If you live here and/or have ever visited, you get it: South Dakota is quite possibly the most beautiful, yet underrated of all 50 states! While nearly every location is pretty on its own, there are a handful that stand out from the rest, including these 8 most beautiful places in South Dakota:

1. Badlands National Park (Interior)
Badlands Jaw Dropping Places SD
farmboyted / Flickr
The outstanding beauty of the barren Badlands draws tourists from all around the globe. The park stretches over 244,000 acres and is home to bison, bighorn sheep, prairie dogs, and black-footed ferrets.
Address: 25216 Ben Reifel Road, Interior, SD 57750
2. Palisades State Park (Garretson)
Palisades - Jaw Dropping Places SD
Amir / Flickr
Palisades State Park is one of the state's most beautiful and unique sites, making it one of the best destinations in South Dakota. You can camp here in tents, campers or adorable cabins to have up-close and personal access to the trails, swimming, and jaw dropping views this park has to offer! Make sure to also visit Split Rock Creek, which runs through the park between 50-foot vertical cliffs of quartzite.
Address: 25495 485th Avenue, Garretson, SD 57030
3. Wonderland Cave (Nemo)
wonderland cave - Jaw dropping places sd
Kris / Flickr
Tours of this cave began back in 1930 and continue to this day. The marvelous Wonderland Cave is just one of many in the area that hold stalactites, stalagmites, and ribbon stalactites, along with tons of other unique formations. Who would have known such jaw-dropping views could be found underground?!
Address: 12634 Alpine Road, Nemo, SD 57759
4. Pactola Lake (Custer)
Pactola Lake - Jaw Dropping Places SD
jpellgen / Flickr
Set against the backdrop of the stunning Black Hills, Pactola Lake is truly breathtaking. In addition to admiring the beautiful lake itself, you can also camp, kayak, ski, hike and even scuba dive!
Address: 1019 N. 5th Street, Custer, SD 57730

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5. The Needles (Custer)
The Needles - Jaw Dropping Views SD
Dan / Flickr
Located in the Black Hills, the Needles are actually enormous eroded granite pillars that beckon tourists and rock climbers from afar. In addition to just admiring and/or hiking around the area, you can experience what is considered to be one of the best natural wonders of South Dakota by driving the 14-mile Needles Highway.
Address: 13329 US Highway 16A, Custer, SD 57730
6. Spearfish Canyon (Spearfish)
Spearfish Canyon - Jaw Dropping Views SD
Justin Meissen / Flickr
Of all the beautiful scenery in the Black Hills, some claim Spearfish Canyon beats out all the other natural attractions... agree? With 1,000-foot-tall walls and wildlife galore, it is truly a hidden oasis in South Dakota.
Address: Spearfish, SD 57783
7. Sylvan Lake (Custer)
Sylvan Lake - Jaw Dropping Views SD
Joseph Bartmann / Flickr
Sylvan Lake is known for being the perfect lake to visit when you want to rock climb, swim, and/or go for a hike all in one day. As if the stunning lake wasn't enough, the twisting roads that lead you to Sylvan Lake provide additional jaw-dropping views all the way there.
Address: 13329 US Highway 16A, Custer, SD 57730
8. Falls Park (Sioux Falls)
Falls Park - Jaw Dropping Views SD
Jerry / Flickr
Have you ever wondered where South Dakota's biggest city got its name? You're looking at it! Falls Park is a must-see attraction year round, especially at night when the lights are all aglow.
Address: 131 East Falls Park Drive, Sioux Falls, SD 57104

As a life-long South Dakota resident, it is still astonishing to me that these absolutely jaw dropping views exist so near to us. How many of these jaw dropping views have you seen in person? What natural wonders in South Dakota would you add to the list?

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More to Explore

Most Beautiful Places in South Dakota

Annie | May 29, 2019

Where should I stop in South Dakota? This one is tough to answer, as we want you to take in EVERYTHING the Mount Rushmore State has to offer! However, if you can only visit a handful of places this trip, we recommend seeing Mount Rushmore (it really is a sight to see and makes for a great Facebook profile picture!), the iconic Wall Drug (a day trip in and of itself), and the aforementioned Falls Park. Since you're here, you will also want to see the bison at Custer State Park, Laura Ingalls Wilder's childhood home, and the one-of-a-kind Mitchell Corn Palace. Oh, I almost forgot to mention... ugh, just tour around for a month so you can see it all!

Is South Dakota a safe place to live? Thanks to our small population and friendly folks, South Dakota is one of the safest places to live in America! (One of the many perks of living in a smaller state: everyone knows everyone, so people are generally kinder to one another.)

What are some of the best cities to live in South Dakota? If you enjoy the busyness of the big city, you will want to go to Sioux Falls, which is chock-full of great restaurants, art, shopping, and more. If history is your thing, any of the Black Hills towns should tickle your fancy, especially Rapid City, Deadwood, or Lead. If you grew up in a small town and prefer that stronger sense of community, check out Pierre, which may be the state capital, but is home to less than 15,000.

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