Explore South Dakota’s Natural Treasures

This TNC preserve is a rare piece of protected land surrounded by encroaching development. It’s located near Brookings, South Dakota, home of South Dakota State University. An abundance of wildlife call Aurora Prairie home, including the federally endangered Topeka shiner minnow and the small white lady’s slipper flower. While you’re visiting, stop into town to visit McCrory Gardens and the South Dakota Agricultural Heritage Museum.

Beautiful any time of year, but especially in autumn when the birches and aspens change color, Spearfish Canyon Scenic Byway provides options for any kind of adventurer. Take a 20-mile drive along US Highway 14A, formerly a railway, for spectacular scenery. Pause to fish in pristine rivers, hike to the numerous falls that spill through the canyon, or rock climb the narrow limestone walls. Feeling bold? Visit in winter and learn to ice climb!

Thanks to a welcome center that opened in 2024, it’s easier than ever to experience Palisades State Park and enjoy its 77 campsites and cabins. Split Rock Creek has flowed through the area for millennia, creating breathtaking rock formations and 1.2 billion-year-old quartzite spires. Four hiking trails twist thorough the spires, providing views that stun nature explorers and photographers alike. Open year-round for activities like kayaking and stargazing, Palisades State Park also features a rentable lodge that sleeps 12 people and can be used for small gatherings.

With 8 miles of trails crossing 900 acres, Sica Hollow State Park (pronounced SHE-cha) provides a dramatic outdoor adventure. The Trail of Spirits is a National Recreation Trail–indicating its high-caliber status. It crosses spooky reddish bogs, trickling streams, and bubbling waterfalls. The Park also includes two National Natural Landmarks: the Old River Warren and Coteau des Prairies, plus horse campsites for an overnight adventure with your hoofed companion.

South Dakota is famous for our open, flat prairies that support a huge array of plants and animals and depend on fire to thrive. A great option to appreciate their beauty is The Nature Conservancy’s 7,800-acre Ordway Prairie Preserve in the northeastern part of the state, featuring hundreds of species of birds and prairie plants, 400 wetlands and a bison herd—but it’s remote and has no bathroom or other facilities, so plan ahead.

Nothing says South Dakota like Badlands National Park. If it’s your first visit, take two hours to drive the Badlands Loop Road (SD 240) and get a sense of the majesty and massive expanse of the Park. Experienced hikers can do a once-in-a-lifetime, highly challenging 21-mile power hike on the Sage Creek Loop. Some have made it round trip in about 8 hours, but campsites are available. Leave your pup at home because Sage Creek Loop is a dog-free trail.

Two very different worlds are found in close proximity at Wind Cave National Park. Start underground in one of the longest and most complex cave systems in the world. Entrance to Wind Cave is by ticket only and the ranger-led tours ensure you’ll understand and appreciate captivating cave formations. Wheelchair accessible tours are available. But if you’re looking for an overland view of rolling prairie instead, plus the possibility of seeing bison, elk, prairie dogs and burrowing owls, you can’t go wrong with the 1-mile Rankin Ridge trail.

Sacred to the Lakota and home to 1.2 million acres of wilderness, the Black Hills National Forest provides big adventures and big spaces, with 350 miles of trails and 1,300 miles of streams. Hiking, biking, rock climbing, fishing, camping and horseback riding are allowed. The Nature Conservancy’s Whitney Preserve is a protected oasis within the Black Hills, and an outstanding place for hiking and birdwatching. Check out the public nature trail at Whitney Preserve!

This state park in South Dakota’s Black Hills is a must-see spot for wildlife, hiking and stunning views. Hike to the top of Black Elk Peak, the tallest point in South Dakota at 7,242 feet, with breathtaking views stretching beyond the state’s borders into Wyoming, Montana, Nebraska and North Dakota. Or travel the Wildlife Loop Road with sure signs of bison, bighorn sheep and wild burros. The Custer State Park Visitor Center and Bison Center are must-see stopping points.

This TNC preserve lies in the heart of a wetland-fen complex in eastern South Dakota. Fens are groundwater fed wetlands that are rare in this landscape. The mineral-rich water is always 55 degrees, providing important habitat for wildlife in the winter. Explore this preserve and many others in the area where tallgrass prairie meets wetlands and creeks. If you visit in late June, don’t miss the Crystal Springs Rodeo, complete with concerts, concessions and camping.