8 Most Breathtaking Towns In South Dakota
South Dakota, a naturally beautiful expanse of the American Midwest, is famous for its raw outdoor beauty and a pionier spirit. The state has long been associated with its presidential landmark, Mount Rushmore, as well as the Black Hills area. Yet outside South Dakota's larger cities, like Sioux Falls or Rapid City, the state's smaller, nature-filled towns have much to offer and too often go overlooked. These breathtaking South Dakota towns will inspire some travel research, and perhaps a trip for a weekend or longer.
Brookings
In east-central South Dakota, Brookings and its main college, South Dakota State University (SDSU), cultivates a perfect college-town feeling. A place of higher education and high-minded culture, the town's many museums offer clues to its varied legacies in art and local industry. The South Dakota Agricultural Heritage Museum focuses on the agriculture-based economy here, and the South Dakota Art Museum highlights the creativity these lands inspired.
Fresh air and a pleasant stroll await in the McCrory Gardens and South Dakota State Arboretum, part of the SDSU grounds. Brookings also has the Children's Museum of South Dakota, an ideal destination for traveling families with a 44,000-square-foot exhibit space and interactive exhibits.
Hill City
Blending natural beauty and authentic, nowhere-else local culture, southwestern Hill City has it all. A vintage train leaving from downtown runs back and forth from here to Keystone, and includes a two-hour narrated tour. The ride illuminates the area's past as a hub of mining and mineral activity. Some call this town the "heart of the Black Hills," which suggests it is the perfect base for exploring the region.
Other major draws nearby include the iconic Mount Rushmore, the Crazy Horse Memorial honoring the Native American leader of the same name, and the popular Custer State Park. For active types, the Mickelson Trail is a former rail bed converted into a path for walking, cycling, and horseback riding.
Keystone
Like Hill City, the small town of Keystone also provides easy access to world-famous Mount Rushmore, featuring the faces of four US presidents. In town, the Keystone Historical Museum, in an old school built in 1899, displays artifacts of the region's short, intense period of development, from mining tools and mineral collections to an old-timey classroom. The museum runs only in summer, but that should suit visiting families and groups during peak vacation season.
Other, stranger draws include Dahl's Chainsaw Art, a gallery of woodwork made from Black Hills pine, and the labors of brother sculptors Jarrett and Jordan Dahl. The Dahl brothers use chainsaws and other modern building tools, blurring the line between industry and art. Downtown Keystone displays a statue of Bigfoot, perhaps the Dahl's best-known work, which rises 23 feet in the air.
Lead
The town of Lead, also in the Black Hills region of west-central South Dakota, is regularly listed as one of the state's prettiest towns. The town's name is pronounced to rhyme with "seed," rather than the common mineral. Incorporated nearly 150 years ago, Lead was, until recently, the world's leading supplier of gold. Today, it is a hub for nature-loving tourists. Spearfish Canyon, which begins at Cheyenne Crossing, wows visitors with breathtaking views, while the Sugarloaf Trailhead holds out an invitation to hikers and bikers. Sugarloaf also connects with the Mickelson Trail that runs near Hill City.
Lead hosts the Sanford Underground Research Facility (SURF), a cutting-edge laboratory that pushes the limits of scientific knowledge — at nearly 5,000 feet below ground. The impressive site doubles as an education center for undergraduates, other students, and aspiring scientists.
Pierre
Pierre is the capital city of South Dakota, although town might be a better word, since Pierre, with just 14,000 residents, is the second-smallest state capital in the US (after Montpelier, Vermont). Perched along the Missouri River, many of Pierre's picturesque views include the water.
Pierre is proud to share its past and present with outside visitors. The downtown Trail of Governors is an outdoor sculpture walk that honors the state's past leaders, with plans for new figures to be added as current and future governors leave office. Active types enjoy nearby Lake Oahe — one of the world's biggest man-made bodies of water — which allows for fishing, boating, and relaxation. Golfers can play a round at the Hillsview Golf Club, with links along the Missouri, just east of town. Natural beauty continues at the 116,000-acre Fort Pierre National Grassland, just south of the capital.
Spearfish
Back in the Black Hills, the town of Spearfish brings together natural beauty and western history. In summertime, the Black Hills Corvette Classic takes place every summer, allowing for car fans and gearheads to unite and talk shop. Traveling families come here to enjoy the High Plains Western Heritage Center, with a focus on local, historical industries like farming, ranching, and other labor, as well as the popular Cowboy Supper Show served out of the back of a chuck wagon and capped off with a Western-style comedy musical.
In natural offerings outside Spearfish proper, the area's numerous waterfalls, like the 60-foot Bridal Veil Falls, delight visitors from everywhere. Spearfish Canyon practically begs for photos and a selfie or two, and the Black Hills National Forest offers trails and a reset surrounded by nature. Golf fans and newcomers alike can also make their way to Elkhorn Ridge Golf Club, which includes a public local course as well as a campground and RV resort.
Watertown
In northeast Watertown, two local, lovely lakes keep the town true to its name and guarantee options for a relaxing waterside moment. Pelican Lake and Lake Kampeska, each one west of Watertown, offer fishing, disc golf, swimming, and more. The Big Sioux River also winds through Watertown's center.
And for visitors focused on culture, Watertown is a hub for diverse creative pursuits. The Goss Opera House, built in 1889, hosts performances and music in a historic setting.The Redlin Art Center, which exhibits more than 150 oil paintings, is also a popular draw. As for the culinary arts, Dempsey's is the second-oldest brewery in the state and boasts and award-winning pizza chef, making it a no brainer for winding down and fueling up after a day of exploration.
Yankton
Yankton, set at the state's southeastern border, lies along the Missouri River. History comes first here, as Yankton was the Dakota Territory's original capital. Today, the town offers a mix of natural and man-made points of attraction in a place once deemed worthy to lead the region. The mighty Missouri helped anchor the local culture that spawned Yankton Riverboat Days, an annual celebration that includes boat parades, sailing events, and other recreational activities in the town's Riverside Park.
Downtown Yankton boasts an impressive historic district, with many sites listed on the National Register of Historic Places. These include Yankton College and the Meridian Bridge, which spans the Missouri National Recreational River. The town is home to several South Dakota 'firsts': the first newspaper (Yankton Daily Press & Dakotan), the first college (Yankton College, now closed), and the oldest commercial building. The latter, true to the state's style and western culture, is now the 1872 Saloon and Old Mill Event Center.
South Dakota Boasts Many Beautiful Towns
These towns strongly suggest that South Dakota is a land of rugged, unique beauty — with a healthy dose of culture, too. Brookings offers garden paths and a college-town setting. Black Hills towns like Hill City, Keystone, and Lead showcase the best of the region's past and present, and its eternal natural wonders. Nearby, Spearfish holds waterfalls and classic-car culture in high regard. Pierre is a state capital that feels more like a quaint and beautiful riverside town, and Watertown's cultural gems entice the creative-minded visitor, while in Yankton, the local past beckons history buffs of all kinds. These towns should inspire a drive along South Dakota's hills, forests, rivers, and lakes sometime very soon.
