Article • Things to Do in the Midwest

Things to Do in South Dakota

Badlands National Park, Jewel Cave National Monument, Lewis & Clark National Historic Trail, Minuteman Missile National Historic Site, Missouri National Recreational River,

The setting sun illuminates several ridge lines and hills at Badlands National Park. The moon rises in the distance from behind some small clouds.
Sunset at Badlands National Park.

NPS / Mackenzie Reed

This page highlights things to do in South Dakota.

Explore the caverns and above-ground landscapes of Jewel Cave National Monument and Wind Cave National Park. Experience the rugged beauty of Badlands National Park. Visit a Cold War-era nuclear missile silo at Minuteman Missile National Historic Site. These are just a few of the many things to do in South Dakota. Below, you'll find links to things to do and trip ideas.

Things to Do at South Dakota Parks

South Dakota Trip Ideas

Looking for ideas to help you plan your next trip to a national park? These trip ideas provide recommended activities designed to help you figure out how to spend your time. For even more ideas, see search for things to do and trip ideas by park, activity, topic, duration, and more.
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  • Geologic Tour of the Black Hills

    • Type: Kid Friendly, Active, Relaxed, Solitary/Remote, Educational, Indoors, Outdoors, Road Trip, Group Friendly
    • Duration: Multiple Days
    • Topics: Animals, Canyons and Canyonlands, Foothills, Plains and Valleys, Fossils and Paleontology, Geology, Grasslands, Prairies, Native American Heritage, Rock Landscapes and Features, Buttes, Scenic Views, Wilderness, Caves, Caverns and Karst, Bison, Elk, Forests and Woodlands, Fire, Natural Sounds, Trails
    • Activities: Scenic Driving, Guided Tours, Hiking, Front-Country Hiking, Self-Guided Tours - Auto
    Purple flowers, green grasses, and red striped butte under blue sky.

    The Black Hills and surrounding parks have unique geologic features not found anywhere else in the United States. This page collects together various activities that visitors can enjoy: ranger guided activities, driving activities, and activities on foot.

  • Minuteman Missile National Historic Site

    Take The "Cold War Tour"

    • Type: Solitary/Remote, Road Trip
    • Duration: Half Day
    • Topics: Military, US Air Force (Army Air Corps), Science, Technology and Innovation, Wars and Conflicts, Cold War, Architecture and Building, Aviation, Engineering, Farming and Agriculture, Grasslands, Social Movements
    • Activities: Self-Guided Tours - Walking, Scenic Driving
    A tall fence with a warning sign that reads "Use Of Deadly Force Authorized"

    Minuteman Missile preserves places that were never meant for tourism. Warning signs along the fences and the gate boldly declare, "Use Of Deadly Force Is Authorized." The "Cold War" tour provides a framework for you to to mimic the experience you would have had during the Cold War visiting these locations, minus the Security Police patrols armed with automatic weapons. This approach is especially useful for those who arrive after the park's regular operating hours.

  • Minuteman Missile National Historic Site

    Visiting Minuteman Missile: The Prairie Cultural Landscape Tour

    • Type: Solitary/Remote, Indoors, Outdoors, Road Trip
    • Duration: Full Day
    • Topics: Military, US Air Force (Army Air Corps), Science, Technology and Innovation, Wars and Conflicts, Cold War, Farming and Agriculture, Ranches, Grasslands, Roads, Routes and Highways, Archeology, Ruins, Architecture and Building, Engineering, Social Movements
    • Activities: Self-Guided Tours - Walking, Scenic Driving, Guided Tours
    A field of sunflowers stretches to the horizon

    Go beyond the preserved Delta sites to explore remnants of the missile field in rural South Dakota.

  • Great Plains Fossil Road Trip

    • Type: Kid Friendly, Educational, Road Trip, Group Friendly
    • Duration: Multiple Days
    • Topics: Animals, Bison, Fossils and Paleontology, Geology, Grasslands, Native American Heritage, Night Sky, Astronomy, Rock Landscapes and Features, Buttes, Scenic Views, Trails, Endangered, Wilderness, Ancient Seas, Foothills, Plains and Valleys, Birds, Climate Change, Mineral Deposits
    • Activities: Guided Tours, Junior Ranger Program, Hiking, Self-Guided Tours - Walking
    a human hand holds a fossil skull with saber teeth in front of a badlands butte.

    Interested in fossils? Driving through the Great Plains sometime soon? Check out this Fossil Road Trip, which takes you to many sites in the Midwest where fossils are found. At these places, you can plan your trip to include all-things-fossils, from hiking back through geologic time to meeting real paleontologists to becoming a Junior Paleontologist yourself!

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Part of a series of articles titled Things to Do in the Midwest .

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Last updated: March 15, 2024