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Scenic Running Trails in South Dakota

South Dakota has 73 trails with scenic views in this directory, across 21 cities and towns — Rapid City, Sioux Falls, Spearfish, Yankton and 17 more. Waterfronts, overlooks and river loops: the trails that get you out of the door.

Labels come from each trail's own listing, its website and runners' reviews. Conditions change with the weather and the season, and gates and lights follow the park's own hours, so check a recent review before you drive out.

Every one in South Dakota

Use the filters to narrow these by surface, loop, distance, shade, lighting, restrooms, water and parking.

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Canyon Lake Park

4.7 ★★★★★ 2,078 reviews

Rapid City, SD

ShadedScenic

Relaxed park area featuring a lake with ducks & geese, picnic areas, a toddler playground & gazebo.

Sertoma Park

4.7 ★★★★★ 1,913 reviews

Sioux Falls, SD

Natural surfaceShadedScenicDog-friendly

Park featuring a butterfly house, a playground, a picnic shelter, walking paths, restrooms & more.

Bridal Veil Falls

4.7 ★★★★★ 1,833 reviews

Spearfish, SD

Natural surfaceScenic

Popular cascade on the Spearfish Canyon Scenic Byway, offering a platform, a deck and parking.

Lewis and Clark Recreation Area

4.8 ★★★★★ 1,138 reviews

Yankton, SD

MixedLitScenic

Lakeside campgrounds & sandy beaches, multi-use trails, plus a resort, restaurant & boat marina.

Spearfish Canyon Nature Area

4.9 ★★★★★ 864 reviews

Lead, SD

MixedScenic

Popular scenic route for biking and driving, featuring canyon walls, waterfalls and trails.

Cathedral Spires Trailhead

4.9 ★★★★★ 862 reviews

Custer, SD

Natural surfaceShadedScenic

Yankton Trail Park

4.6 ★★★★★ 766 reviews

Sioux Falls, SD

Scenic

Green space with multiple league soccer fields & access to the riverside bike trail.

Lake Vermillion State Recreation Area

4.6 ★★★★★ 697 reviews

Canistota, SD

LoopNatural surfaceScenic

Recreational area offering fishing, boating, swimming, camping, hiking, and picnicking.

Bear Butte State Park

4.7 ★★★★★ 682 reviews

Sturgis, SD

Natural surfaceScenicDog-friendly

Mountain, state park and site of Native American ceremonies, offering a challenging trail to the summit with panoramic views.

Tuthill Park

4.7 ★★★★★ 669 reviews

Sioux Falls, SD

Natural surfaceScenic

This picturesque park features formal gardens, a disc golf course, a skating rink & picnic shelters.

Founders Park

4.6 ★★★★★ 681 reviews

Rapid City, SD

Scenic

Sprawling green space along Rapid Creek with hiking and walking trails, plus picnic tables.

City Park

4.8 ★★★★★ 604 reviews

Spearfish, SD

PavedScenic

Park offering a playground and picnic facilities, plus sports courts and a fish hatchery.

Cherry Rock Park

4.5 ★★★★★ 481 reviews

Sioux Falls, SD

LoopShadedScenic

Riverfront play area featuring playgrounds, shaded trails, a picnic shelter and volleyball courts, plus baseball fields.

Dakota Nature Park

4.7 ★★★★★ 457 reviews

Brookings, SD

MixedScenicDog-friendly

Formerly a landfill site, this undeveloped park is now a naturalistic area for wildlife observation.

Dunham Park

4.4 ★★★★☆ 460 reviews

Sioux Falls, SD

PavedScenic

Hiking & biking trails winding through an open space with sports courts & picnic facilities.

Spearfish Parks & Recreation

4.8 ★★★★★ 393 reviews

Spearfish, SD

Scenic

Deep & narrow canyon lying within the Black Hills & featuring a fast flowing creek.

Spearfish Canyon Nature Area

4.8 ★★★★★ 382 reviews

Lead, SD

MixedShadedScenic

State park featuring picnic areas, trails, and multiple waterfalls.

Devils Bathtub Trailhead

4.6 ★★★★★ 370 reviews

Lead, SD

LoopNatural surfaceScenic

Oahe Downstream Recreation Area

4.6 ★★★★★ 363 reviews

Fort Pierre, SD

PavedShadedScenic

Waterfront campground & hiking area with fishing, disc golf & wildlife, including bald eagles.

Arrowhead Park

4.6 ★★★★★ 361 reviews

Sioux Falls, SD

PavedScenic

City park offering paved and unpaved hiking trails through an old quarry.

Steamboat Park

4.6 ★★★★★ 335 reviews

Pierre, SD

PavedScenic

Riverfront park and disc golf course featuring playgrounds and a covered picnic area.

Adams Homestead and Nature Preserve

4.8 ★★★★★ 297 reviews

North Sioux City, SD

10 miMixedScenic

1,500-acre park with a visitor center, picnic shelter, bird blind, hiking trails & an archery range.

Farm Island

4.7 ★★★★★ 292 reviews

Pierre, SD

MixedScenic

Park offering a swimming area and picnic facilities, plus hiking, and kayaking.

Riverside Park

4.7 ★★★★★ 292 reviews

Yankton, SD

Scenic

Riverside park featuring a playground, a ball field, picnic shelters and grassy areas.

Legacy Park

4.5 ★★★★★ 297 reviews

Sioux Falls, SD

PavedScenicDog-friendly

Riverfront space featuring paved trails, grassy paths, plus picnic spots and clean bathrooms.

Falls of the Big Sioux River

4.8 ★★★★★ 266 reviews

Sioux Falls, SD

ScenicDog-friendly

Fawick Park

4.5 ★★★★★ 240 reviews

Sioux Falls, SD

Scenic

City park with a statue providing a place to relax and a riverfront.

Fantle Memorial Park

4.6 ★★★★★ 229 reviews

Yankton, SD

Scenic

Park with a water park, playground, and sports courts, as well as disc golf.

McHardy Park

4.5 ★★★★★ 216 reviews

Brandon, SD

LitScenic

Relaxed park with playground equipment and a sand base, fishing and a river.

Black Hills Buzzard's Roost Trailhead

4.7 ★★★★★ 205 reviews

Rapid City, SD

LoopNatural surfaceScenicDog-friendly

Scenic trail system featuring a variety of terrain, plus panoramic views.

Skyline Wilderness Area Park

4.7 ★★★★★ 199 reviews

Rapid City, SD

Natural surfaceScenic

150-acre public park offering scenic trails for hiking & mountain biking, plus picnic areas.

Meridian Bridge Plaza

4.7 ★★★★★ 197 reviews

Yankton, SD

Scenic

Peaceful park with picnic tables featuring a bridge and benches, plus fireworks displays.

Spirit Mound State Historic Prairie

4.7 ★★★★★ 193 reviews

Vermillion, SD

10 miCrushed gravelLitScenic

State park noted for a short trail up a hill offering 360-degree views of the flat prairie.

Stratobowl Rim Trailhead

4.8 ★★★★★ 184 reviews

Rapid City, SD

1.7 miCrushed gravelScenicDog-friendly

Easy 1-, 2- mile hike affording sweeping views and a launch area for hot-air balloons.

Clay County Park

4.6 ★★★★★ 188 reviews

Vermillion, SD

ShadedScenicDog-friendly

Scenic 44-site campground near the Missouri River featuring tent and RV spots, plus a playground.

Little Elk Creek Trailhead

4.9 ★★★★★ 174 reviews

Piedmont, SD

ScenicDog-friendly

Kid-friendly area with an out-and-back trail through the woods to Dalton Lake.

Pelican Lake Recreation Area

4.5 ★★★★★ 159 reviews

Watertown, SD

5.5 miMixedScenic

Relaxed, airy campground area featuring playgrounds, shelters and showers.

Deadwood Trailhead George S. Mickelson Trail

4.7 ★★★★★ 148 reviews

Deadwood, SD

MixedScenic

Hiker-friendly trail offering scenic views and several trailheads.

Fischers Lilly Park

4.6 ★★★★★ 148 reviews

Fort Pierre, SD

Crushed gravelScenicDog-friendly

Park, green space, swings and slides for kids amid peaceful Missouri River views.

Pierson Ranch Recreation Area

4.7 ★★★★★ 129 reviews

Yankton, SD

Natural surfaceShadedScenic

Well-equipped campsite with a park area, picnic shelters, ball courts & a playground.

Farm Island Recreation Area

4.5 ★★★★★ 133 reviews

Pierre, SD

MixedScenicDog-friendly

Waterfront green space with a public beach, playgrounds, multi-use trails & a campground.

Lookout Mountain Trail

4.6 ★★★★★ 129 reviews

Spearfish, SD

Scenic

Park featuring a variety of hiking and biking trails, including some that are kid-friendly.

McKinley Park

4.5 ★★★★★ 120 reviews

Watertown, SD

ShadedLitScenic

Riverside park known for its playground and bike trail, plus picnics.

Gavins Point Recreation Area

4.8 ★★★★★ 109 reviews

Yankton, SD

MixedScenic

Park featuring campsites, swimming and fishing as well as trails for walking, biking and riding horses.

The Outdoor Campus

4.6 ★★★★★ 111 reviews

Sioux Falls, SD

2 miScenic

Good Earth State Park

4.9 ★★★★★ 101 reviews

Sioux Falls, SD

Natural surfaceScenic

Riverside park offering scenic views, hiking and geocaching.

Griffin Park

4.5 ★★★★★ 106 reviews

Pierre, SD

Crushed gravelScenic

Public park offering a playground, picnic areas, and skate park, plus tennis courts and a swimming area.

Coon Hollow Trailhead

4.7 ★★★★★ 101 reviews

Rapid City, SD

LoopNatural surfaceScenic

Hiking area with various trails that are kid-friendly, well-shaded, and offer scenic views.

Ft Meade Recreation Area Park

4.7 ★★★★★ 97 reviews

Sturgis, SD

ScenicDog-friendly

Park with opportunities for hiking, biking, horseback riding, and jogging.

Stonewall Overlook Trailhead

4.8 ★★★★★ 89 reviews

Rapid City, SD

Scenic

Hiker-friendly beauty spot with a lookout point offering views of the city, sunsets and sunrises.

Spearfish Community Caves

4.6 ★★★★★ 86 reviews

Spearfish, SD

Scenic

Unmarked trail for steep hikes and waterfall views from hillside caves, plus winter sports.

Crow Peak Trailhead

4.8 ★★★★★ 81 reviews

Spearfish, SD

Natural surfaceShadedScenicDog-friendly

Easy-to-follow 7-mile climb through forest to a mountain peak granting valley views.

Petrified Forest Trailhead

4.6 ★★★★★ 83 reviews

Rapid City, SD

Scenic

Landscaped area featuring hiking trails and views of Rapid City.

Perry Nature Reserve

4.7 ★★★★★ 80 reviews

Sioux Falls, SD

ShadedScenicDog-friendly

Nature preserve featuring trails for hiking, picnicking, and dog walking.

Lions Park

4.7 ★★★★★ 79 reviews

Watertown, SD

LitScenic

Small park with slides and picnic tables, plus fish and trails.

Little Spearfish Falls Trail

4.8 ★★★★★ 75 reviews

Lead, SD

Scenic

Well-maintained trail to a beautiful waterfall with clear water and wildlife sightings.

Kiwanis Woodlot Park

4.7 ★★★★★ 70 reviews

Mitchell, SD

Scenic

Public spot offering a playground, hiking trails and frisbee golf.

M Hill

4.7 ★★★★★ 70 reviews

Rapid City, SD

Crushed gravelScenic

Public park featuring kid-friendly hiking trails and mountain biking.

Community Cave Trail

4.6 ★★★★★ 64 reviews

Spearfish, SD

Natural surfaceScenicDog-friendly

Visitors hike to the top of a waterfall at this park, which features a cave.

Camp 5 Trailhead

4.8 ★★★★★ 61 reviews

Sturgis, SD

Natural surfaceScenic

Hanson-Larsen Memorial Park

4.9 ★★★★★ 46 reviews

Rapid City, SD

20 miScenic

Chuck Lien Family Park

4.7 ★★★★★ 45 reviews

Rapid City, SD

Scenic

Park in the middle of Rapid City with trails for walking, hiking, and mountain biking.

Osprey Hiking Trail

4.7 ★★★★★ 44 reviews

Rapid City, SD

LoopNatural surfaceScenic

Kid-friendly hiking area featuring a lake.

Fort Pierre National Grassland

4.5 ★★★★★ 45 reviews

Fort Pierre, SD

MixedScenicDog-friendly

Kuhnert Arboretum

4.6 ★★★★★ 41 reviews

Aberdeen, SD

Scenic

Valley Of The Giants Trail

4.5 ★★★★★ 32 reviews

Brandon, SD

LoopScenic

Skyline Wilderness Area Park

4.5 ★★★★★ 30 reviews

Rapid City, SD

Scenic

Chalk Bluffs Multi-Use Trailhead

4.9 ★★★★★ 27 reviews

Yankton, SD

Natural surfaceScenic

Englewood Trailhead, George S. Mickelson Trail

5 ★★★★★ 23 reviews

Lead, SD

Crushed gravelScenic

Boulder Hill Trailhead

4.8 ★★★★★ 23 reviews

Rapid City, SD

LoopNatural surfaceScenic

Bear Butte Trailhead

4.7 ★★★★★ 21 reviews

Vale, SD

Natural surfaceScenicDog-friendly

Trailhead #3

4.8 ★★★★★ 12 reviews

Rapid City, SD

Natural surfaceScenic

Centennial Trail Ft. Meade Trailhead

4.9 ★★★★★ 10 reviews

FORT MEADE, SD

Scenic

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