Hudson South DakotaATTRACTIONS & THINGS TO DO
Listed below are the best attractions and things to do near Hudson, South Dakota.
1. Newton Hills State Park
SCENIC OUTDOOR RECREATION
Newton Hills State Park offers visitors beautiful hiking trails and outdoor recreation opportunities near Hudson. The park features wooded hills, diverse wildlife, and camping facilities for nature enthusiasts. Visitors can enjoy activities like hiking, picnicking, and bird watching throughout the year.
2. Calico Skies Vineyard and Winery
LOCAL WINE TASTING
Calico Skies Vineyard and Winery provides a delightful wine tasting experience in the Hudson area. Visitors can sample locally produced wines while enjoying the picturesque vineyard setting. The winery also hosts special events and offers tours of their wine-making facilities.
3. All Seasons Center: Siouxnami Waterpark
FAMILY WATER RECREATION
All Seasons Center features the popular Siouxnami Waterpark for family entertainment near Hudson. The waterpark includes water slides, a lazy river, and swimming pools suitable for visitors of all ages. This indoor facility provides year-round water recreation regardless of South Dakota's weather conditions.
4. Mount Rushmore National Memorial
AMERICA'S SHRINE OF DEMOCRACY
Mount Rushmore National Memorial features the iconic 60-foot faces of four American presidents carved into the granite mountainside. This national landmark represents the birth, growth, development, and preservation of the United States through the depictions of Washington, Jefferson, Roosevelt, and Lincoln. Visitors can explore the Lincoln Borglum Visitor Center and walk the Presidential Trail for closer views of this magnificent sculpture.
5. Badlands National Park
DRAMATIC NATURAL LANDSCAPES
Badlands National Park showcases 370 square miles of striking buttes, pinnacles, and eroded landscapes in western South Dakota. Visitors can explore unique geological formations through hiking trails or by driving the scenic Badlands Loop Road. The park is also home to free-roaming bison herds and preserves one of America's last remaining intact prairie landscapes.
6. Crazy Horse Memorial
MONUMENTAL LAKOTA TRIBUTE
Crazy Horse Memorial is an ongoing mountain sculpture project honoring the legendary Lakota leader that began in 1948. When completed, it will be the largest mountain carving in the world, depicting the Lakota leader on horseback pointing toward his lands. The site includes the Indian Museum of North America and the Native American Educational & Cultural Center for visitors to learn about Native American history and culture.
7. Jewel Cave National Monument
UNDERGROUND NATURAL WONDER
Jewel Cave National Monument preserves the third-longest known cave system in the world with over 200 miles of mapped passages. Visitors can take guided tours through chambers adorned with calcite crystals that give the cave its name. Above ground, the monument features 1,279 acres of forest with nature trails for additional exploration.
8. Custer State Park
WILDLIFE AND NATURAL BEAUTY
Custer State Park spans 71,000 acres of pristine wilderness where nearly 1,300 bison roam freely alongside other wildlife. Visitors can drive the Wildlife Loop Road to spot bison, pronghorn antelope, elk, mountain goats, and the park's famous begging burros. The park offers numerous recreational activities including hiking, fishing, camping, and swimming in crystal-clear mountain lakes.
9. Historic Deadwood
WILD WEST HERITAGE
Historic Deadwood preserves the authentic atmosphere of an 1870s gold rush town that became a National Historic Landmark in 1961. Visitors can walk in the footsteps of legendary Old West figures like Wild Bill Hickok and Calamity Jane while exploring the town's historic sites. Today's Deadwood offers a blend of history with modern entertainment including casinos, museums, concerts, and special events.
10. Missouri River Recreation Areas
MIGHTY MO WATER ADVENTURES
The Missouri River offers extensive water recreation opportunities across its free-flowing sections and four major reservoirs in South Dakota. Visitors can enjoy premier fishing, boating, and water sports along the mighty waterway. The river's recreation areas provide camping, hiking trails, and wildlife viewing opportunities along its scenic shores.
11. Wind Cave National Park
UNDERGROUND MAZE SYSTEM
Wind Cave National Park protects the first cave ever designated as a national park and features the world's largest concentration of rare boxwork formations. Above ground, the park encompasses nearly 34,000 acres of mixed-grass prairie and ponderosa pine forest that serves as a wildlife sanctuary. Visitors can take guided tours of the extensive cave system and explore the surface area's hiking trails.
12. Wall Drug
ICONIC WESTERN ATTRACTION
Wall Drug is a famous roadside attraction that began as a small pharmacy in 1931 and grew into a 76,000-square-foot visitor complex. Known for its free ice water, 5-cent coffee, and numerous western-themed shops and displays, this landmark draws over two million visitors annually. The sprawling complex includes a restaurant, art gallery, shopping mall, and quirky photo opportunities including an 80-foot dinosaur.
13. Falls Park
URBAN NATURAL WONDER
Falls Park showcases the natural beauty of the Big Sioux River as it cascades over pink quartzite formations in downtown Sioux Falls. Visitors can view the falls from various observation points including a five-story viewing tower that provides panoramic vistas of the city and falls. The 123-acre park includes historical buildings, walking paths, and the Falls Overlook Café housed in a restored 1908 hydroelectric plant.
14. Great Plains Zoo
WILDLIFE CONSERVATION CENTER
The Great Plains Zoo houses over 1,000 animals across 45 acres of naturalistic habitats in Sioux Falls. The zoo includes the Delbridge Museum of Natural History featuring one of the nation's finest collections of mounted animals. Visitors can enjoy up-close animal encounters, feeding opportunities, and special exhibits focused on conservation efforts.
15. Washington Pavilion
ARTS AND SCIENCE CENTER
The Washington Pavilion serves as the region's premier arts and science center housed in a renovated 1908 school building in downtown Sioux Falls. The facility features the Kirby Science Discovery Center with 100+ interactive exhibits, the Wells Fargo CineDome theater, and the Visual Arts Center displaying regional artwork. Visitors can also attend performances at the Mary W. Sommervold Hall, a 1,900-seat performing arts venue that hosts Broadway shows, concerts, and other cultural events.