South Dakota Scenic Drives Guide - South Dakota Scenic Drives '24

Interstate 29

2024-11-20 14:39:14

At a Glance → Distance: 320 miles Trip Length: 2 days Start/Stop: Sisseton or Vermillion

Culture and nature exist in perfect harmony in eastern South Dakota. Take a zigzag route of detours off I-29, the state’s main north/south corridor, to see sculptures, gardens, museums, historical homes, state parks and other places of natural and manmade beauty.

Top Stops

Sica Hollow State Park

Lose track of time on a Trail of the Spirits hike through lush forest, crossing streams and bridges, and cooling off in the gentle mist of waterfalls.

Fort Sisseton Historic State Park

Wander officers’ quarters, barracks and other well-preserved buildings at this former frontier Army outpost.

Pickerel Lake Recreation Area

Rent a paddleboard to poke around the coves, shoreline and spring-fed waters of Pickerel Lake, one of the deepest in the state.

Redlin Art Center

See the oil paintings of Terry Redlin, whose depictions of wildlife and rural landscapes will make you pine for the simple life in his pastoral scenes.

Brookings

Soak up some serious culture at the South Dakota Art Museum, whose permanent collections include textiles, paintings and ceramics by Indigenous people and other South Dakotans. Nearby is McCrory Gardens, where you can wander nearly 40 gardens dedicated to butterflies, herbs, lilacs, hummingbirds, peonies, shrub roses and more.

Walker’s Point Recreation Area

This park offers access to the 2,880-acre Lake Madison, with ample opportunities for kayaking, water skiing, swimming, fishing and other adventures of the aquatic variety.

Palisades State Park

Feel the cool breeze from standing atop 50-foot quartzite cliffs that overlook the swiftly flowing Split Rock Creek.

Sioux Falls

Make your first stop in vibrant Sioux Falls the SculptureWalk, an urban trail featuring 80 artworks tucked into every nook and cranny of downtown (and make sure to pop into some of the art galleries you’ll pass along the way). From there, it’s a short walk to stellar museums like Washington Pavilion, Old Courthouse Museum and Pettigrew Home & Museum.

National Music Museum

Witness one of the world’s most spectacular collections of fine and historical instruments, from Les Paul guitars to rare Stradivarius violins, flageolets, timpani and more music makers you may never have even heard of.

Interstate 29
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