South Shore South DakotaATTRACTIONS & THINGS TO DO
Listed below are the best attractions and things to do near South Shore, South Dakota.
1. Breezy Point Picnic Area
SERENE LAKESIDE RECREATION
Breezy Point Picnic Area offers a tranquil outdoor recreation space for families and visitors in South Shore. Visitors can enjoy scenic views, picnic facilities, and access to nearby water features. The area provides a peaceful retreat for those looking to connect with nature in South Dakota.
2. Watertown Veterans Memorial
HONORING MILITARY SERVICE
Watertown Veterans Memorial stands as a tribute to those who served in the armed forces from the local region. The memorial features commemorative displays and landscaped grounds designed for reflection and remembrance. Visitors can pay their respects while learning about the military history and sacrifices of area veterans.
3. Terry Redlin Museum
CELEBRATED WILDLIFE ART
The Terry Redlin Museum showcases the artwork of one of America's most beloved wildlife and Americana artists. The museum houses an extensive collection of Redlin's detailed paintings depicting rural scenes, wildlife, and nostalgic Americana. Visitors can explore the gallery spaces and learn about the artist's life and creative process in this highly-rated attraction.
4. Redlin Art Center
PREMIER ART EXHIBITION
Redlin Art Center houses a comprehensive collection of Terry Redlin's acclaimed wildlife and rural Americana paintings. The center features beautifully displayed artwork in a purpose-built facility surrounded by manicured grounds and water features. Visitors can enjoy the artist's detailed paintings while learning about his inspirations and techniques through informative displays.
5. Five Star Massage
RELAXATION AND WELLNESS
Five Star Massage provides professional therapeutic massage services to visitors and residents seeking relaxation in the Watertown area. The highly-rated wellness center offers various massage styles and treatments designed to reduce stress and promote well-being. Guests can enjoy personalized service in a comfortable environment focused on health and relaxation.
6. Mount Rushmore National Memorial
ICONIC PRESIDENTIAL MONUMENT
Mount Rushmore National Memorial features the carved faces of four American presidents - Washington, Jefferson, Roosevelt, and Lincoln - sculpted into the granite mountainside. Visitors can explore the Presidential Trail for close-up views, visit the Lincoln Borglum Visitor Center, and learn about the monument's creation through interactive exhibits and films. The memorial represents American history and achievement while offering spectacular views of the Black Hills landscape.
7. Crazy Horse Memorial
NATIVE AMERICAN TRIBUTE
Crazy Horse Memorial is an ongoing mountain sculpture project honoring the Native American leader and culture through what will be the world's largest sculpture when completed. The memorial complex includes the Indian Museum of North America, the Native American Cultural Center, and viewing areas of the massive in-progress carving. Visitors can learn about Native American history and watch as work continues on this enormous sculptural tribute that has been under construction since 1948.
8. Custer State Park
WILDLIFE AND NATURAL BEAUTY
Custer State Park encompasses 71,000 acres of diverse terrain featuring granite spires, mountain lakes, and rolling plains home to one of America's largest publicly-owned bison herds. Visitors can drive the famous Wildlife Loop Road to spot bison, pronghorn, elk, and the park's famous begging burros. The park offers numerous recreational activities including hiking, fishing, camping, and swimming in pristine mountain settings.
9. Wildlife Loop Road
SCENIC ANIMAL ENCOUNTERS
Wildlife Loop Road winds through 18 miles of Custer State Park, offering visitors exceptional opportunities to view free-roaming wildlife in their natural habitat. The scenic route is known for close encounters with the park's 1,300 bison, as well as deer, elk, pronghorn, and the famous 'begging burros' that often approach vehicles. Travelers can enjoy beautiful prairie vistas and forested hills while experiencing some of South Dakota's most memorable wildlife viewing opportunities.
10. Badlands National Park
DRAMATIC ERODED LANDSCAPE
Badlands National Park features a striking landscape of sharply eroded buttes, pinnacles, and spires surrounded by a mixed-grass prairie ecosystem. The park's colorful rock formations contain one of the world's richest fossil beds, preserving ancient mammals like rhinos, horses, and saber-toothed cats. Visitors can explore scenic drives, hiking trails, and ranger programs while spotting wildlife including bison, bighorn sheep, and prairie dogs.
11. Falls Park
URBAN WATERFALL OASIS
Falls Park showcases the natural beauty of the Big Sioux River as it cascades over pink quartzite formations in the heart of Sioux Falls. The 123-acre park features viewing platforms, walking trails, historic buildings, and the five-story observation tower providing panoramic views of the city and falls. Visitors can enjoy the on-site café, visitor center, and year-round light shows that illuminate the falls after dark.
12. Wind Cave National Park
UNDERGROUND WONDER WORLD
Wind Cave National Park protects one of the world's longest and most complex cave systems, known for its rare boxwork formations and unusual wind patterns at its entrance. Above ground, the park preserves one of the last remaining mixed-grass prairie ecosystems in the country, home to bison, elk, and prairie dogs. Ranger-led cave tours take visitors through a mysterious underground landscape of passages, chambers, and unique formations unlike any other cave system in America.
13. Spearfish Canyon
MAJESTIC NATURAL GORGE
Spearfish Canyon offers a stunning 22-mile scenic byway through limestone palisades adorned with waterfalls, dense forests, and colorful vegetation that changes with the seasons. Visitors can explore dramatic natural features including Bridal Veil Falls and Rough Lock Falls via roadside stops and hiking trails. The canyon is especially magnificent in autumn when the aspens, birches, and oaks transform the landscape into a vibrant palette of reds, golds, and oranges.
14. National Music Museum
WORLD-CLASS INSTRUMENT COLLECTION
The National Music Museum at the University of South Dakota houses over 15,000 musical instruments from around the world spanning diverse cultures and time periods. The recently renovated museum features impressive displays ranging from rare European classical instruments to American electric guitars and non-Western musical traditions. Visitors can explore the evolution of musical instruments through history while viewing one of the world's premier collections in this specialized museum.
15. Jewel Cave National Monument
CRYSTALLINE UNDERGROUND LABYRINTH
Jewel Cave National Monument protects the third-longest cave system in the world with over 208 miles of mapped passages adorned with calcite crystals that sparkle like jewels. Visitors can choose from several guided tour options that showcase the cave's unique formations, including boxwork, flowstone, and the namesake crystal-encrusted walls and ceilings. The monument also features a visitor center with exhibits, hiking trails through the ponderosa pine forest above ground, and opportunities to learn about ongoing cave exploration.