From gunslingers to a ‘Little House’
About 90% of South Dakota is farms and ranches. The state is characterized by a small population and lots of open spaces where not too much happens. That description, while correct, is misleading for this state is a place of great beauty and a playground for lovers of the outdoors — particularly with reference to the Black Hills and the Badlands.

The sizeable Indian population offers special cultural experiences and casino gaming.
South Dakota also is identified with some gun-totin’ Old West characters — and with Laura Ingalls Wilder, who set several of her “Little House” books in the state.

About South Dakota
Tired of hot, crowded beaches, expensive hotels and too many T-shirt shops? Do clean, crisp air, fewer people (who have nice manners) plus unspoiled wilderness and tremendous scenery appeal to you? Take a break in the Black Hills. That’s where you’ll find all the above, plus one of the country’s most popular attractions, Mount Rushmore.

Almost without exception, people who like South Dakota refer to the solitude and magnitude of the western part of the state, as well as an abundance of quail, deer and other wildlife. They also mention historical sightseeing in a state that had its own gold rush and saw its share of colorful personalities, including Calamity Jane, Wild Bill Hickok, George Custer and Wild Bill Hickok.

South Dakotans, largely descended from Scandinavians and Germans, are rugged individualists with warm hearts. More than 8% of residents are of Native American descent, a higher percentage than in any state other than Alaska and New Mexico.
You can enjoy gaming here also, but with less show and pizzazz than in Las Vegas — and that’s just fine with South Dakota’s fans. It has unique attractions, like the Corn Palace in Mitchell; every year, locals redecorate its exterior walls with stunning murals made from multicolored Indian corn. The town also has several unusual museums and stores that sell interesting minerals and artifacts.

But above all, the state has some of the friendliest and warmest people found anywhere.
It seems easy to identify South Dakota as a venturer destination, but in fact travelers of all personality types are equally satisfied with this choice. Venturers seek new experiences and enjoy visiting unspoiled places where they will encounter relatively few people. But the state is good for families or any travelers who want to spend some peaceful, quality time away from the stresses at home and who appreciate having an educational experience in the bargain.

Hardy souls can go in the winter for the skiing and snowboarding; everyone else will be more comfortable in warmer months. Any time of year, be prepared for the weather to be cooler than you expect.

• Compete in an ice fishing tournament in Mobridge. There are several South Dakota fishing competitions each year, some for kids.

• Or, compete in a spring archery tournament in Pierre.

• Join the annual Earthwatch-sponsored excavation project at the Mammoth Site in Hot Springs. Paleontologists, with help from scores of volunteers, have already unearthed 56 mammoths plus numerous other fossilized animals that died in a spring-fed sinkhole.

• Kayak down the Missouri River.

• Participate in an archaeological dig with focus on archaeology or paleontology. See www.travelsd.com/thingstodo/archaeology/index.asp for opportunities.

• Dance at one of several powwows staged annually in South Dakota (visitors get their opportunity to participate during the intertribal dance). Then, sample traditional foods like Indian fry bread and Indian tacos.

• Go sailing, or jet skiing, or waterskiing at Lake Oahe in the Pierre-Fort Pierre area.

• Bring camping gear and be on hand for the October buffalo roundup in Custer State Park. The herd is about 1,500 strong; each autumn, some animals are selected for sale.

• Attend the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, an event that dates from 1938 and now draws hundreds of thousands of like-minded biking enthusiasts. Compete in races, take day trips in the Black Hills — and get a tattoo.

• Or, plan a nonmotorized biking trip. The top trail in the state park system is the 114-mile George S. Mickelson Trail, which runs the length of the Black Hills (used for hiking and horseback riding, too). But you can choose an itinerary as short or long, as gentle or difficult as your wish. Time the trip for autumn, and you can have a fall foliage tour, too. Get lots of guidance at www.travelsd.com/thingstodo/biking.asp.

• Plot an itinerary based on the South Dakota Lewis and Clark Trail, which follows the roughly north-south path of the Missouri River. You can take the rustic approach and camp at some of the recreation areas along the way.

• Pan for gold at Deadwood or any number of other places in the Black Hills.

• Gamble at the Grand River Casino on the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation, but experience the reservation, too; it offers boating, camping, hiking and swimming. Other tribal groups also operate casinos.

• Attend the JazzFest, a large and free music festival in Sioux Falls. A July event, it also includes food and arts vendors.

• Take photographs, lots of them. Look for wildlife, especially bison and ring-necked pheasants, as subjects. Or attend events like the reenactment activities at the Fort Sisseton Historical Festival in June.

• See what may be America’s best-known sculpture, the stone carvings of four U.S. presidents at Mount Rushmore. Called the “Shrine of Democracy,” its four faces are 60 feet high and sit 500 feet above their admirers. Also, see another monumental sculpture in the making, the Crazy Horse Memorial.

• Ride an 1880 steam train on a two-hour roundtrip journey between Hill City and Keystone.

• In winter, go ice skating, skiing, snowboarding, snowmobiling.

• See something of the Wind Cave National Park. The cave system has more than 110 miles of mapped passages. Above ground, see buffalo, elk, prairie dogs and other wildlife.

• Hike in Custer State Park. See www.travelsd.com for hiking options covering trails of varying lengths and difficulty levels.

• Go bird-watching in a state that is home to nearly 400 species. Download trail guides at www.travelsd.com.

• Attend the Black Hills Passion Play in Spearfish; it has been presented every summer since 1939.

• Visit a Laura Ingalls Wilder childhood home in De Smet, which was the setting for five of her “Little House” books. You can tour the Ingalls family home and other sites associated with her and her books.

• Be a leaf peeper. Get help on selecting your scenic drive at www.travelsd.com/thingstodo/fall/scenicdrives.asp.

• Visit Deadwood to get a sense of the Old West — this is where Wild Bill Hickok was killed, after all! Cast your eyes over a town that is so well-preserved the entire place is on the National Historic Register. See Wild Bill’s grave and that of Calamity Jane, then toss the dice in some of the same casinos they frequented. The town offers more than 80 gaming venues.

• Forget the sightseeing and play golf.

• Remember famous Native Americans. Visit Sitting Bull’s grave at Lake Oahe and, nearby at Mobridge, see a monument to Sacajawea, who was the guide for Lewis and Clark on their journey of discovery 200 years ago.

• Drive one of the state’s designated scenic byways.

• Attend Schmeckfest, a German food tasting event in Freeman in March. Or if you travel in June, check out Czech Days in Tabor.

• Attend the Corn Palace Stampede Rodeo in Mitchell, as much to see the Corn Palace as the rodeo. Or just get to this town to see this building covered with mosaics created anew every summer with thousands of bushels of corn and other grains.