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News • South Dakota • United States • 2012-10-22

South Dakota Travel Professionals E-newsletter (2012, #10)

Get Outdoors and Enjoy a Spectacular South Dakota Spring

Springtime in South Dakota greets visitors with cooler temperatures and vibrant foliage. The Black Hills of western South Dakota offer spectacular opportunities for your clients to drive through some of the country’s most beautiful landscapes while also witnessing signs of the spring renewal. In Custer State Park, travel on the Wildlife Loop Road to watch newborn buffalo calves and baby pronghorn antelope (pictured) take their first steps. Take a relaxing drive through Spearfish Canyon to experience vibrant green color, roaring waterfalls and stunning hiking trails. Your clients can also enjoy visiting South Dakota’s iconic landmarks like Mount Rushmore National Memorial and Crazy Horse Memorial without the rush of summer crowds.

After a long winter, your clients may be interested in getting out and doing some hiking. In addition to the numerous hiking trails in the Black Hills, South Dakota visitors can journey a short distance east to the colorful, fossil-laden Badlands National Park, which features more than 17 miles of designated hiking areas. Your clients won’t want to miss the nearby town of Wall, where the world-famous Wall Drug Store offers visitors opportunities for shopping, dining and entertainment.

Located in the center of the state, 30 miles north of I-90, is the capital city of Pierre, a small community with big-time recreation – your clients can walk along the banks of the Missouri River, celebrate family gatherings at Farm Island or Oahe Downstream State Recreation Areas, or enjoy world-renowned fishing on Lake Oahe, the nation’s fourth-largest reservoir.

In eastern South Dakota, a short distance from Yankton, the Lewis and Clark Recreation Area is the second most-visited state park in South Dakota and offers fun on both water and land. Northeast of Sioux Falls is beautiful Palisades State Park. Here, visitors can walk along the Big Sioux River where 1.2 billion-year-old Sioux quartzite formations tower overhead. At nearby Devil’s Gulch, cross the 20-foot bridge spanning the legendary leap made by Jesse James on horseback while fleeing the law.

In the northeast, Sica Hollow State Park greets you with a wide variety of year-round activities and is the source of many eerie Native American legends. Fort Sisseton Historic State Park is another northeastern hotspot – this 1864 Dakota Territory outpost contains 14 of the original buildings still intact.

South Dakota has a number of other state parks and recreation areas sure to delight families and independent travelers. When it comes to welcoming the warmer weather of spring, South Dakota cannot be beat!

Travel Professionals Tip

The date for the 48th Annual Custer State Park Buffalo Roundup has changed. The event will be held on Friday, September 27, 2013, instead of the traditional Monday scheduling. The Buffalo Roundup Arts Festival will still be held over the weekend of September 28-29, 2013, as originally scheduled. Please note this change when planning 2013 Buffalo Roundup trips for your clients.

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Featured Itinerary: The Black and Yellow Trail

Day One

The route starts in Brookings, a mid-sized university town. Stops can include one of many museums - the South Dakota Art Museum, the Agricultural Heritage Museum and the Children’s Museum of South Dakota; McCrory Gardens, one of the top-10 small botanical gardens in the United States; and South Dakota State University, well-known for its agricultural research facilities. Continue on to De Smet, the \"Little Town on the Prairie\" made famous by author Laura Ingalls Wilder. Tours should visit the Ingalls home, Surveyors’ House and Ingalls Homestead. Overnight in Huron, home of the South Dakota State Fair.

Day Two

Heading west, stop in Miller to see the historic McWhorter House Museum, the Miller depot and Crystal Park. Next, visit Pierre and Fort Pierre, located on the Missouri River. Around the capital city, visit the South Dakota Cultural Heritage Center and the State Capitol, one of the most fully restored in the country. The South Dakota Discovery Center houses hands-on science exhibits. Continue on Highway 14 to Wall, home of a world-famous drugstore. Here, a side trip to Badlands National Park can be added. Continue on I-90 through Rapid City, Sturgis and Spearfish. See Black Hills tour routings for add-ons to this tour.

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Featured Attractions [more attractions]

Prairie Homestead – Wall

South Dakota Hall of Fame – Chamberlain

World’s Only Corn Palace – Mitchell

South Dakota Art Museum – Brookings

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Featured Events [more events]

May 1-5, 2013 – Black Hills Film Festival – Hill City

May 4, 2013 – Critter de Mayo – Sioux Falls

May 17-19, 2013 – State Parks Open House and Free Fishing Weekend – statewide

May 23, 2013 – Summer Porch Series – Renner

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