Vincent van Gogh was a Dutch post-Impressionist painter who lived a troubled life until he took it in 1890, having created more than 900 paintings. Interestingly, a majority of these works were painted in the final two years of his existence, and many of them feature splendiferous arrangements of flowers – both wild and in-vase – that would make any viewer’s jaw drop. It’s fun to say, then, that there are numerous incredible landscapes all over the state that look like something van Gogh would have painted in his day, and I’m not wrong; one of his favorite subjects was the sunflower, and as luck would have it, South Dakota’s got plenty. Come out and see some of the most beautiful places in South Dakota… many of which have plenty of sunflowers to brighten your day, should you arrive in late summer.

When I say that South Dakota has a lot of sunflowers... I mean South Dakota has a lot of sunflowers.
Mouser Williams/Flickr
Second only to our sister state of North Dakota, who produced over 1.3 million pounds of sunflowers in 2022, South Dakota produced an amazing 1.08 million pounds of the beautiful bloom in the same year.
It's a myth that they "follow" the sun, though there is some credence to the thought that juvenile flowers just might.
Travel South Dakota
Either way, sunflowers are an absolutely jaw-dropping feature... and the endless fields of them in South Dakota make us feel oh-so-blessed.
It's certainly a shame that van Gogh was never able to witness the splendor of North American sunflower blooms.
dacotahsgirl/Flickr
...especially in the particularly epic years, when we've had great rain, and there are somehow even more flowers than usual.

Related Stories

15 Incredible Natural Wonders In South Dakota That Defy Explanation

15 Incredible Natural Wonders In South Dakota That Defy Explanation

 The Little-Known Natural Wonder In South Dakota That Becomes Even More Enchanting In The Wintertime

The Little-Known Natural Wonder In South Dakota That Becomes Even More Enchanting In The Wintertime

 Did You Know South Dakota Is Home To One Of The Oldest National Parks In The US?

Did You Know South Dakota Is Home To One Of The Oldest National Parks In The US?
Your best bet for seeing these painterly fields in their prime is to come out and drive the backroads during late summer - namely July into August.
Lars Plougmann/Flickr
You can find amazing fields filled with flowers in lots of places all over South Dakota, but there are a couple of spots you can meander to for the best possible show.
Drive the I-90 in July and August, and prepare to be amazed.
Travel South Dakota
Highway 34, west of Pierre, is also an excellent go-to option for peak flower season that the locals love.
Finally (but not really... like I said, there are lots of these fields all over the place), you'll want to check out the fields on Highway 14 from Hayes to Wall.
Joel Kiraly/Flickr
...and if you find yourself in Wall, South Dakota, you know you gotta stop at the world-famous Wall Drug. It's a must-do for every local and every visitor. Hey, I don't make the rules.
But I digress: There is nothing in this world more spellbinding than a field of endless sunflowers.
J Swanstrom (Never enough time...)/Flickr
Vincent van Gogh himself might have even wept at the beauty of it all... perhaps it could have even calmed his stormy soul, at least for a little while.

If you find you can’t get enough of our amazing flower fields, you might want to explore the largest tulip field in South Dakota when the time comes, too. Need to know what to bring while making a road trip out of these blooms? No worries – our epic road trip packing list has got you covered. Never forget anything again!

What places in South Dakota feel like something out of a painting to you? Let me know.

OnlyInYourState may earn compensation through affiliate links in this article. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.

Related Articles

Explore South Dakota