There’s An Alpaca Farm In South Dakota And You’re Going To Love It

South Dakota has a tradition of farming and ranching, but not all farms have the standard chickens and cows. Did you know that there's an alpaca farm right here in our state? There is... and you can visit for free!

If you've never seen an alpaca up close, you'll want to visit Caputa Alpacas.

It's located at 15268 E., SD-44, Caputa, SD 57725.

Owners Glenn and Debbie Lepp established the farm in January 2015 after a 15-year-long career of racing sled dogs.

The farm is now home to 85 alpacas and is the largest alpaca farm in South Dakota.

Alpacas are intelligent, social creatures who are typically gentle and lots of fun to pet. And just look at that adorable face!

Alpacas originate in South America, and are closely related to llamas, though they're smaller. These gorgeous animals are raised for their beautiful fleece, which is wonderful for knitting warm socks, hats, sweaters and basically anything you'd knit with sheep's wool. Alpaca fleece is actually warmer than sheep's wool and isn't as prickly. It's also hypoallergenic.

When you visit, you can get up close and personal with the alpacas.

Feed the alpacas, pet them and just generally get to know them. Really, your life is not complete until you've snuggled an alpaca.

It's free to visit Caputa Alpacas.

You can stop by seven days a week, from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. If you have questions before your visit, check out the Caputa Farms website.

If you love animals, here another experience you'll want to have — feeding a giraffe at Great Plains Zoo!