2019-12-20 05:56:46
It’s time for you to Take a trail to adventure. Experience the natural tranquil beauty that is Simply South Dakota. There are many ways to explore southeast South Dakota, including extensive trail systems throughout the region. Pick your favorite mode of transportation: bicycle, horseback, cross country skis, a snowmobile or your own two feet. Guided hikes are available at our state parks or just bring your favorite bird, animal or plant book or app and chart your own course. Handicap accessible trails are located at Beaver Creek Nature Area and Big Sioux, Lewis & Clark and Pierson Ranch Recreation Areas. Parks offering equestrian trails include Big Sioux and Lewis & Clark Recreation Areas, Newton Hills and Union Grove State Parks and Clay County Park. Lewis & Clark, Newton Hills and Union Grove also have camping facilities specially outfitted for horses and their riders. 1 GOOD EARTH STATE PARK AT BLOOD RUN South Dakota’s newest state park, Good Earth State Park, is located just east of Sioux Falls. This National Historic Landmark is the location of a large Native American sacred site. It features 6 miles of hiking trails through prairie, shaded woodlands, ravines and along the banks of the Big Sioux River with three scenic decks along the trails and a new Visitor Center. 2 NEWTON HILLS STATE PARK Newton Hills’ Woodland Trail, near Canton, is on the National Recreational Trails registry. It crosses dense basswood and oak forests, as well as open grasslands. There’s also an eight mile multi-use trail, arboretum trail and great birdwatching. An observation tower offers a bird’s eye view. 3 PALISADES STATE PARK & DEVIL’S GULCH Trails twist and turn through scenic quartzite formations along Split Rock Creek at Palisades State Park, near Garretson. Sights along the trail include a bridge designated as a National Historic Structure. A challenging climb awaits the more adventurous on towering quartzite spires and sheer cliff walls. Devil’s Gulch provides scenic trails to Devil’s Falls and Devil’s Stairway amidst legends of outlaw Jesse James. 4 ADAMS HOMESTEAD & NATURE PRESERVE Trails at Adams Homestead & Nature Preserve, near North Sioux City, offer hiking and biking through native prairie grasses along the Missouri River, with wildlife viewing blinds along the way. Trails also meander through cottonwood groves and a century old homestead complete with a home, barns, church and school house. Guided golf cart tours are available for those with physical disabilities. 5 SPIRIT MOUND Stand where Lewis and Clark stood 200 years ago. Take the three-quarter mile trail to the summit of Spirit Mound, near Vermillion, overlooking 300 acres of restored prairie. Interpretive signs transform the hike into a learning experience. 6 BIG SIOUX RECREATION AREA & BEAVER CREEK NATURE ARE: Big Sioux Recreation Area lies on the banks of the Big Sioux River. Miles of trails ramble through woodland and prairie. Winter brings cross country skiers and snowmobilers to the trails. An 1870s cabin at Beaver Creek Nature Area, also near Brandon, is host to historic living history programs. 7 LEWIS & CLARK RECREATION AREA & MERIDIAN TRAILS Lewis and Clark Recreation Area, near Yankton, has miles of trails including a paved lakeside trail, rugged mountain bike trails and a wooded hike up to a scenic overlook of the Missouri River. These trails connect with the Meridian Trails system in Yankton. The Meridian Bridge Trail crosses an historical double-decker bridge over the Missouri River that has been converted to a pedestrian bridge. 8 UNION GROVE STATE PARK Union Grove, near Beresford, features a four mile multi-use trail and a large variety of trees which provide fall color and habitat for birds and wildlife. 9 URBAN TRAILS Many towns have walking/biking trails that provide a relaxing escape to nature in the middle of the city. In Sioux Falls you can walk, jog or bike along the Big Sioux River from Falls Park to the Outdoor Campus. A five-story viewing tower provides a 360-degree view of Falls Park and the city skyline. 10 SNOWMOBILE TRAILS Winter brings a blanket of white, along with opportunities offered by hundreds of miles of snowmobile trails connecting Garretson, Dell Rapids, Brookings, Madison, Mitchell, DeSmet, Huron, Lennox and Parker. State parks that provide snowmobile trails are Big Sioux Recreation Area and Lewis & Clark Recreation Area. For up to date information and maps of South Dakota snowmobile trails visit gfp.sd.gov/snowmobiling/. Take a trail to your own adventure and experience the natural, tranquil beauty that is Simply South Dakota.
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Hit the Trail
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