiking the Presidential Trail. The Presidential Trail starts near the visitor center and takes you closer to the carved faces. At just .6 miles this trail is easy taking about 30 minutes to complete at a leisurely pace but does involve 422 stairs to climb.
7. Have a “monumental meal” at Carver’s Cafe. The offerings here are basic including things like pizza, french fries, chili, sausage, eggs, biscuits, and so on.
6. Visiting the Sculptor’s Studio. Located at the end of the Presidential Trail, the Sculptor’s Studio is a great spot to enrich your visit. The studio is a small building where Gutzon Borglum worked for two years while sculpting Mount Rushmore.
Top 5 Things to Do at Mount Rushmore
5. See the Lincoln Borglum Visitor Center. There’s no better place to learn about the history and undertaking of Mount Rushmore than the Lincoln Borglum Visitor Center.
4. Have some T.J.’s Ice Cream. According to the park concessionaire who manages the ice cream stand, “this extraordinarily rich ice cream gets its sweet vanilla flavor from vanilla beans sourced from where Mr. Jefferson would have gotten them in his day.”
3. Hiking the Blackberry Trail. The Blackberry Trail is one of only two trails located within Mount Rushmore Memorial. It was designated as a National Recreation Trail in 2018 that connects with the Centennial Trail in the Black Elk Wilderness.
2. Watching the sunset across the memorial. One of the most magical times to see Mount Rushmore is at sunset as the crowds begin to die down and the mountain changes colors from grey to sunset hues.
1. Drumroll please. In the top spot we recommend staying for the Evening Lighting Ceremony. At 45 minutes in length the ceremony starts at 9pm from late May to mid August and then 8pm from mid August to October 1.
For more on Mount Rushmore check out our article: 15 HELPFUL Tips for Visiting Mount Rushmore (Things to Do + Photos)
6. Wind Cave National Park
Wind Cave National Park is another one of South Dakota’s beautiful national parks. This South Dakota National Park is a world-class destination home to not only what could be the longest cave in the world but also beautiful natural scenery.
Here you’ll discover a land where the Black Hills meet the plains complete with bison, elk, pronghorn antelope, and prairie dogs.
While you’re there, I recommend the following activities:
- Visit The Natural Entrance To Wind Cave: It’s the largest natural opening into Wind Cave without going on a tour. This small hole is one of the only known natural entrances into the cave. Lakota oral tradition speaks of how the first bison and humans emerged from this deeply spiritual place.
- Take A Hike Along One Of Wind Cave’s Beautiful Trails: Wind Cave National Park has over 30 miles of hiking trails on the surface and provides visitors the opportunity to view pristine Black Hills scenery.
- Watch The Wildlife: View some of North America’s most iconic wildlife while enjoying Black Hills scenery.
Planning a trip to Wind Cave? Check out our article: 10 Epic Things to Do at Wind Cave National Park
Map Of South Dakota National Park Sites
List Of National Parks In South Dakota
- Badlands National Park
- Jewel Cave National Monument
- Lewis & Clark National Historic Trail
- Minuteman Missile National Historic Site
- Mount Rushmore National Memorial
- Wind Cave National Park
More Helpful Articles
Hiking the Castle Trail: Castle Trail: Epic Hikes in Badlands National Park (Photos + Guide)
Hiking the Notch Trail: Hiking the Notch Trail in Badlands National Park (Photos + Guide)
Badlands NP Guide: Helpful Guide to Badlands National Park
Things to Do in Badlands: 20 Incredible Things to Do in Badlands National Park
Things to Do Wind Cave: 10 Epic Things to Do at Wind Cave National Park
Visiting Mount Rushmore: 15 Helpful Tips for Visiting Mount Rushmore
Things to Do Near Rushmore: 25 Epic Things to Do Near Mount Rushmore
Black Hills National Forest: Comprehensive Guide to the Black Hills National Forest
The Parks Brothers
We’re Jim Pattiz and Will Pattiz, collectively known as the Pattiz Brothers (and sometimes the Parks Brothers) and we absolutely LOVE the national parks.
Our goal here at More Than Just Parks is to share the beauty of America’s national parks and public lands through stunning short films in an effort to get Americans and the world to see the true value in land conservation.
We hope you’ll follow our journey through the parks and help us to keep them the incredible places that they are. If you’re interested in joining the adventure then please sign up below!
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Thank you so much for the amazing information.
My husband and I are planning next year vacation, to South Dakota..
So glad you found our article useful! South Dakota is one of the great truly American road trip destinations. I’m sure you’ll have a blast!