Geography of South Dakota - Protected Areas

Protected Areas

South Dakota contains several sites that are protected by the National Park Service. Two national parks have been established in South Dakota, both of which are located in the southwestern part of the state. Badlands National Park was created in 1978. The park features a highly eroded, brightly colored landscape surrounded by semi-arid grasslands. Wind Cave National Park, established in 1903 in the Black Hills, contains an extensive cave network as well as a large herd of bison. Mount Rushmore National Memorial in the Black Hills was established in 1925. The well-known attraction features a mountain carved by sculptor Gutzon Borglum to resemble four former U.S. presidents. Other areas managed by the National Park Service include Jewel Cave National Monument near Custer, the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail, the Minuteman Missile National Historic Site, which features a decommissioned nuclear missile silo, and the Missouri National Recreational River. In addition to the National Park Service, the United States Forest Service manages several areas in the state. South Dakota contains two national forests, Black Hills National Forest and a small section of Custer National Forest, and three national grasslands: Buffalo Gap, Dakota Prairie, and Fort Pierre.

South Dakota also contains numerous state parks, all of which are managed by the South Dakota Department of Game, Fish, and Parks. Custer State Park in the Black Hills is the second-largest state park in the nation, and includes Sylvan Lake, Needles Highway, and a wildlife loop featuring a large bison herd and the "begging burros", among other species. Other notable parks in the state include Bear Butte State Park near Sturgis and Lewis and Clark State Recreation Area near Yankton.