A Few Cool Things to Do in South Dakota

South Dakota activities
Mount Rushmore, United States. Photo by Ronda Darby on Unsplash

When people are looking for travel destinations around the United States, South Dakota isn’t always one of the top ones on the list. But that’s a shame because this expansive midwestern state has so much to offer in terms of both nature and worthwhile sights. So if you get the chance, here are some things to do when you go to South Dakota.

Hike in Badlands National Park

One of the coolest things you’ll find in South Dakota is Badlands National Park, a place with dramatic landscapes, stunning rock formations, and amazing hiking trails. While you’re there, you can see lots of local wildlife like bison, bighorn sheep, and prairie dogs, as well as check out the Fossil Exhibit Trail for some history.

Explore Wall Drug

It may be kind of a tourist trap, but Wall Drug is so wild that it’s still worth checking out. This place has everything from stores to museums to restaurants to kitschy Western and dinosaur-themed decor and animatronics.

See Mount Rushmore

Of course, no trip to South Dakota is complete without seeing the iconic Mount Rushmore, a monument carved into the side of a mountain depicting four U.S. presidents: George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln.