Scenic, South Dakota

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

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Top Chillin 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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  • 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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  • 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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  • Hermosa, South Dakota

    Stargaze at Spokane Ghost Town

    Great all year long but, especially stunning when the galactic center of the Milky Way is visible from Spring to Fall, Spokane Ghost Town is a local favorite and a hidden gem. Set up your camera, and light paint some old buildings! The ghost town was originally a mine founded in the late 1800's w...
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  • Hermosa, South Dakota

    Explore the Spokane Ghost Town

    1 mi / 4521 ft gain
    Spokane will always be one of my favorite locations in the hills. The town was founded in 1890 and features 3 intact structures from that time. The most intact structure is the manager's house which you can find up on a hill behind the other buildings. A few years ago the old school house finally...
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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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  • 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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  • 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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  • Keystone, South Dakota

    Hike to Ingersoll Abandoned Mine

    2.5
    0.5 mi / 4990 ft gain
    Drive into Keystone, take a right on Old Hill City Road, drive for a little over two miles, you'll pass both Kemp's Kamp and the K Bar S Lodge, and look for Echo Valley Dr. on your left. As soon as you pass Echo Valley Dr, keep your eyes out for a pull off on the right. Once you get to the trailh...
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  • Hot Springs, South Dakota

    Camp at Elk Mountain Campground in Wind Cave National Park

    4.0
    Elk Mountain Campground is in a secluded area of the park, providing plenty of peace and quiet. Sites operate on a first come, first serve basis, although the campground was less than half full when we stayed in the middle of busy summer months. There are about 64 sites available in the campgroun...
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  • 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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  • Custer, South Dakota

    Hike to Little Devil's Tower in the Black Hills

    5.0
    The trail starts at the Little Devil's Tower Trailhead which is located roughly one mile east of Sylvan Lake on Highway 87. Take Trail #4 for around 1/2 mile until a fork in the trail. The right fork takes you to Harney Peak, while the left takes you to Little Devils Tower. Along the trail there ...
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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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