Top Hotels in South Dakota Resorts
Top Things to do in South Dakota
6 Top-Rated Resorts in South Dakota
South Dakota has good golf courses, skiing, snowmobiling, horseback riding, hiking, and biking among rolling prairies, pine forests, and granite mountain peaks like Mount Rushmore. Glacial lakes and Missouri River reservoir lakes provide great fishing, boating, canoeing, water skiing, and windsurfing. The whole family will enjoy this prairie land where grain growing begat roadside attractions like the Corn Palace in Mitchell. Everything made from corn, even the popcorn, tastes better here. Where buffalo roam, roadside diners serve up buffalo and luscious homemade fruit pies. Shop for good deals on cowboy boots on the same Black Hills and Badland Main Streets where cowboys and cowgirls outfit themselves. Be near the eroded buttes, spires, and prairie grasslands of Badlands National Park in Lead, Deadwood, Rapid City, Spearfish, Sturgis, Hill City, Custer, and other nearby towns. The whole family will enjoy watching for big game like bison, bighorn sheep, antelope, eagles, and hawks. Drive the one-hour Hwy 240 loop road, with a side-trip to Robert's Prairie Dog Town. Learn about the Oglala Sioux Tribe at the White River Visitor Center, which is near Wounded Knee. Tour the Minuteman Missile National Historic Site's Cold War nuclear silos, just outside the Park's boundaries. About 90 minutes west of Badlands National Park is Mount Rushmore. Lead, Deadwood, Rapid City, Spearfish, Sturgis, Hill City, Whitetail Springs, and Custer are also very near Mount Rushmore National Memorial, Custer State Park, Wind Cave National Park, and Jewel Cave National Monument. View Mount Rushmore from the aerial tramway in Keystone, which also houses the Borglum Historical Center celebrating the artist behind the sculpting of Rushmore. Take the kids to the Dinosaur Park in Rapid City. Attend Custer State Park’s Annual Buffalo Roundup and Arts Festival. Bedazzle the whole family with sparkling calcite crystals in 151-mile long Jewel Cave. Bison, pronghorn, and elk graze the grasslands of Wind Cave National Park. Central South Dakota has the state capitol, Pierre, in addition to numerous lakes along the Missouri River. Go fishing and boating in the rivers and lakes. Take the kids to the South Dakota Discovery Center and Aquarium in Pierre to see the state’s native fish. Drop by the Dacotah Prairie Museum along the James River in Aberdeen in the northeast to learn prairie history and natural history. Swing by Sioux Falls to see the USS South Dakota Battleship Memorial and special exhibits at the Old Courthouse Museum. Choose from among 10 golf courses in Sioux Falls.
Things to do in South Dakota
1. Deadwood Gulch Resort, Trademark Collection by Wyndham
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 1025 reviews
Deadwood Gulch Gaming Resort HAS IT ALL! The Gulch features a 24-Hour Casino, Award-Winning Hotel, Creekside Restaurant and Convention Center. With on-site parking in a beautiful Black Hills setting and access to the Mickelson Trail for year-round outdoor activities we are your one-stop-shop when planning a vacation. We’re all about you. You want a creek? Got it. Hot tub? Towels are at the front desk. We aim to please for all of your events and needs. As two-time winner of our state’s Great Service Award and winner of TripAdvisor's 2011 - 2017 Certificate of Excellence, we invite you to come enjoy Deadwood Gulch Gaming Resort. Award-winning property, award-winning staff, beautiful creek side setting…let our family serve yours.
Creekside
Reviewed By LynetteMartinWe loved the patio above the creek. We used the shuttle so didn't have to look for parking in town. Food and beverages were very affordable! King bed in large room. Everything was clean and comfortable.
2. Spearfish Canyon Lodge
Overall Ratings
4 based on 578 reviews
Looking for a place to stay in Lead? Then look no further than Spearfish Canyon Lodge, a quaint resort that brings the best of Lead to your doorstep. The rooms offer a flat screen TV and air conditioning, and getting online is possible, as free wifi is available, allowing you to rest and refresh with ease. Spearfish Canyon Lodge features a 24 hour front desk, shops, and a gift shop. In addition, as a valued Spearfish Canyon Hotel guest, you can enjoy a hot tub and a lounge that are available on-site. Guests arriving by vehicle have access to free parking. If you’re looking for things to do, you can check out Roughlock Falls State Nature Area (0.0 mi), which is a popular attraction amongst tourists, and it is within walking distance. We’re sure you’ll enjoy your stay at Spearfish Canyon Lodge as you experience everything Lead has to offer.
Great service with a beautiful setting.
Reviewed By Mlund7891We have both stayed at the the resort and rental snowmobiles for numerous years. Their service at the lodge and with the snowmobile rentals have always exceeded our expectations. The snowmobiles are very new each year and work great. We always plan to return in future years.
3. Baymont by Wyndham Keystone Near Mt. Rushmore
Overall Ratings
3 based on 312 reviews
Newly renovated Baymont Inn & Suites located on a hill inside Keystone that overlooks Mt Rushmore. Baymont Inn & Suites Keystone can accommodate any traveler with its single queen rooms with bunk beds, single king rooms, double double rooms and luxury top floor balcony suites that offer the best views in the area. Take advantage of our free breakfast each morning before you start your day. You will need it for all that Keystone has to offer. Keystone has enough to keep families busy for several days while exploring the area and creating memories to last a lifetime.
Don't Stay Here!!
Reviewed By S8752WLjanetvThe room is about the size of a cruise ship room. We stayed a week, no cleaning all week including trash dumped, bathroom cleaned , towels switched out...I asked if we could just get it cleaned without changing beds..Front desk told me they don't clean due to covid. REALLY, especially in SD! They should be sanitizing daily if they are worried about covid. Looks more like a cheapskate hotel not paying maids anymore to me! Terrible experience but the location is great.
4. State Game Lodge
Overall Ratings
3.5 based on 613 reviews
Located in Custer State Park, this family accommodation once served as housing for the state's game keepers.
Great Lodge, Great Park
Reviewed By nancysD6965QGFirst time at the park and it was amazing. Stayed at the Custer State Game Lodge in a comfortable and clean room. Wonderful restaurant and bar. The bar manager Mark made the best cosmo that I've ever had!
5. Legion Lake Resort
Overall Ratings
4 based on 162 reviews
This newly rebuilt in 2016 Custer State Park accommodation is located adjacent to Legion Lake and offers 25 standard and two premium cabins in a variety of arrangements, dining, access to fishing, and boat rentals. With a breathtaking lake view and serene setting you'll be sure to enjoy your visit!
Family Reunion - Disappointing Centennial Cabin
Reviewed By Sandra RWe booked different spaces at Legion Lake Lodge for a family reunion. We had a total of 46 people, using different options for lodging for six nights. Two families were in sleeping cabins, one family was in a housekeeping cabin, two families stayed in the campgrounds and we booked the Galena and the Centennial Cabins. Not having been here before, we were not aware of the distances, although we assumed we could walk between the lodge and the Centennial Cabin, which was not the case. Most of the smaller spaces were good, although one family experienced a leaking air conditioner in their sleeping cabin and it was right next to the bed. They called for assistance but it was not fixed during their stay so they used their waste paper basket to catch the water as it dripped. Most of my review will be on the Centennial Cabin, which is where I stayed. It has great spaces for large groups to gather and a wonderful fire pit for evening activities. That said, the cabin was not clean! There is a loft that was full of dead bugs and the dirt under the pull-out couches was disgusting. The couches were also extremely uncomfortable so my niece and her husband slept on the floor instead. Given those issues, the cabin really only sleeps six in comfortable beds. Our other frustration was the lack of kitchen necessities. There were lots of pots and pans but we had to buy paper towel, dishwasher detergent, toilet paper, etc. There were only two rolls of toilet paper in each bathroom! I called on the second day and asked for more but it never arrived. Considering the money that we spent on this cabin, it was very disappointing. We did share this information with the hotel staff as we checked out and they assured us that we deserved some sort of a refund, since we stayed so long and the cabin should have been fully stocked with supplies. That would have been nice but of course, we never heard from them. This area has a lot of potential and there is much to see and experience in this beautiful park. The lake is beautiful and for a large family staying in the areas around the lodge, it's within walking distance!
6. Red Rock River Resort
Overall Ratings
4 based on 128 reviews
Perhaps it’s your first visit to the beautiful Black Hills of South Dakota or maybe you've visited so often, you're looking for something new to discover. Begin your discovery at the Red Rock River Resort in historic Hot Springs. Located in the heart of the historic district, the Resort occupies one of the grand sandstone buildings designed and built by talented artisans at the turn of the last century. Today, enjoy luxurious rooms and all the pampering and health benefits of a full-service spa.
Never Again!!
Reviewed By SashaM332020I've really thought long and hard about posting anything but I don't want anyone else to waste their money and experience what I had too having our wedding at the Red Rock River Resort. So sorry in advance for the long post and I really wish i would have taken more pictures for proof. Family and friends, if you had a room, please check your account to make sure you were not overcharged as my sister was and they wouldn't even talk to her about. Her room, as well as all the others, should have only been $135. They put their hand up in front of her face and said that they weren't even going to discuss it with her. They made the comment that they were "going to go through the rooms thoroughly and charge everyone for ever little damage" as there was another incident with a seperate room. They were writing down all of credit card information and names on a piece of paper that just sat on the front desk!! (Which hello... that's illegal) When setting up for the reception we had a limited amount of time to set up between 3pm and 9pm the day before. This should have been plenty of time, however, when arriving we had to move and set up all the chairs and tables ourselves. The floors were ABSOLUTELY DISGUSTING! My daughters feet were BLACK after being there in the first minute! The same thing happened to all of us if we took one step without our shoes but this photo is one that my family member took. We also had to scrub the tables and chairs because they were filthy! We used 4 tubs of soap and water and the water absolutely black. There was still food on some tables! We also found a MOLDY PORK CHOP on the floor in the corner while cleaning! It was so hot!!! We had guests leave because who wants to sit indoors in the heat. The morning of the wedding i wanted to take a bath in our jacuzzi tub. It took an hour to fill up (which is whatever). Once i got in and turned the jets on, it looked like i was sitting in a rootbeer float because there brown bubbles coming out.? The night of the wedding they decided to shut the bar down early even though it was contracted till 2AM. Granted my husband was upset at them and tried to confront them on the filth, but the owner started yelling and grabbed the register and left. The next morning when cleaning up i noticed that I had a Yeti cooler missing and had no idea where it went. When my Dad tried to find it for me they said it was in a room that they locked the night before after a guest already paid for it. They were extremely rude and said that whoevers room it was had to get it, but they couldnt give it back until they paid for damages in the room. I stated that i just wanted my cooler back and idk how it ended up in there. But after telling me that the individual was the only who could get it, they told my Dad if we paid $100 he could have it back. Everything was about money. We couldnt use their kitchen or fridge (besides for the cake) unless we paid $250. Originally the venue came with table cloths but then they wanted $20 a table cloth so i bought my own! After guests rented out all 14 rooms they still tried to make us responsible for the rooms. I had to pay $310 too have our bridal suite for 2 nights just so i could get ready in there the day of! When cleaning up our suite for check out, we looked under the bed to make sure nothing got lost. Low and behold we found socks, a pack of briefs, the owners mail, and an ungodly amout of dust bunnies and more filth! Dont get me wrong, my family is a rowdy bunch!! But to call us a bunch of animals is not professional. To sit there and yell and curse and not discuss anything like adults is UNPROFESSIONAL!! The building itself is such a beautiful establishment and has so much potential. Truly sad to see people run it down and run it how they do. We paid over 2k for a place that we had clean and to be treated like crap!
