South Dakota is the known as the land of great places, and great places. It is mostly famous for being the home for Mount Rushmore, but also well recognized for its abundant wildlife, and magnificent geography. It stands among some of the most beautiful places in the United States to visit, and still retains its reputation at representing greatness as Mount Rushmore’s location. Here are some of the great adventures in South Dakota that can enhance your vacationing endeavors:

Crazy Horse memorial: This memorial began in 1939 being carved by the great artist Korczac Ziolkoski; it is a tribute to all the American Indians. It remains unfinished as Kiolkoski’s family continues the legacy to complete it. When it is done, it will become the world’s largest mountain sculpture ever carved in history. Many people flock to crazy horse to get a glimpse of what might exceed Mount Rushmore in notoriety.

The Black Hills Caves: South Dakota houses many of the world’s largest and most vast caves that exist on this planet. It has two major distinctive national parks, Jewel Cave National park, and Wind cave National Park. South Dakota has eight caves that are open to the public, but many more that are closed. The caves that exist here are known to be the most enveloped, and contain the most intricate tunnels of all the caves that have been discovered in the United States. The Jewel Caves were named after; the apparent shiny reflections that the caves crystals cause to expel like prisms.

The Corn Palace: Unlike the many structures that are housed in South Dakota this monument is not made of granite. It is a palace made of corn. It was developed in 1892 to display and expose South Dakota’s ecological contributions to the United States. It is free for the public to view, and is one of the most uniquely intriguing form of architecture that has been built.

Laura Ingles Wilder: Visit the origin where famed author Laura Ingles Wilder changed the history of literature by writing several of her Little House on the Prairie books. View the actual house that she lived in, and basks in the setting she so well described.

The Missouri River: Running right smack down the middle of the state of South Dakota is the Missouri river. This river is a portal for tourists to enjoy the outdoors by entertaining themselves with recreational activities such as, fishing, camping, swimming, and kayaking.

Mount Rushmore: Of course no trip to South Dakota would be complete without taking in the Mount Rushmore location in Keystone, by getting your breath taken away by the monumental memorial that represents the great Presidents of the United States. Now known as the world’s largest mountain sculpture, Mount Rushmore continues to draw millions of spectators to its panoramic nostalgia.

South Dakota is located in the North central part of the United States and is considered as a part of the Midwest. The great plain covers most of the regions of the state. South Dakota is also considered as part of the West. A river called the Missouri River stretches through the central part of the region.

South Dakota has a land area totaling up to 77,116 square miles, making it the seventeenth largest state in the union. The longest and largest river in the state is the Missouri River. Other South Dakota rivers include the James, White, Cheyenne and the Big Sioux.

South Dakota also have numerous natural lakes mostly found in the state’s eastern portion. The dams along the Missouri River are results of four gigantic reservoirs. These reservoirs include Lake Sharpe, Lewis Lake, Clark Lake and Lake Oahe. However, it is also noted that the Francis Case also contributes to this.

The Climate of South Dakota is described as continental. It has four distinct seasons that would range from hot summers to very cold winters. During the summer season, the average temperature of the state is nearly ninety degrees Fahrenheit. In South Dakota, it is not that unusual to have severe hot and dry spells, especially during the summer when temperatures rise above one hundred degrees Fahrenheit.

South Dakota also has an average annual precipitation ranging from semi arid to the north western part of the state, which is around fifteen inches or equivalent to three hundred eighty one millimeters. It is common to have semi humid conditions in some parts of the southeast region of the state. That is around 25 inches or 635 millimeters. There is a tiny area centered along the Black Hills and this has the highest recorded precipitation, going up to nearly 30 inches or 762 millimeters every year.

South Dakota is also home to several National Parks and Monuments. Their National Park Service are responsible for protecting these attractions for the sake of tourism and for future generations. It has two established National Parks, both of which are situated in the state’s south western regions.