Absolutely beautiful area! We were there in 30 degree weather and will definitely be back in the…read morespring/summer to check things out again, we had a great time walking and checking out all the sites!

Went camping with the whole family and this park really brings out the adventurous side of you…read more Will definitely make plans to come back again!

I really enjoyed the 4m hike through this park. The prairie is a beautiful place. We saw lots of…read moreflowers and wild life. I love how the wind blows patterns over the long grass. No trees so bring sunscreen. The nice breeze kept the bugs at bay.

13 miles of trails throughout! When I went I bypassed the main entrance and went straight for the…read moreVisitor Center's entrance which brought me close to the start of the Burr Trail, Upper Cliff Trail, & Lower Cliff Trail. The Burr Trail was my favorite! It has some steep slopes and rocks poking out of the earth. Definitely go when it's dry or slightly moist. Anything super wet might increase your chances of slippage if you don't have sturdy hiking/walking shoes. This trail also has tree coverage which is great for hot sun days. The Burr Trail leads you to the old quarry at the base of it. The Upper and Lower Cliff Trails are parallel to each other. The Upper Cliff Trail allows you to see the old quarry site from above. Bird's eye views are epic. The Lower Cliff Trail is adjacent to the fencing that separates you and approximately 100 bison. They were quite a bit away - hard to capture in pictures, but still majestic creatures nonetheless! The Lower Cliff Trail also has views toward Rock County, MN and you can see wind turbines spinning in the distance. Both the Upper and Lower Cliff Trails intersect some, so you can change it up and they're relatively flat and easy. There are no trees to shade you from the sun; bring ample water and maybe a rimmed hat and sunnies to shield you from it. There are other trails that lead towards the campgrounds there. I did not do them, so I can't suggest or advise you on them. There is a bike path that appears to loop around much of the park's perimeter and quite possibly lead into town. There's also a rock climbing area (permit required) and a separate lot that takes you there directly. There's no set equipment or anything so you're basically free basing and definitely watch out for cacti! I got to see a few snakes, butterflies, grasshoppers, and a herd of bison, as well as listen to different species of birds. There are also lots of flies/gnats, especially if you stay still and rest at one of the (not so) random benches along the way. The daily parking fee is $7.00. They have different increments for various types or durations of visits. There's a QR Code you can scan with your phone - create an account - and then purchase a parking pass. Bring a pen and paper with you unless you want to write out your confirmation number in blood or boogers. Haha! Since COVID-19 they've automated much of it and no one is around to provide you those for your dash. Happy Trails!

This beautiful, historic park on the falls of the Big Sioux is great for walking, running, or…read moredriving around at the holidays to see the extensive light displays. You can go up into the tower during business hours. Wear good shoes in winter or wet weather. There's a linear trail that extends beyond the park and is good for running, walking, bike riding, or perhaps birding as well.

One must considering viewing the falls for which a major populated city was named. Unbelievably…read morecreated by volcanic activity millions of years ago, this showcase is domiciled smack in the heart of Downtown Sioux Falls. Although it does have an elevator lookout with a platform for viewing, it does lack a movie detailing the falls creation as well as history of the Cities development.

When we have been in the past, lines have been short, and very beautiful view especially at sunset…read more But I would not recommend purchasing tickets ahead of time even at a discount, if you live out of town. Their hours are too inconsistent. Two days ago it said tubing open that day and the previous day (both weekdays, and no times listed) - weekend hours TBD, last chance to go tubing. Tonight (Friday) at 9:15 p.m. it said their last day was 2/13 4-9 p.m. and then closed for the season 2/14 (which would be the weekend). Similar inconsistencies with hours when trying to go previous seasons. Last weekend varies drastically. Weekend hours just not consistent enough for out-of-town people to plan around, even throughout the season.

Most people think of Great Bear for only skiing, but they are open in the summer too. They have a…read morenetwork of hiking trails. Some go right to the top of the ski hills which give great views of the city. You can see downtown. We live hiking here on the groomed trails. There are tons of trees so you can enjoy some shade as you hike. Try this place in the summer and you won't be sorry!

Went out for a hike. We liked the look of this place on the SD State Parks site. You don't really…read moresee the park at all while driving up to it, and after all the farm fields and flat land, the trees and ravines are rather surprising. It was $4 for 1 adult, $6 per carload to enter the park. We first visited the playground and had a picnic lunch. The playground is very nice. There are only pit toilets available there. We did not explore much of the campground area at all. We drove on and parked at the end of the road and started on the Woodland Trail. We went down a steep hill and entered onto the Turkey Trot trail which connects over to the multi-use (horse, bike, hike) Blue Diamond Trail. We ran into a few sets of horseback riders on the Blue Diamond, and were warned of some bees in the area so we turned around. By this time it was naptime for our daughter (she did sleep in the pack a little bit) so we decided to head back. The uphill portion was moderately strenuous and took us about 10 minutes. There were a lot of families out as well as some ROTC groups. Overall had a nice hike. Will be back, if only because it's such a different landscape than the rest of the area.

This is a hidden gem located less than an hours drive from Sioux Falls. Lake Herman is located in…read moreMadison close to Lake Madison and Lake Brant. This is a spring fed glacial lake. The park is on the south east corner of the lake. This state park has hiking trails, beaches, canoe rental, boat launch and camping. The park itself is large and features mature shade trees and areas of natural prairie. With all the outdoor things to do and being so close to Sioux Falls, this place is a must visit.

A lovely state park campground! The lots were huge and level, with wide gravel parking pads. The…read moregrass around the sites was well groomed and a fire ring was included. The bathrooms were clean, with large separate shower rooms. The shower was best part, as it had a residential adjustable temperature controller instead of the push-button that many campgrounds do. The water flow was stronger than my house. Its also a dog-friendly park. Inside the campground, leashes are required, but in the rest of the park off-leash is permissible. Tie-outs on your site are also allowed. Canoes were available for rent for $15/3 hours or $30/day. There's also a boat ramp as its a large 1350 acre lake.

Pretty small state park. The two mile hike brings you around the outer edge. The main attraction is…read morethe beach but we weren't swimming. It was a combo of woods and open field hiking. Bugs were a bit annoying.

In the summer of 2018, my husband and I stopped at this park for the Passport stamp and to do the…read moreHiking club trail. Nice pretty park. The historic WPA bridge is made with local stones. There are other WPA era buildings at the park also. This was a fun park for a quick day trip.

I can't rate the weather, which is windy and blustery and not a good day to be on the lake,…read moreunfortunately. We camped for 2 nights on the east side in space 54 with only a few others nearby a few sites away. It's just what we needed to decompress after the College World Series in Omaha. Beautiful scenery and views! We had planned on renting kayaks and getting out on the lake, but with 26 mph winds, intermittent rain and clouds, it just wasn't happening. There is nobody at either entrance for camping or state park permits so it's a self pay kiosk. It looks like you can also pay for the firewood and just take it from the side, but not sure. We didn't take any due to the weather. I am wondering though, to rent a kayak is says to do so at the front gate, so there is nobody there and wondering how quickly someone would answer the phone number listed to call. Didn't find a camp store either which we had seen online and doubt it would be open if there was either being a week day and very few people at the park. We did drive 6 miles into the cute town of Canistota where you can still pump gas and then go in and pay afterwards. Nice people in the store. Overall, impressed with the cleanliness of all facilities. The restrooms were spotless and even free from creepy crawly bugs in the showers that we find at other campgrounds. Speaking of bugs, there is a multitude of little flies that bite that we were fighting off. Bug repellent didn't seem to "bug" them at all and they were so abundant we had to head indoors. Our poor pups were scratching and nipping as these things covered their fur. That is however, the only negative thing we could find here. If ever in the area again, we wouldn't hesitate to stay again!

Love Lake Vermilion State Park. You have alot of camping sites to choose from. They open a new…read moresection not long ago because everyone lives camping there. You can either camp on 2 different sides of the lake. They have a very good dump station to empty your tanks or fill up with fresh water. All the rangers are so nice.

This is an access point to the Sioux Falls Greenway and bike trail system. Here you can park your…read morecar and gain access to the loop. There is also bathrooms and covered picnic shelter. The trail is paved so you can ride bike, rollerblade or walk/run on the trail. This is on the Big Sioux River so the trail is scenic providing views of the river, grassland and trees as you enjoy the trail. You can follow the trail around the entire city including loops that go through downtown. Whether you walk a section or take the entire trail, I highly recommend checking this out!