South Dakota Disney Travel Agents Near Me

Overview

Introduction

South Dakota is full of places that can take you away from the here and now. Watch a herd of buffalo trundle across the prairie, and you feel as if you've returned to a time before railroads and farmers overran the plains. Pay a visit to Mitchell in late summer, and you'll wonder if you've stumbled upon some ancient harvest ritual—an entire palace is decorated in corn and grass.

Of course, the classic South Dakota attractions remain: the Black Hills, Badlands National Park, Mount Rushmore, the Crazy Horse Memorial and Wind Cave National Park. You can make an entire vacation of these alone—their proximity allows you to see the best of the state in a short amount of time.

Geography

History

Members of the Sioux Nation were living in South Dakota when white explorers entered the area in the 1700s. They lived a primarily nomadic lifestyle in their search for bison. Explorers Lewis and Clark passed through the area in 1804 and 1806, and their expedition opened the region to settlers from the eastern U.S.

The Sioux mounted their first resistance to white settlers in the early 1800s—but the settlers kept coming. Significant battle victories by the Sioux in the 1860s forced some concessions by the U.S. government. But when gold was discovered in the Black Hills in 1874, the treaty was nullified, and the war was renewed. Sioux warriors helped decimate Gen. Custer's army at Little Big Horn in 1876, but this would prove their last major victory. By the end of the 1870s, the white settlement of South Dakota was assured. In 1890, a series of misunderstandings resulted in the massacre at Wounded Knee—the event that marked the end of armed resistance by Native Americans in the 19th century.

South Dakota became a state along with North Dakota in 1889. Farming and ranching became the basis of their economies, though both fared poorly during the droughts and the Great Depression of the 1930s. Since that time, South Dakota has added manufacturing, financial services and tourism to help diversify its business sector.

Snapshot

South Dakota's main attractions are outdoor activities, Mount Rushmore, the Badlands, mountain scenery, varied wildlife (bison, elk, pronghorn antelope and mountain goats), the Black Hills and gambling.

Travelers who love hiking, fishing, biking, hunting, beautiful scenery and spectacular national monuments will have a great time in South Dakota. Those seeking varied nightlife, diverse shopping or big-city amenities won't easily find them.

Potpourri

In what is considered the largest annual gathering of motorcycle enthusiasts in the world, up to 500,000 hog aficionados swarm into the small South Dakota community of Sturgis each August. In the past, extreme rowdiness was sometimes part of the event, but the presence of more RUBs—rich urban bikers—has toned the atmosphere down.

The Black Hills are so named because of the dark color of the pine and spruce trees that cover the region. The Native American phrase for the area, paha sapa, means "hills that are black."

Although there are plenty of elk in the Black Hills, the area is no longer home to bears.

Famous South Dakotans include television personalities Tom Brokaw, Mary Hart, David Soul and Cheryl Ladd, and Native Americans Crazy Horse and Sitting Bull.

A special computer system monitors Mount Rushmore for cracks and moisture—caretakers fear that water could seep into the fissures and freeze, causing the rock to split.

Gold is an important part of South Dakota's history—the first strike happened in Custer. In 1876, at the height of the gold rush, an experienced miner could process 50 pans of gold a day.

For more than 50 years, Spearfish was the site of the annual Black Hills Passion Play, in which a cast of professional actors, locals, horses, donkeys, camels and sheep re-create the last days of the life of Christ. The 2008 season was its final year.

The HBO series Deadwood is based on historical accounts of the time when Wild Bill Hickok, Calamity Jane, Seth Bullock and other characters from a rowdier age cooled their heels in the town. Thankfully, those who visit Deadwood today will find a much friendlier crowd.

South Dakota landscapes are often used by movie-makers. The films Dances with Wolves and National Treasure: Book of Secrets were filmed on location in South Dakota.