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South Dakota is a state in the Great Plains of the United States. South Dakota is most known for Mount Rushmore, where sculptor Gutzon Borglum carved the 60-foot faces of four American presidents into the side of a granite mountain. Other popular stops are Custer State Park, Crazy Horse Memorial, Deadwood, the World’s Only Corn Palace, Badlands National Park, Fort Sisseton Historic State Park, Wall Drug and Lewis and Clark Recreation Area.
Most populous, includes South Dakota's largest city (Sioux Falls) and the junction of Interstate Highways 90 and 29
Northeast corner, largely agricultural landscape, home to numerous lakes and the Coteau des Prairies
Central area bordering the Missouri river, including the state capital, Pierre
Western quarter of the state, home to the big rugged national parks, forests, grasslands, frontier towns, Mount Rushmore and Crazy Horse, and the state's largest Indian Reservations
By plane
South Dakota is served by two major airports:
By train
South Dakota is one of only 3 states (the others being Hawaii and Wyoming) not served by any intercity passenger rail.
By bus
Jefferson Lines has frequent affordable connections along the state's two interstates, most frequent to Minneapolis, but also daily through the West River part of the state to Wyoming.
Choose an airport to see hotels, stations, taxi ranks and car rental desks around it.
Pierre · Regional · PIR
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in the capital of the state, on the Missouri river, you can visit the state Capitol building and several museums, or go fishing at the Oahe Dam lake
the third largest city and a college town, being the home of several universities and colleges
home to South Dakota State University, the state's largest institute of higher educatio
the oldest town established by Europeans in the Black Hills, where the Crazy Horse Memorial is being constructed
a historic city that served as the main hub during the Black Hills Gold Rush in the 1870s. Has well-preserved Gold Rush-era architecture
home of the world's only "corn palace" and home to the Dakota Discovery Museum
the second largest city in the state, located at the base of the Black Hills. Home to numerous attractions, including the world famous Mount Rushmore
the largest city in the state, named after the falls of the Big Sioux River
a gateway to the Badlands and one of the smallest cities in the United States
244,000 acres of sharply eroded buttes and jagged spires that create a moon-like surface. Thousands of fossils of prehistoric creatures have been uncovered in the park. Archaeological and paleontological digs continue today, with some open to public participation.
1.2 million acres of pine and spruce forest, granite peaks and outdoor adventure. An area of granite spires, known as the Needles, provides challenging rock climbing opportunities. The 114-mile (183-km) George S. Mickelson Trail, part of the state park system, has gentle slopes and converted railroad bridges that take bikers and hikers from Deadwood to Edgemont. Black Elk Peak is the highest point in the U.S. east of the Rocky Mountains.
The second longest cave in the world at 217 mi. Its colorful calcite crystals create jewel-like formations giving the cave its name. The official length of Jewel Cave is continually growing as explorers find new passageways.
Lewis and Clark passed through the state along the Missouri River in their now legendary journey to the Pacific Northwest
The Delta One Launch Control Facility and the Delta Nine Launch Facility were ideal for long-term preservation because they were among the nation’s oldest – with technology dating back to the Cuban Missile Crisis in the 1960s. Only minor modifications have been made to the deactivated sites, and much of the original mechanical equipment and historic furnishings remain intact.
America’s “Shrine of Democracy.” In 1927, sculptor Gutzon Borglum came to the Black Hills to carve his sculpture into the side of a granite mountain.
Named for its sacred cave whose air which is either sucked in or blown out, depending on atmospheric conditions. Its thin calcite fins and honeycomb rock structures stand in contrast to the 28,295 acres of mixed-grass prairie, ponderosa pine forest and roaming buffalo above ground.
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