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South Dakota

Looking for the best chillin in South Dakota? We've got you covered with the top trails, trips, hiking, backpacking, camping and more around South Dakota. The detailed guides, photos, and reviews are all submitted by the Outbound community.

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Top Chillin Spots in and near South Dakota

  • Keystone, South Dakota

    Hike Willow Creek Trail

    2.8 mi / 5200 ft gain
    The trailhead is located at the Willow Creek Horse Camp. This trail doesn't allow motorized vehicles but you may share it with some horses depending on when you venture onto the trail. The trail itself is pretty easy, it will take about 1.5-2 hours depending on your pace and is shaded for about h...
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  • Rapid City, South Dakota

    Hike to Falling Rock Overlook

    0.5 mi / 50 ft gain
    The beautiful hike is a tremendous spot to get out of town and enjoy the scenery and a great view of Rapid Creek down in the canyon below.  Parking is right off Falling Rock Rd. then the trail is a very well marked path through the trees, easy to follow, and leads you right to the edge of limesto...
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  • Scenic, South Dakota

    Explore Sheep Mountain Table

    4 mi / 200 ft gain
    Sheep Mountain Table is located in the Stronghold Unit that is in the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation of Badlands National Park. The area is prime for exploring. Once you get off Highway 27 for Sheep Mountain Table, you will travel about 4 miles on a well maintained gravel road, to an Overlook and ...
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  • Rapid City, South Dakota

    Fly Fish from the Rapid Creek Trailhead

    2 mi
    To get the the trailhead for Rapid Creek you must turn to the east onto Pactola Basin Road or FS road 164 when on Highway 385 crossing the Pactola Reservoir. The road down to the trailhead is steep and can be rough depending on the time of the year. Once at the trailhead there is a parking area, ...
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  • Custer, South Dakota

    Hike through Hell Canyon

    5.3 mi
    The Trailhead lies down in the canyon bottom, just one mile west of Jewel Cave National Monument and 13 miles west of Custer. Upon arrival, you are greeted by the parking lot, which is right off the highway and boasts a spacious gravel lot to park in. Since the trail is a loop, you can go either ...
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  • Custer, South Dakota

    Hike the Custer Skywalk to Big Rock Observation Point

    0.6 mi / 370 ft gain
    Park on the South end of 6th Street at Harbach Park in Custer, just 2 blocks off Main Street. The entrance to the trail is marked by an archway and a "Custer Skywalk" sign. The path is a dirt/small gravel trail that has stairs built into the hillside. To get to the first observation point it is a...
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  • Spearfish Community Caves, South Dakota

    Hike to the Community Caves

    4.5
    1 mi / 300 ft gain
    Community Caves is located in the scenic Spearfish Canyon, on Highway 14A, about 2.7 miles from Spearfish (once you turn off of Colorado Blvd).  There is a large pull-off area on the right (west) side of the road and then the trail, which is not marked at all, is on the opposite side of the pull-...
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  • Hill City, South Dakota

    Camp at Castle Creek Campground

    5.0
    0.25 mi / 0 ft gain
    Castle Creek is a challenging place to get to, the road in the off seasons can be even more difficult. In the spring/early summer when the road is wet it can become rutted. There is one road to get to the campground from the East from Mystic it is about 8 rough narrow miles, but you could arrive ...
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  • Rapid City, South Dakota

    Hike to the Stratobowl Rim

    2 mi / 100 ft gain
    The winding trail to the Stratobowl is a gradual and easy hike, which is perfect for the whole family or for a quick excursion if you don't have a lot of time. It is roughly a mile to the Rim overlook, where there is a plaque commemorating the November 11th, 1935 balloon flight that launched 72,3...
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  • Lead, South Dakota

    Hike to Mt. Roosevelt Tower

    0.8 mi / 160 ft gain
    To get to the trailhead for Mt. Roosevelt, you will need to travel about a mile north of Deadwood, on HWY 85, then you will see signs for it near the Lodge of Deadwood, from there you will eventually hit a gravel road and it is about 2.5 miles from the highway. The trailhead has picnic tables, an...
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  • Custer, South Dakota

    Hike Grace Coolidge Walk-In Area

    6 mi / 150 ft gain
    Grace Coolidge Walk-In area is a fantastic place to go for a hike and do some fly fishing! There are 6 dams built along the 3 mile trail. You can start on either from Center Lake off of Playhouse Rd. or you can start at the southern trailhead near Highway 16A, that is not too far west from the St...
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  • Northeast Fall River, South Dakota

    Swim at Cascade Falls

    2.0
    Cascade Falls is 10 miles south of Hot Springs on highway 71, it is easy to access, and is a great spot for a picnic or to cool off in the cool waters on hot days! There are several picnic tables, vault toilets and a large parking area, and just a short walk down to the falls. The pool at the bas...
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  • Spearfish, South Dakota

    Hike around Lookout Mountain

    4.5
    2.4 mi / 860 ft gain
    To get to the trail for Lookout Mountain there are 2 trailheads. One trailhead is just a few blocks from downtown on Nevada St., the other trailhead is on the East side of town. This post is using the Nevada St. Trailhead as the starting point. From this trailhead to the top of Lookout Mountain i...
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  • Keystone, South Dakota

    Hike Iron Creek Trail #15

    2.4 mi / 200 ft gain
    The trail is accessible from 2 different spots, both give you the opportunity for a scenic drive to get there. The approach from the Northeast side is on Iron Mountain road a beautiful scenic Black Hills highway, and you will be very near Lakota Lake.  The Southwest trail head is a more rugged dr...
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  • Lead, South Dakota

    Camp at Hanna Campground

    0.25 mi / 0 ft gain
    The campground is located 7.5 miles south of Lead on Highway 85, then turn left on road 196, there will be a sign for Hanna CG, from there it is just over 2 miles to the campground. The campground has 13 total sites, the main area of the CG is closed during the fall winter and spring, but there a...
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  • Garretson, South Dakota

    Camp at Palisade State Park

    Palisade State Park offers lots of activities, including camping, hiking, kayaking, and even swimming in the river. Steep cliffs made from pink quartzite give way to Split Rock Creek, a river perfect for kayaking. Up on a cliff, there is a campground with fire pits and picnic tables at each site....
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Go Great Places in South Dakota

In the Mount Rushmore state, travels to South Dakota are full of one-of-a-kind adventure with wide-open spaces as endless as the horizons. Between legendary landscapes and scenic drives, you can always find space that shifts life into park. When you’re ready, go great places.

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