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Scenic, South Dakota

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Top Spots in and near Scenic

  • 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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  • Wall, South Dakota

    Camp at Sage Creek Campground

    4.4
    There are no designated sites in this first come-first serve campground managed by NPS. There are pit toilets available for campers and covered picnic tables. A nearby creek makes for a nice walk. Buffalo roam on the other side of the creek and have been known to enter the middle of the campgroun...
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  • Wall, South Dakota

    Backpack to Deer Haven in Badlands NP

    4.5
    7 mi
    The Badlands defy description. The alien landscape, the unfamiliar silence, the insistence of wildlife, the brilliant night sky--these things inspire a profundity almost impossible to convey. Seeing the Badlands is a visceral experience, being in them is something else entirely.  Yes, you can get...
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  • Rapid City, South Dakota

    Fly Fish Along Rapid Creek

    WIth many access points and convenient location to the city, Rapid Creek offers fantastic trout stream fishing. This 86-mile long tributary of the Cheyenne River runs through the Black Hills National Forest, flowing east right through the heart of Rapid City. Anglers fishing Rapid Creek can expe...
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  • Interior, South Dakota

    Saddle Pass Trail

    5.0
    0.78 mi / 240 ft gain
    Saddle Pass Trail is an out-and-back trail that is moderately difficult located near Interior, South Dakota.
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  • Interior, South Dakota

    Drive the Sage Creek Rim Road

    4.8
    A labyrinth of gullies, hoodoos, and ravines, Badlands National Park in western South Dakota is a welcome break from the unrelenting flatness of the surrounding prairie. The remote park is also a paradise for backcountry hikers and campers who really want to escape the crowds and explore wilderne...
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  • Interior, South Dakota

    Cliff Shelf Nature Trail

    5.0
    0.62 mi / 43 ft gain
    About 4 miles south of the Northeast Park Entrance, just past the Castle Trailhead, is the Cliff Shelf Nature Trailhead. It sits on the outside of the cliff formation facing open space just through Cedar Pass. There is a parking lot here typically filled with people soaking in the panoramic views...
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  • Interior, South Dakota

    Hike the Badlands' Notch Trail

    4.5
    Notch Trail is on the south end of the Door Trail car park.The Trail sorta follows a dry river bed but there is also a actual trail you can also follow. It winds through the gulch and about half a mile or so you come to a 50 foot ladder. The ladder is a pretty easy climb up but can be a little mo...
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  • Interior, South Dakota

    Hike the Castle/Medicine Root Trail in Badlands National Park

    10 mi / 0 ft gain
    Very flat trail that is 10 miles round trip from the Door Trailhead to the Fossil Exhibit Trail and back. There is also parking along Old Northeast Road. Trail connects with the Saddle Pass Trail. Hiking in the summer can be very hot and the trail offers no shade. Beautiful views of the badlands ...
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  • Interior, South Dakota

    Window Trail in Badlands NP

    3.0
    0.25 mi / 10 ft gain
    The Window Trail is the perfect beginner trail or starting point for a Badlands hiking experience. It only takes about 15 minutes to get to the viewpoint (and back!), but it serves as the perfect place to whet your appetite for all the awesomeness the Badlands is about to throw at you.  The trai...
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  • Interior, South Dakota

    Door Trail in Badlands NP

    4.0
    0.86 mi
    A perfect intro to the magnificence of Badlands National Park, the Door Trail is located in between the Ben Reifel Visitor Center and the northeast entrance of the park. Other trails that can be accessed at this parking lot are the Door Trail, the Window Trail, the Notch Trail and Castle Trai...
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  • Rapid City, South Dakota

    Explore the Skyline Wilderness Area

    3 mi / 0 ft gain
    Dividing Rapid City's East and West sides, the Skyline Wilderness Area is a 150-acre park that features numerous walking, biking and hiking trails. This area can also be enjoyed as a beautiful drive that offers one of the best views of Rapid City.  The road stretches about two miles long and giv...
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  • Rapid City, South Dakota

    M Hill

    1.56 mi / 381 ft gain
    M Hill is a loop trail that takes you by a river located near Rapid City, South Dakota.
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  • Custer, South Dakota

    Drive the Custer State Park Wildlife Loop

    4.7
    The Custer State Park Wildlife Loop runs for 18 miles across beautiful grasslands and pine-speckled slopes that are home to much of the park's wildlife. Bison, pronghorn, whitetail, mule deer, elk, coyotes, burros, prairie dogs, eagles, hawks, and a variety of other birds may be spotted along the...
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  • Keystone, South Dakota

    Hippie Hole

    4.8
    0.3 mi
    While making your way to the parking area, you'll keep right for the most part. You'll also need a high clearance vehicle or the patience to drive very slowly. The dirt road to the trailhead is full of dips, holes, rocks, and essentially could be a close relative of off roading. If you do not hav...
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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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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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Camping and Lodging in Scenic

Cedar Pass Lodge (Badlands NP)
Cedar Pass Lodge, South Dakota

Cedar Pass Lodge (Badlands NP)

From $200 / night

Badlands / White River KOA Holiday
Scenic, South Dakota

Badlands / White River KOA Holiday

Rapid City / Black Hills KOA Holiday
Rapid City, South Dakota

Rapid City / Black Hills KOA Holiday

Under Canvas Mount Rushmore
Keystone, South Dakota

Under Canvas Mount Rushmore

From $199 / night

Iron Creek Horse Camp
Custer, South Dakota

Iron Creek Horse Camp

Hot Springs SD / Black Hills KOA Holiday
Hot Springs, South Dakota

Hot Springs SD / Black Hills KOA Holiday

Guides, Insights and Stories from Scenic

Floating Down the Cheyenne River

Floating Down the Cheyenne River

Isaac Parsons

3 Epic Days in Rapid City

3 Epic Days in Rapid City

CampCo