Crazy Horse Memorial: The Mountain Still Being Carved
A few miles from Rushmore, a far larger sculpture honoring the Lakota leader has been underway for more than seventy years.
Landmarks
Carved granite, national memorials and the monuments that define the state.
Badlands National Park: A Maze of Eroded Spires
Layered buttes and jagged canyons stretch across the prairie in one of the continent's richest fossil landscapes.
Wind Cave: One of the World's Longest and Oldest Caves
Beneath the southern Black Hills lies a labyrinth famous for a rare, delicate calcite formation.
Custer State Park: Bison, Burros and the Wildlife Loop
One of the largest state parks in the country wraps 71,000 acres of granite, grassland and roaming herds.
The Needles Highway: Driving Through Granite Spires
A serpentine mountain road threads narrow tunnels and towering rock needles in the heart of the hills.
Sylvan Lake: The Jewel of the Black Hills
Ringed by granite and pine, this small reservoir is among the most photographed spots in Custer State Park.
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Heritage
Lakota country, frontier history and the living traditions of the plains.
The Oceti Sakowin: Understanding the Seven Council Fires
The people often called Sioux describe themselves through a confederation of seven related council fires.
Pine Ridge: Life and Resilience on the Reservation
Home to the Oglala Lakota, Pine Ridge carries deep hardship and an equally deep cultural strength.
The Powwow: A Living Celebration of Dance and Drum
Across South Dakota, powwows keep song, regalia and generations of family tradition in motion.
Wounded Knee: Remembering 1890 on the Prairie
The site of the 1890 massacre remains one of the most solemn places in Lakota memory.
The Bison's Return to the Plains
Once nearly wiped out, the buffalo is again central to Lakota food, ceremony and economy.
Star Quilts: A Gift Wrapped in Meaning
The eight-pointed star quilt has become a signature Lakota art form and an honored gift.
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Outdoors
The Black Hills, the Badlands and a season lived under open sky.
Black Elk Peak: The High Point of the Black Hills
The highest summit east of the Rockies rewards hikers with a stone lookout and a sweeping hills panorama.
Hiking the Black Hills: Trails for Every Season
From easy lakeside loops to rugged summit climbs, the hills offer hundreds of miles of trail.
The Mickelson Trail: Rail-to-Trail Across the Hills
An old rail line reborn as a crushed-limestone path links the hills' towns for cyclists and walkers.
Rock Climbing in the Needles
The granite spires near Sylvan Lake are a birthplace of American traditional climbing.
Fishing South Dakota: From Trout Streams to Walleye Lakes
Cold hills creeks and warm prairie reservoirs give the state a surprising range of angling.
Custer's Wildlife Loop: A Road Through the Herd
A slow 18-mile drive puts visitors among bison, pronghorn, elk and the park's famous burros.
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Business
Enterprise, energy and a tax climate built to draw builders.
No Income Tax: The Draw That Reshaped a State's Economy
South Dakota's lack of a personal income tax has become a cornerstone of its pitch to businesses and workers.
Sioux Falls: The Financial Hub of the Plains
A change in banking law in the 1980s turned South Dakota's largest city into a credit-card capital.
The Trust Industry Boom
Favorable trust laws have made South Dakota a magnet for wealth management from around the world.
Agriculture Still Anchors the Economy
Corn, soybeans, cattle and wheat remain the backbone of South Dakota's working landscape.
The Cattle Business Beyond the Hills
West-river ranching remains a defining industry and a way of life on the grasslands.
Tourism: A Two-Billion-Dollar Season
Mount Rushmore, the Badlands and the Sturgis Rally power a tourism economy worth billions each year.
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Events
The Rally, the State Fair and the gatherings that fill the calendar.
The Sturgis Motorcycle Rally: A Town of Thousands Becomes Hundreds of Thousands
Each August the small town of Sturgis swells into one of the world's largest motorcycle gatherings.
The South Dakota State Fair
Late summer in Huron brings livestock shows, grandstand concerts and carnival rides to the prairie.
The Custer State Park Buffalo Roundup
Every autumn, riders thunder across the grassland to gather the park's herd of 1,300 bison.
Sioux Falls Summer Festivals
From food to jazz, the largest city packs its warm months with downtown celebrations.
The Black Hills Powwow
Rapid City's autumn powwow gathers dancers and drum groups from across North America.
Mount Rushmore's Fireworks and Illumination
Summer nights at the memorial end with a lighting ceremony honoring veterans and the flag.
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Beauty
Spas, salons and the wellness scene of Sioux Falls and Rapid City.
The Day Spa Boom in Sioux Falls
As the city has grown, so has an appetite for full-service day spas and quiet retreats.
Salon Culture in Rapid City
The gateway city's salons balance small-town warmth with big-city technique.
The Rise of the Medical Spa
Med spas blending skincare with clinical treatments have become a fast-growing corner of the beauty scene.
Nail Studios and the Art of the Manicure
From quick polish to intricate nail art, studios have turned manicures into a craft.
Sauna and Soak: Nordic Wellness on the Prairie
Cold winters have made saunas and hot soaks a natural fit for the state's wellness scene.
Yoga Studios and the Mindfulness Wave
Studios across the cities have built communities around movement and mental health.
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