If you love the outdoors, you'll love central, land-locked
South Dakota – it's sparsely populated (764,309)
and big on scenery with expanses of prairie, plus mountains,
hills, lakes, and rivers. The state's park system includes
sprawling forests, long stretches of riverfront (such
as on the Missouri River, which runs through the center
of the state), glacial lakes, historic forts, archeological
sites, and memorials.
Probably the most famous part of South Dakota is the
Mount Rushmore National Monument with the sculptures
of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt,
and Abraham Lincoln. The Black Hills region, where
Mount Rushmore is located, also includes the
Crazy Horse Memorial (a nine-story monument to
the legendary Dakota leader who defeated General Custer
at Little Bighorn in 1876); the
Black Hills National Forest, which stretches
for 1.2 million acres (485,622 hectares); the Black
Hills caves, which make up some of the largest concentration
of underground passageways in the world and of which
eight are open to the public; and
Badlands National Park with its rich fossil beds
dating back 23 to 35 million years.
The state still has a large Sioux population and was
the site of filming for Kevin Costner's 1990 award-winning
movie Dances With Wolves. Other famous names
associated with the state include Tom Brokaw, Cheryl
Ladd, Sitting Bull, and Red Cloud.
Like mountain biking? The
International Mountain Biking Association gave
South Dakota's trails an "A" grade. Have dinosaur-crazed
kids? Sue, the world-famous T-rex now housed at
Chicago's Field Museum, was found in South Dakota,
and a trip to the Badlands will let your kids go on
a real-life excavation. You can also take yourself
and your family to any number of festivals –
from polka to pumpkin – plus numerous frontier
days, fairs, rodeos, and Pow Wows. The gold-rush town
of
Deadwood – once home to notorious figures
like Wild Bill Hickok and Calamity Jane – now
sports a historic casino for those who'd like to try
their luck.
South Dakota is a 4-season state with usual summer
temperatures ranging from 56 to 78F (12 to 24C), with
humidity, though the temperature can easily climb past
90F (32C). The Black Hills are usually cooler with
freezing temperatures possible during the summer in
the high altitudes. Spring and fall are comfortable,
and winter can be very cold with temperatures averaging
7 to 37F (-14 to -3C).
See our 26 Jobs
in South Dakota
