 South Dakota's history reads like an adventure story. It's a tale of Plains Indians, explorers and pioneers. And it features names like Crazy Horse, Laura Ingalls Wilder, Lewis and Clark, and Wild Bill Hickok.
When you visit South Dakota, you?ll find many opportunities to experience first-hand our rich history and heritage.Great Sioux Nation Picture the "he sapa," a range of pine-covered mountains so green they look black from a distance. Mysterious "mako sica" or "bad land," a mass of buttes and spires that stretches as far as the eye can see. Imaginea colorful "wacipi," a powwow filled with traditional singing and dancing. And legendary leaders like Crazy Horse and Sitting Bull. This is South Dakota, home of the Great Sioux Nation. Here, you can discover the sweeping prairie that captured your imagination in "Dances With Wolves." Here, you can meet the people whose heritage and culture run through that land like a strong, steady stream.
The Black Hills region is home to national treasures. These parks, forests and memorials encompass some of the West's most stunning landscapes, and they preserve America's colorful history. In addition, the state park system includes glacial lakes, historic forts and sprawling stretches of riverfront.
The four most famous guys in rock
Mount Rushmore: This epic sculpture features the faces of four exalted American presidents: George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln. South Dakota's Black Hills provide the backdrop for Mount Rushmore, the world's greatest mountain carving. These 60-foot high faces, 500 feet up, look out over a setting of pine, spruce, birch, and aspen in the clear western air.
The Crazy Horse mountain carving now in progress will be the world's largest sculpture (563' high, 641' long, carved in the round). It is the focal point of an educational and cultural memorial to and for the North American Indian.
From fairs to festivals and rodeos to ethnic celebrations, the statewide calendar of events helps you plan your vacation.
You should see South Dakota in the winter. Skiing, snowmobiling, skating, ice fishing and the rest are more than fun adventures. They're wonderful excuses to sightsee in the cold!
South Dakota has broad expanses of prairie, mountain, lake and river-break country open for you and your walking shoes. You'll want to explore the state's hiking trails. |
