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South Dakota Travel Guide
ACTIVITIES
Natural Wonder
Historic Interest
Museum
Wildlife
Native Experiences
Paleo & Archeo
There is more to South Dakota than Mount Rushmore. In addition to the faces of four U.S. presidents - George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln - a monument to Crazy Horse is also carved in the mountain. Wind cave National Park, the world's second longest cave, is more than an underground maze. Up top sits one of America's last mixed grass prairies. Jewel Cave National Monument is all about calcite crystals. Black Hills National Forest was sacred ground for the Lakota and home to a plethora of Wild West characters. Grasslands meet eroded canyons at Badlands National Park. Custer State Park may not have national standing yet it has nothing to envy. It boasts scenic drives, hiking trails, clear blue lakes, charming lodges and wildlife. A family vacation in South Dakota is about prospectors, Native Americans, bison and homesteaders as well as wide-open spaces.
History & Culture
The history of South Dakota is a mere 200 years, if you limit your inquiry to European settlement that is. The Clovis people, a Paleoindian culture, hunted Ice Age beasts - mammoths, mastodons, horses, and American camels - in present-day South Dakota 11,500 years ago. Apart from Sauropods and Stegosauria, nearly all types of dinosaurs once roamed this Midwestern state. Learn about the history of South Dakota from ancient times to modern settlement. Discover a few lesser-known folks that helped shape this U.S. state. Crazy Horse, Sitting Bull and Wild Bill Hickok may be South Dakota's most prominent figures but they aren't the only!
- South Dakota History
- Infoplease
- The South Dakota Story
- South Dakota State Historical Society
- Dinosaurs in South Dakota
- The Natural Source
- Prominent Figures in South Dakota
- South Dakota State Historical Society
Maps
Online maps are a great family travel planning resource and great way to get the kids involved in a family vacation. Use online maps of South Dakota to pinpoint your family travel destination, identify points of interest and plan your itinerary. Map mountain ranges, national parks and Native American reservations. And use online maps to learn about the history, geography and politics of the land.
- South Dakota Maps
- University of Texas Libraries
- nationalatlas.gov (PDF)
- Geology.com
Books
Books are a great way to introduce younger children to a new adventure and get teens and tweens ready for a family trip. Get recommended reading lists for adults and kids and learn more about the U.S. state of South Dakota through guidebooks, novels and historical fiction. Discover age-appropriate books about prospectors, Lakota Indians, bison and homesteaders.
- Kidscantravel.com Recommends
- Books about South Dakota
Music & Sound
There is more to music in South Dakota than meets the eye. Cowboy Ballads, stories in a song, celebrate life on the open range. Native American music, the music of the state's first people, is about vocals and percussion. And while the Blues was invented elsewhere, the state of South Dakota has produced its fair share of musicians in this musical genre.
- Native American Music
- Native Radio
- Cowboy Song
- Cowboy Cultural Music
- Blues Band
- Indigenous
News
Local newspapers provide insight to local culture in a way books can't. Read South Dakota newspapers online and brush up on South Dakota current events from around the state. Get South Dakota news and, in addition to discovering what South Dakotans are reading, find out what's happening.
- South Dakota Newspapers
- Rapid City Journal
- ArgusLeader.com (Sioux Falls)
- Black Hills Weekly Group
Kids' Stuff
There are lots of fun things about South Dakota. Do you know South Dakota's nickname? Can you name the state capital? Do you know which states border South Dakota? Can you name three colorful characters associated with this U.S. state? Do you know which dinosaurs once roamed the land? Discover fun facts about South Dakota. Find trivia about the 40th U.S. state and 46th most populous. Learn about the Lakota Indians as well as the Black Hills Gold Rush. Find out how erosion shaped the Badlands and do a fun science experiment. Print out the information you find fascinating and take it with you on your family trip. Explain your findings to your family members and use the things you learn to make your travel journal really cool.
- South Dakota Facts & Trivia
- 50States.com
- Enchanted Learning
- Lakota Indians
- Wikipedia
- Black Hills Gold Rush
- Wikipedia
- What is Erosion?
- Scholastic
Travel Trivia
Magellanic penguins breed in:
Books for Kids about South Dakota
Free Travel Journal
Get a free kids travel journal to document your family vacation.
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