VERY pretty park right in the heart of Sioux Falls. It was quite busy on a Saturday morning- a lot…read moreof runners too, but many families enjoying the park. They appear to let you climb amongst the rocks but it has rained recently and I figured that was a dumb idea for me personally. There is alot of wide open grass for a picnic as well as they have a cafe here with a view of the falls. If you come on a Saturday, they do have a farmers market That's pretty close so make sure to check that out too.

I was so excited to see this place, my first time in Sioux Falls. The park itself is nice as is the…read moreobservation deck. But It's hard to articulate my disappointment about the state the water is in. The river is so contaminated it runs a brownish yellow. The park smells of sewage mixed with a slaughterhouse. I was worried about breathing in the mist coming off the falls if we got too close. Plastic bottles and garbage pile up at the edges of the rocks with little waves of brown foam. Stuff like this makes me hate human beings and the way we disregard and disrespect our own beautiful natural places.

The Spirit Lake Fish Hatchery is located between East Lake Okoboji and Spirit Lake. This facility…read morecollects, spawns, incubates, and raises walleye for use throughout the state. Each year between 60 and 70 million walleye fry are hatched at this facility. My son and I love to come here every year. There's a neat aquarium in the lobby that's stocked with a variety of local fish. And depending on what's going on, many of the fish tanks on the floor are fully accessible for viewing. The DNR staff has always been very friendly and willing to explain almost anything about their jobs. Of course in a resort area such as this, there are many other options, such as Arnold's Amusement Park, swimming at Pikes Point, etc. But also this area is about the Lakes as natural resources and this place kind of grounds our entire experience here.

Let me preface this review with... I do not fish…read more That being said. We were in town on vacation and my kiddos wanted to take a stab at fishing. We have two rods and a basic tackle box but needed some bait and new bobbers. Yelp told me we needed to go to Stan's Bait Shop, so we did! We popped into this 50+ year Milford mainstay and were not disappointed. While I have no idea what fish we were aiming to catch, or what bait/tackle would be ideal-- there was great selection for those who are more fisher-savvy than I. Pricing seemed reasonable. The staff was helpful. Open daily-- pop in to Stan's Bait Shop for your fishing needs.

Stan's Bait & Tackle is hands down one of the best bait shops around the Lakes. They've got a great…read moreselection of bait and gear, and everything is well stocked no matter when you stop in. What really makes the place stand out though is the service. Mason is always on point--super easy to talk to, knows exactly what's been working on the water, and actually helps you dial things in instead of just ringing you up and sending you out the door. It's the kind of place where you feel like a regular even if it's your first time in. Good people, good advice, and everything you need to have a successful day fishing. Definitely worth stopping in before you head out.

This place was an awesome kayaking spot. A bit windy for Spirit Lake so we looked for other…read moreoptions. The DNR was No help. Looked for a map, nada. Not like Wisco there's a map for everything on the DNR website. So we decided to head to the office. Closed but the road led us to this spot. We glamped at Marble Beach and the road I think it's 125th street is right up the road on the left. Pack some cold ones and enjoy.

One evening a few week ago, Gayle and the Kid stayed at home, while I was given permission to…read morewander around to various Iowa Great Lakes sites. I toured around the Lakeside Lab, stopped in at Vic's Corner and then decided to explore the back country a little bit. After you move beyond the major lakes here, there are a lot of small prairie lakes and associated wet lands. And since I didn't hunt or really fish growing up, I actually missed a lot of this cultural territory. It really was a pretty drive, especially late in the day. I went North on Highway 86 and turned right towards Welsh Lake. After that, I angled up to Kettleson Hogsback, and the spine road that travels between Hottes and Marble Lake. There's also a DNR Wildlife HQ (including home and corporate yard) and lots of bird houses. It was fun to pause and look, and then wander on somewhere else. And since Iowa's roads pretty much run on a square grid system, there's at least a gravel road every mile, and very little chance of getting lost. The name Hogsback comes from the linear and glacial plateau which resembles the ridge between the shoulders of a hog. This hogsback rises 40 feet and separates Marble Lake from Hottes Lake and can be seen from the access road. This area has shallow lakes, marshes, uplands, and woods, making it a great wildlife viewing site due to its variety. Hottes Lake is also an excellent site for canoeing and kayaking, and an opportunity to get closer to wildlife. And in the winter, a brisk cross country skiing trip, would complete the 4 season perspective on this hidden backwater jewel of the Iowa Great Lakes Region.

great they have everything and great prices :) will continue too come back too the store :)read more

From the owner: Service second to none! Fishing tackle and bait to make your next fishing trip a success! We have…read morethe knowledge and the latest equipment for every customer need!

A little expensive, but we had a great time feeding butterflies and checking out the fish! We will…read moredefinitely be back!

This is a very small attraction, not quite what I expected after visiting several different…read morebutterfly conservatories. The price is the same as the very large places we've been, that might be why my expectations were high! The aquarium is an odd accompaniment to the butterflies and it definitely shows. It's very small with very little variety. The kiddos all loved that you could appear to be in a fish tank but there wasn't much to capture adults attention. The touch tank was all netted off so that left nothing much to do! The butterflies were nice but there didn't seem to really be that many in the house and only a few varieties. Standing in line to get in was one thing but then having to stand in line to leave felt a little claustrophobic!! The staff was not friendly, welcoming or available to interact with, most seemed a bit bored. The fake flowers and nectar seems like a great idea but unfortunately not many folks were having any luck! All in all, it's a nice little attraction to spend an hour or so!

The name of this facility is the Outdoor Campus and it's a joint project of the South Dakota Dept…read moreof Game Fish and Parks and the City of Sioux Falls Parks and Rec Dept. Not only can you get your hunting and fishing licenses here, but you can also learn more about hunting and fishing as well as animals, survival, and more. They have free classes, try it events, walking trails, an aquarium, geo-caching, and more. There's a fantastic playroom for the kids where they can learn while they're playing. After exploring the museum on our own we headed over to a table where Thea (she works there) met us and we made Sunshine in the Clouds. This is usually an activity she does with the kids, but I'm a big kid so it went over really well. We took peaches (sunshine), cool whip (the clouds) and cinnamon graham crackers. We added all the ingredients into a bag and crushed them. It was good, messy, fun! Then you just cut a whole in the bag and squeeze it into your mouth. It tasted like peach pie Outside they have a beautiful walking path. We visited in fall so a lot of the plants were withering. I bet it's gorgeous in the spring and summer! It was gorgeous and I really enjoyed walking around in the beautiful weather. There is so much to see and do here that a family could easily spend all day here. The best part is that it's free!

Free nature escape. The offerings of this facility are impression, and would be especially…read morewonderful if you have young kids (they do free archery training and stuff). Must see in Sioux Falls

There are really no bells or whistles at this campground, however they have a very nice park with a…read morenice shaded walking path. This campground had WiFi which was pretty good. They have a nice play area for kids (see pictures), and a walking path way. We actually stayed here 2 different dates. They have beautiful and huge widow maker trees which offered a lot of shade. Pull through sites with full hook up or just electric and water. They do have a dump station that is on the wrong side of the campground. You have exit out of the campground then make this sharp turn in order to use it. Both times we stayed here were very peaceful and quiet. You must go to the park when the sun is setting. You will get beautiful pictures (please see photos). The first time we stayed at site 8 and then site 9 on the second time. This campground is very reasonably priced at $30 a night. It is a perfect place to pull in and get some sleep then to leave the next day back on the road. The town is really cute and small. For a fast dinner or meal, try Pizza Ranch out. They have all you can eat pizza buffet for $15 per adult. #campground #rvcampground #campgroundMN #fullhookups #pullthroughsites #beautifulsunsets