Trails

Good Earth State Park at Blood Run

TRAILS TO ADVENTURE

To get off the beaten path, just pick your favorite mode of transportation: Bicycle, horseback, cross-country skis, snowmobile or your own two feet.

There are many ways to explore southeast South Dakota any season of the year. One is the extensive trail systems offered at state parks and communities throughout the region. Trails range from level paved surfaces to terrain suitable for mountain bikers. Guided hikes are available at state parks or take along your favorite bird or plant book and chart your own nature walk. Handicap accessible trails are located at Beaver Creek Nature Area and Big Sioux, Lewis & Clark and Pierson Ranch Recreation Areas. Parks offering equestrian trails include Big Sioux Recreation Area, Lewis & Clark Recreation Area, Newton Hills State Park, Union Grove State Park and Clay County Park. Lewis & Clark, Newton Hills and Union Grove have campground facilities specially outfitted for horses and their riders. Adams Homestead & Nature Preserve: The easy trails at Adams Homestead, near North Sioux City, feature native prairie grass along the Missouri River, with wildlife viewing blinds. Trails also meander through a century- old homestead complete with a home, barns, church and school house. Guided golf cart tours are available for visitors with physical limitations.

Big Sioux Recreation Area & Beaver Creek Nature

Area: Near Brandon, on the banks of the Big Sioux River, this area offers some of the best examples of tallgrass prairie in eastern South Dakota. Trails ramble through woodland and prairie. Winter hosts snowshoers and snowmobilers. Beaver Creek Nature Area is a great area to view a variety of wildlife; and features an 1870’s cabin that is host to living history programs. Big Sioux Recreation Trail & Greenway: Walk, jog, or bike your way along the Big Sioux River in Sioux Falls from Falls Park to the Outdoor Campus. This trail connects with the Falls Park bike trail. A five-story viewing tower provides a 360-degree view of Falls Park and city skyline. Chief White Crane Recreation Area: Trails for hiking and biking around Lake Yankton, near Yankton. Clay County Park: This park near Vermillion offers 34 acres of vast and beautiful wilderness with breathtaking views along trails for hiking, biking and horseback riding.

A three mile paved nature trail features a lookout area over the magnificent Missouri River. Devil’s Gulch: A scenic hiking trail leads to Devil’s Falls and Devil’s Stairway, Garretson. The trail has a footbridge spanning the chasm of Devil’s Gulch. According to local legend, in 1876 Jesse James evaded capture by spurring his horse to leap this ravine. Goat Island Recreation Area: This densely forested 800 acre island offers two miles of meandering trails and gentle river views. Hiking and primitive camping are available, located between Myron Grove river access and Clay County Park, which is near Vermillion. This island is only accessible by watercraft. Good Earth State Park at Blood Run: South Dakota’s newest state park located just a few miles southeast of Sioux Falls, features 6 miles of hiking trails through prairie, shaded woodlands, ravines and along the banks of the Big Sioux River with three scenic decks along the trails. Blood Run is a National Historic Landmark. Great Bear Recreation Park: Hiking trails range from hard surface to back country deer trails, available for cross country skiing in winter, at Sioux Falls. Green Island Recreation Area: Primitive camping and hiking, only accessible by watercraft, just west of the Discovery Bridge over the Missouri River at Yankton. Lake Alvin Recreation Area: Hiking trail, 4 miles east of Harrisburg. Lake Herman State Park: This park, near Madison, has over 3 miles of easy hiking trails through prairie, wetlands

Sioux River Red Rock Trail, photo by Lindsey Duffy

TRAILS DIRECTORY

Trail/Nearest Town Hiking Biking Handicap Access Equestrian Cross Country Ski Snowmobiling Snowshoeing

Adam’s Homestead & Nature Preserve N Sioux City • • • • Beaver Creek Nature Area Brandon • • Big Sioux Recreation Area Brandon • • • • • • Big Sioux River Recreation Trail Sioux Falls • • • Chief White Crane Recreation Area Yankton • • Clay County Park Vermillion • • • Devil’s Gulch Garretson • East River Snowmobile Trails Several • Goat Island Recreation Area Vermillion • Good Earth State Park at Blood Run Sioux Falls • • Great Bear Recreation Park Sioux Falls • • Green Island Recreation Area Yankton • Lake Alvin Recreation Area Harrisburg • Lake Herman State Park Madison • • • Lake Vermillion Recreation Area Montrose • Lewis & Clark Recreation Area Yankton • • • • • • Madison Bike & Recreation Trail Madison • • • Meridian Trails & Bridge Yankton • • • Mitchell Trails & Lake Mitchell Mitchell • • Newton Hills State Park Canton • • • • • Outdoor Campus Sioux Falls • • • • Palisades State Park Garretson • Pierson Ranch Recreation Area Yankton • • • • Prairie Arboretum Trail Freeman • Sioux River Red Rock Trail Dell Rapids • • Spirit Mound Historic Prairie Vermillion • Springfield Recreation Area Springfield • • Union Grove State Park Beresford • • • •

and historic sites. Cross-country skiing and snowshoeing during winter. Lake Vermillion Recreation Area: Easy hiking trail, 5 miles south of I-90 from Montrose exit.

Lewis & Clark Recreation Area: This park, near Yankton, offers miles of asphalt trail that winds along the shore of Lewis & Clark Lake and through wooded areas. It connects with the Meridian Trails system in Yankton. The park has a rugged multi-use trail for equestrian riders, hikers and mountain bikers and scenic snowmobile trails in winter.

Madison Bike & Recreation Trail: Four mile trail for hiking and biking from Flynn Field to Johnson’s Point, Lake Madison. Meridian Trails: Miles of paved trails throughout the city of Yankton connect to trails along Lewis and Clark Lake. The historical Meridian Pedestrian Bridge offers scenic vistas of the Missouri River. Mitchell Trails & Lake Mitchell: Mitchell Trails encompasses several parks, the beautiful DWU campus, and connects with the Lake Mitchell trail. Over 16 miles of paved and unpaved bike trails within the city connect to 13 miles of hiking and biking trails around Lake Mitchell. Mountain bike rental is available. Newton Hills State Park: Newton Hills’ Woodland Trail, near Canton, is on the National Recreational Trails registry. It crosses dense forests as well as open grasslands. An observation tower provides a bird’s eye view. Enjoy breathtaking displays of fall color. Outdoor Campus: Two miles of walking trails through tall grass prairie and riparian woodlands within the city of Sioux Falls. The trails are accessible to people with disabilities and are pedestrian only. Trails are available in winter for cross-country skiing and snowshoeing. Snowshoes are available for checkout. Palisades State Park: Four trails twist and turn through scenic quartzite formations along Split Rock Creek at Palisades State Park, near Garretson. A challenging climb awaits on towering Sioux quartzite spires and sheer cliff walls. A five-year expansion plan is underway that will more than double the size the park. This future expansion will increase hiking and camping opportunities and more in the park! Pierson Ranch Recreation Area: Easy paved trail at scenic Lewis & Clark Lake, Yankton. Prairie Arboretum Trail: A 40 acre oasis at Freeman features an outdoor amphitheatre, visitor center, large winding pond, walking trails, a rose garden, perennial gardens, dwarf conifer garden and sculptures. Sioux River Red Rock Trail: This outdoor recreational trail follows the The Dells of the Big Sioux River from Dell Rapids to a scenic overlook. Snowmobile Trails: Hundreds of miles of snowmobile trails connect Garretson, Dell Rapids, Brookings, Madison, Mitchell, DeSmet, Huron, Lennox and Parker. State Parks that provide snowmobile trails are Big Sioux and Lewis & Clark Recreation Areas. For a map of South Dakota Snowmobile Trails visit gfp.sd.gov/snowmobiling. Spirit Mound Historic Prairie: Stand where Lewis and Clark stood 200 years ago, by taking the three-quarter mile trail to the summit of Spirit Mound, near Vermillion. Over 300 acres of prairie are being restored. Interpretive signage makes this hike a learning experience. Springfield Recreation Area: This easy paved winding hiking/biking trail follows the Missouri River and connects to the town of Springfield. Union Grove State Park: This park south of Beresford features a large variety of trees which provide impressive fall color and attract many birds, making the four mile multi-use trail a great hike for birdwatchers. Horseback riders have 150 acres of rolling hills at their disposal. Follow the path to adventure in Southeast South Dakota!