Stay South Dakota Rentals, Vacation Rentals in South Dakota

South Dakota is a West North Central state bordered by North Dakota to the north, Minnesota and Iowa to the east, Nebraska to the south, and Montana and Wyoming to the west. The Missouri River runs through the center of the state. The state's western region is part of the Great Plains. It has deep canyons and rolling plains. The state's eastern region is more like the Midwest. It has low hills, lakes formed by very old glaciers, and large areas of fertile farmland. There are Badlands in South Dakota's southwestern region. Badlands are areas of small, steep hills and deep gullies formed primarily by water erosion. The state also has grasslands and prairies. Because of its extremely varied landscape, South Dakota is sometimes called the "Land of Infinite Variety." Dakota is a Sioux Indian word for "friend" or "ally." South Dakota's largest city is Sioux Falls. The coyote is the state animal and the state is sometimes called the "Coyote State."

The culture of the US state of South Dakota exhibits influences from many different sources. American Indians, the cultures of the American West and Midwest, and the customs and traditions of many of the state's various immigrant groups have all contributed to South Dakota art, music, and literature. Much of South Dakota's culture reflects the state's American Indian, rural, Western, and European roots.

South Dakota has an interior continental climate, with hot summers, extremely cold winters, high winds, and periodic droughts. The normal January temperature is –11°C; the normal July temperature, 23°C. The record low temperature is –50°C, set at McIntosh on 17 February 1936; the record high, 49°C, at Gann valley on 5 July 1936. Normal annual precipitation (1971–2000) averaged 24.7 inches in Sioux Falls in the southeast, decreasing to less than 13 inches in the northwest. Sioux Falls receives an average of 41 inches of snow per year.

Rapid City: Rapid City is perhaps best-known for Mount Rushmore National Memorial, which is just a few minutes outside the city. The four granite faces of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln and Theodore Roosevelt were begun in 1927 and completed in 1941.

Sioux Falls: Sioux Falls is the largest city of South Dakota with a population over 150,000. Located in southeast South Dakota, the majority of the city rests south of interstate 90.

Custer: Custer, the oldest town in the Black Hills, is named for the infamous Col. George Armstrong Custer, who discovered gold on French Creek here in 1874.

Deadwood: Deadwood was founded in 1876 at the height of the Black Hills gold rush. Within months, as many as 10,000 miners, muleskinners and madams had descended into Deadwood Gulch.

Wall: Wall is just 8 miles north of Badlands National Park, 55 miles from Rapid City and 70 miles from the Black Hills in South Dakota. The town of Wall is home to the famous Wall Drug.

Spearfish: Located at the northern edge of the Black Hills, Spearfish sits about 10 miles east of South Dakota's border with Wyoming along Interstate-90. With almost 10,000 residents.

Keystone: Keystone, like so many towns in the Black Hills started out as a mining camp. Gold was not the only mineral mined in the Black Hills.

Hill City: Hill City began life as a small mining town during the Black Hills gold rush. A relatively small amount of gold was ever found near the community.

Hot Springs: Hot Springs lies along the banks of Fall River in the southern Black Hills. The natural warm-water springs for which the city is named continue to flow.

Sturgis: Although nearby Bear Butte was an important landmark for pioneers and prospectors entering the Black Hills beginning in 1875, a permanent settlement wasn't established at Sturgis until 1878.

Tourism is another important part of South Dakota's economy. The industry's growth has created new jobs and income. The Black Hills, home of Mount Rushmore, are one of the most popular tourist attractions in the country. Mount Rushmore, one of the world's largest sculptures, is a spectacular carving of the busts of Presidents George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln in the granite face of the mountain. South Dakota is sometimes called the "Mount Rushmore State." A gigantic sculpture of Crazy Horse, a famous Sioux Indian chief, is being carved in the Black Hills near the town of Custer. That sculpture is going to be even bigger than Mount Rushmore. You can see fantastic rock formations of spires, canyons, pinnacles, and ridges at Badlands National Park.

South Dakota contains two National Scenic Byways. The Peter Norbeck National Scenic Byway is located in the Black Hills, while the Native American Scenic Byway runs along the Missouri River in the north-central part of the state. Other scenic byways include the Badlands Loop Scenic Byway, the Spearfish Canyon Scenic Byway, and the Wildlife Loop Road Scenic Byway.

Railroads have played an important role in South Dakota transportation since the mid-19th century. Some 4,420 miles of railroad track were built in South Dakota during the late 19th century and early 20th century, but only 1,839 miles are active. BNSF Railway is currently the largest railroad in South Dakota; the Dakota, Minnesota, and Eastern Railroad is the state's other major carrier. Rail transportation in the state is confined only to freight, however, as South Dakota is one of the few states without any Amtrak service.

South Dakota's largest commercial airports in terms of passenger traffic are the Sioux Falls Regional Airport and Rapid City Regional Airport. Delta Air Lines, Frontier Airlines, and Allegiant Airlines, as well as commuter airlines using the brand affiliation with major airlines serve the two largest airports. Several other cities in the state also have commercial air service, some of which is subsidized by the Essential Air Service program.