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BEST SOUTH DAKOTA ROADTRIPS
What's available for South Dakota Roadtrips? You might say not much, but you'd be wrong. South Dakota is rich in history and sights. Some of the
more notable places to visit are the internationally renowned Mount Rushmore monument, Badlands National Park, Wind Cave National Park , The Black Hills National Forest, and Custer State Park. Not admitted into the Union until November 2, 1889, it is the 40th State. The population of 812,000 has the lowest per capita total state tax rate in the United States and they don't suffer with personal or corporate income taxes either. The sales tax rate for the state is 4 percent although some localities have a rate as high as 6 percent. And why should they have high taxes?
The state is very large (77,116 square miles) with vast distances between towns and a relatively small population. The Capitol is Pierre and Sioux Falls, in the southeastern corner, is the largest city with a population of 116,000 which itself is almost one quarter of the population of the whole state. The Missouri River bisects the state from north to south. To the west ranching and tourism are dominant and to the east, where the majority of the population resides, you'll find farming due to the abundance of fertile soil. South Dakota is home to the northern reaches of the Great Plains and most of the state's ecology is known as a North American grassland biome. On South Dakota Roadtrips while traveling from west to east you see nothing but miles of prairie in all directions, where it's easy to imagine the massive herds of Bison from years past. Sure the idea of endless prairies for miles on top of miles is somewhat discouraging, but there is so much more. In the central part of the state, bikers can cruise the Native American Scenic Byway through mixed grass
prairies along the Missouri River and into the heart of the Sioux Nation. You can visit the site of Wounded Knee and Chief Sitting Bulls grave site while going through four reservations of the Lakota Sioux. While most of the State IS prairie, the Black Hills in the western portion are gorgeous. Mount Rushmore is located in the Black Hills as well as Deadwood and Sturgis. During the month of August, Sturgis hosts the worlds largest motorcycle rally and let's face it, this is the ultimate travel destination for all South Dakota Roadtrips
Bikers from all over North America make the journey to be part of this event. Having attended three times myself, I'll tell you that Sturgis is awesome but it isn't the only place to go. The travel videos below will attest to this fact. Sturgis might be described as the "Ant Hill" and the surrounding area encompassing a 100 mile radius is the "Foraging Area". Everywhere you go the roads are filled with bikers. As I mentioned earlier, Mount Rushmore as well as the Badlands National Monument, and the Black Hills are huge travel destinations. Guys are swarming everywhere. Even Devils Tower in Wyoming, which is 80 miles away and in another state, has tons of bikes. It's great to be a part of this huge event. As you near the South Dakota, the number of bikers you pass begins to grow and grow until almost one in five vehicles you pass is a motorcycle. Ok, let's talk about the "WAVE". If you're like me you initiate the wave or wave back to other bikers all the time. You know what I mean. It's part of the North American biker custom and signifies our brotherhood. (Except in some parts of Maine. I was frequently left hanging there.) However, when you get within 150 miles of Sturgis you must stop waving or you'll be riding one-handed all the time. There's that many Bikers! Interstate 90 cuts through the southern portion of South Dakota and is the quickest was across. If you're traveling from Minnesota you will notice signs for Wall Drug hundreds of miles out. It's a popular tourist destination. Another
destination for bikers on South Dakota Roadtrips is the Corn Palace in Mitchell. The original Corn Palace on Main Street is a wooden castle structure that was built in 1892 to showcase the regions fertile soil and to encourage settlement. Over the years it has been rebuilt a few times and modified. Every year the entire exterior is decorated with corn murals selected by a committee and the changing theme is designed by a local artist. It's pretty neat and worth the trip.
Devils Tower, Deadwood, and Sturgis Rides
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