Naples South DakotaATTRACTIONS & THINGS TO DO
Listed below are the best attractions and things to do near Naples, South Dakota.
1. Mount Rushmore National Memorial
ICONIC PRESIDENTIAL MONUMENT
Mount Rushmore National Memorial features the carved faces of four American presidents on the granite face of the Black Hills. The massive sculpture includes George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln, representing important periods in American history. Visitors can walk the Presidential Trail for closer views of the sculpture and visit the Lincoln Borglum Visitor Center to learn about the monument's creation.
2. Badlands National Park
DRAMATIC ERODED LANDSCAPES
Badlands National Park showcases a surreal landscape of colorful spires, deep canyons, and rugged buttes formed by millions of years of erosion. The park spans 244,000 acres and is home to one of the world's richest fossil beds, where ancient mammals once roamed. Visitors can explore numerous hiking trails, scenic overlooks, and spot wildlife including bison, bighorn sheep, and prairie dogs throughout the park.
3. Crazy Horse Memorial
MONUMENTAL MOUNTAIN CARVING
The Crazy Horse Memorial is an ongoing mountain sculpture project honoring the legendary Lakota leader, started by sculptor Korczak Ziolkowski in 1948. Once complete, it will be the largest mountain carving in the world, depicting the Lakota warrior pointing toward the lands where his ancestors lie buried. Visitors can explore the Indian Museum of North America and the Native American Educational & Cultural Center to learn about Native American heritage and culture.
4. Custer State Park
WILDLIFE AND SCENIC BEAUTY
Custer State Park encompasses 71,000 acres of spectacular terrain and an abundance of wildlife in the Black Hills. The park is home to one of the world's largest publicly-owned bison herds, with approximately 1,300 bison roaming freely throughout the park. Visitors can drive the scenic Wildlife Loop Road, hike around pristine Sylvan Lake, or climb to the summit of Black Elk Peak, the highest point east of the Rocky Mountains.
5. Jewel Cave National Monument
SPECTACULAR UNDERGROUND WONDER
Jewel Cave National Monument protects the third-longest cave system in the world with over 208 miles of mapped passages. The cave derives its name from the glittering calcite crystals that line its walls, creating a jewel-like appearance when illuminated. Visitors can choose from several guided tours ranging from the scenic tour on paved walkways to more adventurous wild caving experiences that require crawling through tight passages.
6. Wind Cave National Park
UNIQUE BOXWORK FORMATIONS
Wind Cave National Park features the world's largest concentration of rare boxwork formations in one of the longest and most complex caves in the world. The cave was the first to be designated as a national park in 1903 and contains 33,851 acres of forest and prairie on the surface. Visitors can explore the unique underground world through guided tours and observe wildlife including bison, elk, and pronghorn in the mixed-grass prairie ecosystem above ground.
7. Historic Deadwood
LEGENDARY WILD WEST TOWN
Historic Deadwood allows visitors to walk in the footsteps of Old West legends like Wild Bill Hickok, Calamity Jane, and Seth Bullock. This 1870s gold rush town became a National Historic Landmark in 1961, preserving its rich frontier history. Today, it offers Black Hills entertainment including concerts, casinos, museums, historic sites, spas, and parades that bring the Wild West era back to life.
8. Missouri River
MIGHTY WATERWAY ADVENTURE
The Missouri River flows through South Dakota offering history and adventure along its mighty waters. The river features free-flowing sections and four major reservoirs—Lake Oahe, Lake Sharpe, Lake Francis Case, and Lewis & Clark Lake—that provide prime opportunities for fishing, boating, and water recreation. Visitors can explore the river's rich history as a vital transportation route during western expansion while enjoying modern recreational activities along its shores.
9. Spearfish Canyon
MAJESTIC LIMESTONE GORGE
Spearfish Canyon is a breathtaking natural area known for its abundant ponderosa and spruce pines alongside dramatic waterfalls cascading from limestone cliffs. Popular attractions within the canyon include Bridal Veil Falls, Rough Lock Falls, and hiking trails to Spearfish Peak and Little Crow Peak. The 22-mile scenic byway through the canyon offers spectacular beauty year-round, with spring blooms, lush summer greenery, and especially stunning fall foliage displays that attract visitors from around the country.
10. National Music Museum
WORLD-CLASS INSTRUMENT COLLECTION
The National Music Museum at the University of South Dakota houses thousands of American, European, and non-Western instruments from around the world. The recently renovated museum space showcases over 15,000 instruments spanning various historical periods, from American electric guitars to German zithers. Visitors can gain fascinating insights into the evolution of musical instruments across cultures and time periods through the museum's extensive collections.
11. Falls Park
CASCADING URBAN OASIS
Falls Park features the cascading waters of the Big Sioux River that gave Sioux Falls its name, with an average of 7,400 gallons of water dropping 100 feet over the course of the falls each second. The 123-acre park includes a five-story observation tower providing panoramic views of the city and the falls, as well as the remains of the Queen Bee Mill built in the 1880s. Visitors can enjoy walking paths, viewing platforms, a café housed in a historic building, and spectacular light shows that illuminate the falls after sunset.
12. Dignity of Earth and Sky
MONUMENTAL NATIVE AMERICAN SCULPTURE
Dignity of Earth and Sky is a stunning 50-foot stainless steel sculpture of a Native American woman draped in a star quilt, located on a bluff overlooking the Missouri River. The monument, created by artist Dale Lamphere, honors the indigenous cultures of the Great Plains and has become one of South Dakota's most photographed landmarks since its installation in 2016. Visitors can appreciate the sculpture's intricate details including the diamond shapes in the quilt that change colors with the shifting light of day and night.
13. Dinosaur Park
PREHISTORIC HILLTOP SCULPTURES
Dinosaur Park sits atop a sandstone ridge overlooking Rapid City, featuring seven life-sized concrete dinosaur sculptures created during the Great Depression. The free attraction was built in 1936 and offers not only a glimpse of prehistoric creatures but also panoramic views of the Black Hills and the city below. Visitors can climb stairs to reach each of the dinosaurs, which include Apatosaurus, Tyrannosaurus rex, Triceratops, Stegosaurus, and other prehistoric beasts that once roamed the region.
14. Tatanka: Story of the Bison
NATIVE AMERICAN HERITAGE CENTER
Tatanka: Story of the Bison is an interpretive center founded by actor Kevin Costner that tells the story of the North American bison and its relationship with the Plains Indians. The site features a dramatic bronze sculpture depicting 14 bison being pursued by three Native American riders, created by Peggy Detmers. Visitors can learn about Native American culture, see authentic tipis, and gain understanding of the historical significance of the bison to indigenous peoples through exhibits and presentations by Native American interpreters.
15. Mammoth Site
ANCIENT FOSSIL EXCAVATION
The Mammoth Site is an active paleontological dig site featuring the largest concentration of mammoth remains in the world. The indoor excavation site contains the fossils of more than 60 Columbian and woolly mammoths who were trapped in a sinkhole approximately 26,000 years ago. Visitors can tour the facility, observe ongoing excavation work, and learn about Ice Age mammals through educational exhibits and programs designed for all ages.