These 10 Towns In South Dakota Were Ranked Among US Favorites In 2026
In South Dakota, the Great Plains are interrupted by towering Black Hills, where stories of Native Americans and settlers collide through Gold Rush towns. These stories are memorialized through Presidential monuments and a monument to a Native American war chief. These contrasting landscapes are precisely what make these 10 South Dakota towns so highly ranked as US favorites in 2026, as they offer so many types of experiences, from quirky palaces made of corn to an active paleontological dig site next to serene hot springs.
Custer
Named after Lieutenant Colonel George Custer, Custer has a rich history of gold mining. Over time, the gold quickly dried up, and Custer himself met his fate at the Battle of the Little Bighorn in 1876. Custer today is right next to the Custer State Park, a 71,000-acre facility located firmly within the Black Hills, offering hiking, biking, swimming, fishing, and wildlife viewing, including herds of buffalo. Within downtown Custer, guests can hike up Big Rock Park to walk along Custer's town sign overlooking the community, or make their way to the Courthouse Museum. Built in 1881, it houses Native American artifacts, mining equipment, and items telling the story of the settlement of South Dakota.
Keystone
Keystone is the primary entry point to some of South Dakota's most iconic manmade and natural monuments. It's a few minutes to the east of the Mount Rushmore National Memorial, with carved images of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln in the Black Hills. In Keystone itself, guests can see Presidents up close at the National Presidential Wax Museum, with more than 100 figures of every U.S. President. Not many know the story of the man who created the Mount Rushmore sculptures: Gutzon Borglum. Keystone tells his story at the Rushmore Borglum Story Museum, including his previous work in sculpture. This monument has proved controversial due to the sacred status of the Black Hills to Native Americans. One effort to preserve the history of the Native People, including their struggle against colonization, is at the Crazy Horse Memorial, a monument under construction of the Lakota war chief, which is accessible from Keystone.
Fort Pierre
Fort Pierre is the oldest continuously occupied white settlement in South Dakota and was originally a trading post, which grew into Fort Pierre. Many years prior to that, French explorers Francois and Louis-Joseph Gaultier de La Verendrye buried a lead plate claiming the entire region for France in 1743. Today, that plate is part of the Verendrye Monument National Historic Landmark. With this long history, the nearby area has several museums that are of critical importance to the history of the region, such as the South Dakota Cultural Heritage Center and the South Dakota National Guard Museum, with memorabilia and artifacts of this branch of the military. Following in the footsteps of Lewis and Clark will take visitors through the LaFramboise Island Nature Area, an island of the Missouri River, covered with trees and meadows.
Belle Fourche
Belle Fourche sits on the forks of the Hay Creek, Redwater River, and Belle Fourche River. Its name is French for beautiful fork, referencing its geographic location. Today, its location itself is unique, as it sits near the geographic center of the nation. When Hawaii and Alaska were admitted to the U.S. in 1959, the geographic center shifted to this part of South Dakota. In honor of this, Belle Fourche established the Center of the Nation Monument. Belle Fourche is also close to Wyoming and Montana, which is why the Tri-State Museum and Visitors Center collects artifacts and exhibits on the entire region. In the surrounding area, visitors can enjoy fishing at an 8,000-acre reservoir at the Rocky Point Recreation Area or exploring the forks of the river at a five-mile paved River Walk.
Deadwood
Deadwood is a quintessential Gold Rush town. When miners arrived in 1876, they found an area with dead trees and a creek that overflowed with gold; hence, they named the town Deadwood. The town quickly gained a reputation for attracting gunslingers and fortune seekers, such as Wild Bill Hickok, who was shot while playing a game of poker. Today, Deadwood puts on several Wild West experiences, such as the Wild Bill Days event in June and the Days of '76 Museum, featuring photographs, horse-drawn wagons, and other artifacts from its mining days. Visitors can get a taste of that Old Western vibe at several saloons in town, such as the Bodega Bar & Brew, which has been around in some form since 1877, and the Buffalo Bodega Saloon, which was frequented by Buffalo Bill Cody in his heyday.
Mitchell
Mitchell is home to one of the quirkiest roadside attractions, not just in South Dakota but in the entire U.S., called The World's Only Corn Palace. This palace is a folk art installation with murals made of corn and framed with prairie grasses. Every year, workers swap out the murals to match different themes, such as the 250th anniversary of America in 2026. Mitchell also provides opportunities for visitors to take a deep dive into the prehistoric past at the Mitchell Prehistoric Indigenous Archaeological Site. At this active site, visitors can watch archeologists in action uncover indigenous artifacts from the Middle Missouri period around 1,000 A.D. Residents regularly spend time out on Lake Mitchell, especially at the 12.5-acre Sandy Beach Park.
Vermillion
Sitting in the southeastern corner of South Dakota by the Missouri River, Vermillion is a hidden treasure that was one of the camps for the Lewis and Clark expedition in the early 1800s. Today, it's the home of the University of South Dakota and is one of the best art towns in South Dakota, with the University hosting its own University Art Galleries, along with several other galleries in town, such as the Coyote Gallery. One of the town's most unusual sites is the National Music Museum, which has a massive collection of musical instruments, with more than 15,000 artifacts ranging from Italian violins to organs. Hikers and boaters often venture out to the Missouri National Recreational River to hike along the river bluffs or launch a boat for a wider journey.
Hot Springs
Hot Springs sits at the southern end of the Black Hills, beneath a geothermal energy reservoir, which gives it thermal springs. These springs were highly sought after by both Cheyenne Natives and settlers. Today, the town is still a popular tourist destination for its hot springs, which are available at the Moccasin Springs Natural Mineral Spa and the Evans Plunge, an indoor water park with hot water. Throughout Hot Springs, one can discover many other fascinating places, such as the Mammoth Site, an active paleontological site with more than 60 mammoths having been unearthed. This isn't the only fossil site in town, as the World Fossil Finder Museum hosts a tylosaur, mastodon, and many other prehistoric creatures found throughout the world.
Spearfish
Sioux people used to come to Spearfish to hunt for fish by spearing them in the creek, hence giving the town its name. When gold was discovered in the Black Hills, white settlers came here in 1876, establishing a small town at the mouth of Spearfish Canyon. Today, hikers can follow in the footsteps of those prospectors via the 76 Trail, a steep 1.5-mile round trip up to the rim of Spearfish Canyon. Seven miles outside of Spearfish is the scenic 5,760-foot elevation Crow Peak, one of the three peaks that rise above Spearfish Valley. Downtown Spearfish provides plenty of culture as well to enjoy, such as the High Plains Western Heritage Center, with artifacts from both pioneers and Native Americans, and the Matthews Opera House, which has been putting on shows since 1906.
Hill City
Hill City gets its name from its location in the Black Hills. With its central position, it acts as a gateway to many outdoor activities, including the George S. Mickelson Trail. This converted rail trail runs for the entirety of the Black Hills, 109 miles, and Hill City is right in the center of the trail. Hill City is surrounded by the Black Hills National Forest, which has been called an island in the plains for how it rises above the relatively flat Great Plains. Some of the trails built throughout South Dakota were done through the work of the Civilian Conservation Corps, established during the Great Depression to provide jobs to young men. The Civilian Conservation Corps Museum of South Dakota contains information and artifacts on these many projects. Lastly, those with a sweet tooth love to come to Hill City to sample more than 2,000 different candy varieties at the Candyland store.
South Dakota's best towns celebrate both the natural and manmade landmarks, while also keeping alive the stories of everyone who lived there. Deadwood, for example, proudly proclaims its heritage as a Wild West town, even honoring gunslingers through its festivals, while Keystone sits at the center of two competing visions: that of Mount Rushmore and the Crazy Horse Memorial. Visitors today love these towns as they can experience the full range of South Dakota, from its beautiful Black Hills to its Native American and Gold Rush history, and even the prehistoric treasures buried deep beneath the earth.
