Away from the Crowds in South Dakota

Visitors enjoy the enchanting Anne Hathaway Cottage in Wessington Springs that was built to look like the famous cottage in Stafford-upon-Avon in England. The white facade is crossed with brown timberwork, and the large windows have small panes. It is not as large as the original childhood home of William Shakespeare. Tours can be arranged to see the house.

The beautiful gardens are accessible to the public.

Enjoy the Big Sioux Recreation Area outside of Brandon. The lovely park has camping facilities. A beautiful river runs through the park and there are hiking trails to explore. During the summer, there is plenty of outside recreation like walking, cycling, boating, canoeing, and fishing. Picnic shelters for eating outside admiring nature. In the winter, you can enjoy snowshoeing and snowmobiling.

Be daring and visit with the Devil at Devil’s Gulch, a scenic spot with many legends. There are red cliffs towering over the valley and a gaping chasm between the rocks with a raging river below. Legends say that the notorious Jesse James made his horse charge and jump across the 20-foot canyon, landing safely on the other side to ride away to freedom.

See the Giant Pheasant in Huron sitting on a brick base overlooking the James River Valley. It has the honor of being the biggest pheasant in the world.

LaFramboise Island Nature Area was another destination taken by Lewis and Clark. It is located in the state capital of Pierre. The island sits in the Missouri River and is reached by a bridge from the mainland. There are rolling meadows and trees and a lot of wildlife. It is the breeding ground of the once-endangered bald eagle. You can enjoy hiking and cycling trails and fish in the river, and there are picnic areas available.

A lovely place to visit is the McCrory Gardens on the campus of South Dakota State University. The garden has hundreds of different types of trees, plants, flowers, shrubs, and herbs. The gardens educate and inform people about the cultivation of native plants and the introduction of outside species that can adapt to the local climate and conditions. Several gardens follow color themes, such as the Blue, Yellow, Red, and White Gardens.

The gardens display various themes, such as the Butterfly Garden and the Hummingbird Garden.

A beautiful park is the Pease Creek Recreation Area near Geddes.

The park provides easy access to the Missouri River and Lake Francis Case. There are trails for hiking, jogging, cycling, and horseback riding through woodlands. Fishermen can enjoy fishing for walleye, bass, catfish, northern pike, and crappie. In addition to a regular camping area with electric hookup points, there are also overnight spots for horses. Drinking water is available, and there is a picnic shelter.

The Porter Sculpture Park in Montrose was created by Wayne Porter, a local farmer. In his collection are over 50 large metal sculptures made from old agricultural machinery, tools, railway equipment, and scrap metal.

The first thing that attracts attention is a gigantic bull’s head, flanked by skeletal mythical beasts. Among other strange things are the open-mouthed face with a hand growing from its head, a blue emaciated dancing woman wearing only a chain-link belt and necklace, and a jack-in-the-box who is crying bloody tears.

Spirit Mound Historic Prairie is a state park on land that was once a sacred place for Native Americans. They believed the area had wicked spirits from legends that were told. The spirits of Spirit Mound Historic Prairie are said to be arrow-wielding evil monsters with huge heads who kill anybody who tries to enter their territory. Lewis and Clark, two famous explorers from past times, visited the top of the mound. They told stories about the devils who protected the area and learned plenty from native groups. Visitors can follow a half-mile track to the peak.

Explore the Spokane Ghost Town located outside of Custer. This mining town is a haunting scene of past memories. It was established in the late 1800s when the mine was operational and thrived until the 1940s. Only a few signs of previous life remain today, including the watchman’s house, the school, foundations, and some rusty cars.