There are a surprising number of places to see when driving through South Dakota! Check out our South Dakota Travel guide, and click on any of the pictures or titles below to read more about them!
Badlands National Park
Badlands National Park is an impressive sight in the middle of South Dakota. We didn’t have time to do much more than drive the loop road and stop at various lookout points to check out the views. It also was 107 degrees out the day we were there, so I’m not sure we could’ve handled much more! Click through to see more gorgeous photos from this national park!
Mount Rushmore
I’ve seen so many pictures of Mount Rushmore, but there’s nothing like seeing it in person. A must-see if you’re driving through South Dakota!
Crazy Horse
Not quite as impressive as Mount Rushmore, and WAY more expensive. If you’re in the area and have time, this might be worth the stop, but honestly I’m not sure I’d ever go back. There’s not a lot to see beyond the gift shop and a statue modeling what this will (supposedly) someday look like!
Custer State Park
We camped overnight in Custer State Park and then drove the Wildlife Loop Road the next morning. Look out for bison, pronghorn, and burros along the way!
Wind Cave National Park
This is such a unique place! It’s only about 45 minutes south of Mount Rushmore, and I definitely recommend making a stop if you’ve got time. Hour-long tours are scheduled throughout the day, so you can go into the cave and see the famous boxwork patterns in this cave.
Corn Palace
I can’t even tell you how many people, when they heard J and I were doing a cross-country road trip, INSISTED that we MUST stop at the Corn Palace! South Dakota is pretty proud of it too – there are billboards every few miles across the state counting down to Marshall, where the Corn Palace is located. Stop by to see some impressive corn artwork and get some popcorn treats!
Wall Drug
Another of the sights we were told we MUST see! You could probably spend an entire day here, getting lost in everything that there is to do. We were running short on time, so we just stopped for a quick ice cream break, but if you’ve got kids, this would be a great place to get them out of the car and let them explore!
Sioux Falls
Sioux Falls is located right on the border with Minnesota. We stopped here for a night and made sure to stop and see Sioux Falls – the waterfall – the next morning before we left!