These 9 Towns In South Dakota Were Ranked Among US Favorites In 2025

South Dakota, a doubly-landlocked North-Central US state, is known for its Black Hills Mountain ranges, scraggy Badlands, wide-open prairies, picturesque watercourses, the Badlands National Park’s bewitching landscapes, and Mount Rushmore National Memorial’s carved granite peaks. It also houses a number of scenic small towns within its boundaries that have earned national admiration. These towns, far from the Mount Rushmore State’s hackneyed tourism magnets of Rapid City and Sioux Falls, steal the show with their harmonious integration of awe-inspiring sceneries, astounding chronicles, flourishing Native American cultures, recreational outdoors, and leisure facilities. So, what's the wait for? Get ready to experience a rejuvenating holiday in these US favorite South Dakota towns in the closing months of 2025.

Keystone

Named after a local mine, this small Pennington County town in western South Dakota’s Black Hills region is home to merely 240 residents as per the 2020 US Census. Established in the late 1800s as a mining community following the Black Hills Gold Rush era, Keystone has, in the course of time, evolved into a noteworthy tourist destination replete with popular attractions such as the National Presidential Wax Museum, where one gets to witness more than 100 lifelike wax statues of all 46 Presidents of the United States, a magnificent, authentic recreation of unforgettable moments in US Presidential history. Pay a visit to the Keystone Historical Museum, housed in an archaic Keystone Schoolhouse, exhibiting historic photographs, mining tools from bygone days, and Carrie Ingalls archaisms. Globetrotters, in addition to easily accessing the iconic Mount Rushmore National Memorial from Keystone, should peruse the Downtown’s Holy Terror Antique Shop and the homey Ruby House Restaurant serving hearty American food.

Vermillion

Exuding a lively college town vibe thanks to the University of South Dakota, Vermillion, the Clay County seat occupies the top of a bluff near the Missouri River, in the state’s extreme southeastern corner, squarely north of the state boundary with Nebraska. Wayfarers touring this 11,695-inhabitant town need to be at the National Music Museum on the University grounds and observe the impressive display of more than 15,000 nonpareil old-fashioned musical instruments. Delve deeper into the storied past of Clay County at the 1881 Italian Villa-style Austin-Whittemore House Museum, currently the headquarters of the Clay County Historical Society. Further, applaud the Downtown business district’s five kaleidoscopic murals (of which three murals are community-based) designed for the Vermillion Community Mural Project, play golf at the top-notch 18-hole championship Bluffs Golf Course, and enjoy a spooktacular evening at Vermillion’s Annual Halloween event - ‘The Downtown Trick-Or-Treating’ on October 31, 2025.

Dell Rapids

Dubbed “The Little City with the Big Attractions,” Dell Rapids, labeled for the local cascades on the Big Sioux River, is located precisely 20 minutes north of Sioux Falls. This pretty waterfront town in Minnehaha County welcomes holidaymakers to its incredible downtown, reconstructed using the locally quarried Sioux Quartzite, after a massive fire in the 1880s had burned down most of the buildings. The Main Street - Dell Rapids’ primary economic center is chock-full of myriad historically significant buildings, such as the Carnegie Public Library, which, apart from being a traditional library, organizes hands-on community programs for both younger kids and adults, and the Romanesque Revival-style Grand Opera House that hosts various plays, concerts, and symphonies, and houses the Mexican cuisine serving El Mezcal Restaurant. Nature fans can enjoy picnics or a relaxing stroll by the river at the tranquil Dell Rapids Park, while merrymakers should join the fun-filled ‘Christmas at the Dells’ celebrations by the Dell Rapids Chamber of Commerce from December 5 to December 7, 2025.

Hill City

Pennington County’s oldest existing city, Hill City, is located along U.S. Highway 16 at the heart of the Black Hills, about 26 miles southwest of Rapid City. Renowned as the ‘Heart of the Hills,’ Hill City provides trippers hassle-free access to the close by mesmerizing marvels like Mount Rushmore National Memorial and Crazy Horse Memorial. When in town, board the 1880 Train/Black Hills Central Railroad for a vintage steam experience, and inspect the vast assortment of donated artifacts, costumes, camp photographs, and a printed directory of Civilian Conservation Corps workers at the Civilian Conservation Corps Museum. Moreover, sift through the exquisite artworks at the Jon Crane Gallery & Custom Framing, and attend Hill City’s Olde Tyme Christmas Parade on Main Street on November 28, 2025.

Lead

A captivating alpine community in western South Dakota’s Lawrence County, Lead, christened after the ‘lodes’ of valuable ores, sits in the Northern Black Hills, close to the state border with Wyoming. One of Lead’s greatest attractions is the Sanford Lab Homestake Visitor Center, located right next to the massive open cut of Homestake Mine - the Western Hemisphere’s immensest, deepest, and productive gold mine, where, through exhibits, short-term activities, and interactions with the center’s knowledgeable staff, visitors get to learn about the unique geology of the Homestake Mine from the observation deck, take photo in Davis Ring - a Nobel Prize-winning experiment, and see the workings of the Sanford Underground Research Facility. At the Black Hills Mining Museum, gain a better understanding of the rich mining heritage of the Black Hills of South Dakota through the mining machinery, gold rush artifacts, and an hour-long recreated underground gold mine tour. Outdoorsy types should hike the 108.8-mile-long George S. Mickelson Trail and engage in fishing activities at the artificial Sheridan Lake.

Deadwood

Deadwood, the administrative center of Lawrence County, situated to the northeast of Lead, has been titled by the historical inhabitants for the ‘dead trees’ found in a deep V-shaped valley formed in the Northern Black Hills by the Whitewood Creek. The entire town, designated a National Historic Landmark District, invites sightseers to fix their gaze on the numerous well-kept Gold Rush-era buildings and walk in the footsteps of legendary Wild West figures like Wyatt Berry Stapp Earp, James Butler Hickok, and Calamity Jane. Pop in at the Black Hills’ oldest history museum - the Adams Museum & House, where the displayed artifacts reflect the 1874 Black Hills Gold Rush and the Wild West legends. Likewise, scrutinize the historic carriages, horse-drawn wagons, stagecoaches, clothing, and diverse memorabilia at the Days of ’76 Museum, and pay respects to the notable frontiersman and frontierswoman at the Mount Moriah Cemetery.

Sturgis

Meade County’s government seat, Sturgis, named after the Union Army General Samuel Davis Sturgis, is located on the northeastern extremity of the Black Hills National Forest, adjacent to Bear Butte Creek, roughly 25 miles northwest of the state’s second-most populous city. Downtown Sturgis invites wanderers to pay attention to the numerous tourist hotspots, such as the Sturgis Motorcycle Museum & Hall of Fame, which accent the staggering history of motorcycling via a display of old-time motorcycles, and the Black Hills National Cemetery, containing over 29,000 graves of ex-militia and their next of kin. Also, survey the nearby Bear Butte State Park, which features a geological laccolith sacred to the Plains Indian tribes, besides offering easy to challenging hiking trails, campgrounds, picnic areas, and sweeping views of Bear Butte, the Black Hills, and abutting prairies.

Custer

Primarily founded by European Americans in 1875, subsequent to the unearthing of gold in French Creek, Custer, situated right at the heart of the southern Black Hills, is believed to be the oldest town in the Black Hills. This administrative capital of Custer County is a picture-perfect stop-off point for holidaymakers visiting the proximate Crazy Horse Memorial, Mount Rushmore National Memorial, and Wind Cave National Park. Nature lovers would not want to miss the 71,000-acre Custer State Park, highlighting pine forests, rolling plains, granite peaks, spotless mountain waters, roaming American bison herds, hiking/biking trails, and panoramic drives like the Needles Highway, Iron Mountain Road, and Wildlife Loop Road. Addedly, shop for one-of-a-kind gifts, home décor, and fashion apparel from Main Street’s A Walk in the Woods Gallery & Gifts, and whet your appetite with tasty sandwiches, American pub grub, and on-tap beers at The Custer Wolf - Food & Drink.

Pierre

Pierre, baptized in honor of an affluent American fur trader Pierre Chouteau Jr., is the country’s second-least populated state capital, and the center of administration of Hughes County, set atop precipitous river bluffs on the eastern shores of the Missouri River. Vacationers on a sightseeing excursion to this historic settlement must drop by the many remarkable sites of interest, including the Renaissance Revival-style South Dakota State Capitol Building - built between 1905 and 1910, which features elaborate terrazzo tile work, marble staircase, rotunda, the state’s Senate and House of Representatives, and exterior memorials on its grounds like The Flaming Fountain Memorial, Fighting Stallions Memorial, etc. At the South Dakota National Guard Museum, note the sundry historical documents and memorabilia relating to the South Dakota National Guard, and explore the hands-on science center, the South Dakota Discovery Center & Aquarium, which sparks scientific curiosity through impressive presentations. From Pierre, quickly reach the 370,000-acre reservoir Lake Oahe, a few miles to the north, to participate in fishing, boating, hiking, camping, and picnicking.

From Keystone - a quondam mining town turned outdoor haven in the Black Hills to the state capital Pierre - a serene riverfront escape, these 9 quintessential towns draw attention to the very best of the Mount Rushmore State. Whether you want to hike the scenic George S. Mickelson Trail, walk past the well-preserved Gold Rush-era architecture in the historic Main Streets, nurture connections at the family-centric attractions, savor homegrown delicacies in intimate food joints, and be present at any of the vibrant seasonal festivities, these South Dakota communities tick all the boxes as adored national favorite haunts this 2025.