Page 442 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - USA

440  THE GREA T PLAINS

South Dakota

Rivers, hills, buttes, rolling prairies, and badlands are South
Dakota’s defining geographical features. The Missouri River
bisects the state from north to south, with the corn and
soybean fields of the flatter eastern plains giving way to
shortgrass prairie and rocky badlands as one heads west on
the state’s main east–west corridor, I-90. Culturally, the state
is dominated by the heritage of the Dakota, Lakota, and
Nakota Sioux tribes, who roamed and hunted the buffalo-
rich area until they were moved onto reservations in the
late 1800s. Over 60,000 Native Americans still reside here.
Exterior of the South Dakota State Capitol
in Pierre
7 Mitchell 8 Pierre
P South Dakota Cultural
* 16,000. @ * 14,000. ~ @ n 800 W Dakota Heritage Center
n 601 N Main St, (866) 273-2676. Ave, (800) 962-2034. ∑ pierre.org 900 Governors Dr. Tel (605) 773-
∑ cornpalace.com 3458. Open 9am–6:30pm Mon–Sat,
The second-smallest capital
Located in the fertile James River in the US, Pierre lies in the 1–4:30pm Sun. Closed Jan 1, Easter,
Thanksgiving, Dec 25. & 7
Valley, Mitchell is a combination Missouri River Valley, and forms
of agricultural and industrial a leafy oasis in the short grass,
businesses. The city’s claim to largely treeless plains of central 9 Badlands
fame is the world’s only Corn South Dakota. The 1910 South
Palace, a Moorish auditorium Dakota State Capitol has a National Park
that was built in 1921 to house grand marble staircase and n Ben Reifel Visitor Center,
the city’s Corn Belt Exposition. overlooks a lake visited each Rte 240, S of I-90 exit 131. Tel (605)
Colorful domes, minarets, and spring and fall by thousands of 433-5361. Open Jun–Aug: 7am–
kiosks are the only permanent migratory birds. A huge display 7pm; Sep–Oct: 8am–5pm; Nov–
design features on the ever- of Christmas trees inside the May: 8am–4pm. & 7
changing façade of the palace. Capitol begins at Thanksgiving. ∑ nps.gov/badl
Every year, local artists use more The excellent South Dakota
than 3,000 bushels of corn and Cultural Heritage Center The eerie desolation of
grasses to create new murals, is built into the side of a Badlands National Park is
which depict agricul-tural and Missouri River bluff, covered an awe-inspiring sight for
myriad other scenes. This tradi- with short grass prairie. Its travelers unprepared for such
tion dates back to 1892, when exhibits trace the history of a stark, rugged landscape
the Corn Real Estate Association South Dakota’s Sioux tribes after miles of gentle, rolling
constructed the first palace to and also provide information South Dakota prairie. Formed
showcase the area’s crops, in an on the diverse ethnic back- over 14 million years ago
endeavor to lure settlers. grounds of the state’s from sediment deposition
homesteading white settlers. and erosion in the Black Hills
E Corn Palace On display is a lead plate that (see pp442–3), the Badlands
Open Apr–May & Sep–Nov: was buried in a nearby river were sculpted into their
8am–5pm daily; Jun–Aug: 8am–9pm; bluff in 1743 by the French- present craggy form by harsh
Dec–Mar: 8am–5pm Mon–Sat. 7 sponsored Verendrye exped ition sun and powerful winds.
to mark the site One of the most complete
as French territory. fossil accumulations in
The Verendrye North America is contained
Museum, across in this 380-sq-mile (990-sq-km)
the river in Fort park. The Ben Reifel Visitor
Pierre, focuses on Center is the gateway to
French trading several self-guided hiking
and exploration tours and the 30-mile (48-km)
activities. Badlands Loop Road (Route
240). The scenic drive follows
P South Dakota the northern rim of the
State Capitol 450-ft- (137-m-) high Badlands
500 E Capitol Ave. Wall escarpment and leads
Tel (605) 773-3011. to several overlooks and
Open 8am–7pm trails that provide breath-
Mon–Fri, 8am–5pm taking vistas of the eroded
Mural at the Corn Palace, Mitchell Sat, Sun. gullies below.
For hotels and restaurants in this region see pp460–62 and pp463–5

440-441_EW_USA.indd 440 11/2/16 2:46 PM
Eyewitness Travel LAYERS PRINTED:
Catalogue template “UK” LAYER
(Source v2.6)
Date 12th July 2013
Size 125mm x 217mm