South Dakota

South Dakota is a Midwestern state located in the United States. It is named after the Lakota and Dakota (Sioux) American Indian tribes. South Dakota was admitted to the Union on November 2, 1889 - the same day as North Dakota.

Located in the north-central United States, South Dakota is bisected by the Missouri river which divides the state into two socially and economically distinct halves known to residents as "east-river" and "west-river." In the southwestern   More...

Black Hills

The Black Hills of South Dakota are a lone series of mountains in the middle of the Great Plains. The nearest rocky mountains are several hundred miles to the west. The nearest mountains to the east or south are several thousand miles away. It was formed by unknown means when some kind of 'uplift' occurred many millions of years ago.

The Black Hills are possibly named black because of the Ponderosa Pine trees that grow there; young trees have black bark that turns orange as the   More...

Badlands National Park

Badlands National Park is a United States National Park that is located in southwestern South Dakota. This park is marked by rugged terrain and formations that resemble a science fiction landscape of another world. These rock formations take on the shapes of domes, twisted canyons and slanted walls, often striped in different colors. The formations contrast sharply with the rolling hills and prairies in which they stand.

In addition to the rock formations, the park contains the   More...