South Dakota Vacation Guide - 2025 South Dakota Vacation Guide
PRAIRIE DISCOVERIES
2025-12-15 09:34:10
Historic Black to Yellow Trail
Miles: 307, US Highway 14 between Brookings and Wall
1 LAKE PRESTON
Peek into the past at the Lake Preston Museum, with retro displays including a cafe, dentist office and home. Nearby, Lake Thompson Recreation Area is a National Natural Landmark that offers fishing, swimming and camping.
2 DE SMET
Experience the legacy of “Little House on the Prairie” and its author at the Laura Ingalls Wilder Historic Homes and Ingalls Homestead. Both sites feature well-preserved buildings that offer a glimpse of life during South Dakota’s pioneer days.
3 HURON
Stop for a photo at the World’s Largest Pheasant, a 28-foot-tall roadside marvel made of fiberglass and steel. The statue has marked the town as a top pheasant-hunting location since 1959.
4 PIERRE
Soak in the South Dakota State Capitol’s classic architecture and lovely grounds, which also include Capitol Lake, the Fighting Stallions and several other memorials. Inside, explore the building by searching for the elusive blue stones hidden in the terrazzo floor.
5 MIDLAND
Find rest and relaxation while soothing achy muscles at the Stroppel Hotel and Mineral Baths. The historic hotel’s two geothermal plunge pools are kept at a steamy 106 and 110 degrees, and it’s said the waters increase circulation and lower blood pressure.
6 QUINN
Just before Badlands National Park and the town of Wall, the array of high-powered telescopes at Badlands Observatory makes for fantastic stargazing. View exhibits during daytime tours, or book a Dark Sky or Bright Moon tour at night.
FIELDS OF SUNSHINE
Each summer, South Dakota’s famous sunflower fields explode into a sea of yellow. The farmers change the location of their fields year by year, but keep your eyes peeled on US highways 14 and 83 near Pierre, Hayes, Onida and Highmore, which hosts a Sunflower Festival in August.
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