76 photo locations in South Dakota — 13 scenic viewpoints, 12 ghost towns, 11 rock formations, 7 waterfalls and more — plus 7 National Park Service sites and golden hour times for 5 cities. Milky Way core season runs March–September (best in June). Aurora needs about Kp 5.5+ in central South Dakota. Wildflowers peak around July.
Photo locations
76
NPS sites
7
Milky Way season
Mar–Sep
Peak bloom
July
Aurora
Kp 5.5+
Top photo locations in South Dakota
Mountain PeakMount Rushmore
Mountain PeakBlack Elk Peak
State ParkCuster State Park
LakeLake Oahe
LakeBig Stone Lake
National ForestBlack Hills National Forest
Rock FormationBear Butte
Ghost TownArdmore
Ghost TownManchester
State ParkPalisades State Park
LakeLewis and Clark Lake
State ParkSpirit Mound Historic Prairie
Browse by type
Scenic Viewpoints13Ghost Towns12Rock Formations11Waterfalls7State Parks6National Wildlife Refuges6Fire Lookouts4Lakes3Caves3Botanical Gardens3Mountain Peaks2Wilderness Areas2Canyons2National Forests1Natural Arches1
National Park Service sites in South Dakota
SDBadlands National Park
SDWind Cave National Park
SDJewel Cave National Monument
SDMinuteman Missile National Historic Site
SDMount Rushmore National Memorial
IA/IDLewis & Clark National Historic Trail
SD/NEMissouri National Recreational River
Golden hour in South Dakota cities
Night sky
- Milky Way in South Dakota
- Northern lights in South Dakota
- Perseids in South Dakota
- Geminids in South Dakota
Darkest skies in South Dakota
Scenic ViewpointAncient Hunters Overlook
Scenic ViewpointBadlands Wilderness Overlook
Scenic ViewpointBig Badlands Overlook
Scenic ViewpointBigfoot Pass Overlook
Scenic ViewpointBurns Basin Overlook
Scenic ViewpointConata Basin Overlook