One of the most beautiful places in South Dakota is the Black Hills National Forest, where you’ll find towering granite cliffs, tumbling waterfalls, endless ponderosa pines, and roaming deer and elk. You’ll also find the tiny town of Keystone here, which may just be the most beautiful town in South Dakota.
The tiny town of Keystone has less than 350 residents.
J. Stephen Conn/flickr
Hop aboard the 1880 Train to take a tour of the Black Hills by steam train.
YNPChristmasBray/TripAdvisor
The Black Hills National Forest is just stunning.
ccindyk48/TripAdvisor
Richie Diesterheft/TripAdvisor These photos alone should explain why Keystone is South Dakota’s most naturally beautiful town.
Horse Thief Lake is just west of town. It’s surrounded by granite boulders and tall conifers - a little gem just two miles from Mount Rushmore.
Jotravelswithfreedom/TripAdvisor
Mount Rushmore National Park covers 1,278.45 acres.
Roy W./TripAdvisor The four, 60-foot-tall sculptures of four Presidents include George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln and Theodore Roosevelt.
In addition to the sculptures, this national park has plenty of recreation available.
shadia1071/TripAdvisor The Presidential Trail is a half-mile loop that allows you to see some of the most amazing views of Mount Rushmore.
Custer State Park is just 13 miles from Keystone.
BevnJer/TripAdvisor
The granite formations here are called “Needles.”
Maurice Z/TripAdvisor
You’ll see herds of buffalo here - the park is home to more than 1,300 of these magnificent animals.
Hrammann/TripAdvsior
Buffalo aren’t the only animals you’ll come across in Custer State Park. Aren’t these prairie dogs adorable?
Getty Images/Bertrie Roggen
Sure-footed mountain goats also call this forest home.
J. Stephen Conn/flickr
Sylvan Lake is a nice spot for a picnic or some fishing.
Goophygirl/TripAdvisor
Black Elk Peak is the highest summit in South Dakota. From 7,242 feet, you can see for miles.
Black Elk Peak/flickr
While this little town has just a few hundred residents, tourists come from all over the world to visit the natural wonders that surround this town.
TravelingOtter/Wikimedia If you haven’t been to Keystone (AKA the most charming town in South Dakota!) yet - now’s the time!
What’s your favorite thing to do in Keystone? Tell us about your adventures there!
J. Stephen Conn/flickr
YNPChristmasBray/TripAdvisor
ccindyk48/TripAdvisor
Richie Diesterheft/TripAdvisor
These photos alone should explain why Keystone is South Dakota’s most naturally beautiful town.
Jotravelswithfreedom/TripAdvisor
Roy W./TripAdvisor
The four, 60-foot-tall sculptures of four Presidents include George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln and Theodore Roosevelt.
shadia1071/TripAdvisor
The Presidential Trail is a half-mile loop that allows you to see some of the most amazing views of Mount Rushmore.
BevnJer/TripAdvisor
Maurice Z/TripAdvisor
Hrammann/TripAdvsior
Getty Images/Bertrie Roggen
Goophygirl/TripAdvisor
Black Elk Peak/flickr
TravelingOtter/Wikimedia
If you haven’t been to Keystone (AKA the most charming town in South Dakota!) yet - now’s the time!
Address: Keystone, SD 57751
Get out and explore more of South Dakota! Take a look at theses 11 incredible trips that you can take right here in the Mount Rushmore State. If you want to see even more of Keystone and the Black Hills, you will want to take This 45-Mile Train Ride Is The Most Relaxing Way To Enjoy South Dakota Scenery.
OnlyInYourState may earn compensation through affiliate links in this article.
Address: Keystone, SD 57751, USA
The OIYS Visitor Center
Most Beautiful Town in South Dakota May 30, 2019 Annie What are the most scenic towns in South Dakota? While we obviously love Keystone (as evidenced by this entire article), we happen to find a number of other South Dakota towns to be pretty darn scenic, too! Located near Keystone are Deadwood, Custer, and Lead, all of which are also Black Hills towns and therefore boast some pretty stellar views as well. In addition to these Black Hills communities, other nature lovers towns in South Dakota include De Smet (the home of Laura Ingalls Wilder!), Pierre, Mitchell, and Yankton. Where are the best places to live in South Dakota? Pick a town, any town, and you have found the perfect place to live! If you are looking for something more specific, however, we highly recommend Vermillion (especially if you enjoy the arts and are on the prowl for great schools), Sioux Falls (a big city with a smaller town feel), Rapid City (history galore!), and/or Spearfish (for the outdoor enthusiast). What are the best natural wonders in South Dakota? South Dakota may be known for manmade monuments like Mount Rushmore and Crazy Horse, but we have a number of amazing natural wonders, too. Take, for instance, the awe-inspiring Badlands National Park, Black Hills National Park, Needles (and Needles Eye Tunnel), and Spearfish Canyon. The fun doesn’t stop there, however, as we also have Falls Park, Custer State Park, Bear Butte, Black Elk Peak, and… well, you get the picture!
The OIYS Visitor Center
Most Beautiful Town in South Dakota
May 30, 2019
Annie
What are the most scenic towns in South Dakota? While we obviously love Keystone (as evidenced by this entire article), we happen to find a number of other South Dakota towns to be pretty darn scenic, too! Located near Keystone are Deadwood, Custer, and Lead, all of which are also Black Hills towns and therefore boast some pretty stellar views as well. In addition to these Black Hills communities, other nature lovers towns in South Dakota include De Smet (the home of Laura Ingalls Wilder!), Pierre, Mitchell, and Yankton. Where are the best places to live in South Dakota? Pick a town, any town, and you have found the perfect place to live! If you are looking for something more specific, however, we highly recommend Vermillion (especially if you enjoy the arts and are on the prowl for great schools), Sioux Falls (a big city with a smaller town feel), Rapid City (history galore!), and/or Spearfish (for the outdoor enthusiast). What are the best natural wonders in South Dakota? South Dakota may be known for manmade monuments like Mount Rushmore and Crazy Horse, but we have a number of amazing natural wonders, too. Take, for instance, the awe-inspiring Badlands National Park, Black Hills National Park, Needles (and Needles Eye Tunnel), and Spearfish Canyon. The fun doesn’t stop there, however, as we also have Falls Park, Custer State Park, Bear Butte, Black Elk Peak, and… well, you get the picture!
The OIYS Visitor Center
The OIYS Visitor Center
Where are the best places to live in South Dakota? Pick a town, any town, and you have found the perfect place to live! If you are looking for something more specific, however, we highly recommend Vermillion (especially if you enjoy the arts and are on the prowl for great schools), Sioux Falls (a big city with a smaller town feel), Rapid City (history galore!), and/or Spearfish (for the outdoor enthusiast).
What are the best natural wonders in South Dakota? South Dakota may be known for manmade monuments like Mount Rushmore and Crazy Horse, but we have a number of amazing natural wonders, too. Take, for instance, the awe-inspiring Badlands National Park, Black Hills National Park, Needles (and Needles Eye Tunnel), and Spearfish Canyon. The fun doesn’t stop there, however, as we also have Falls Park, Custer State Park, Bear Butte, Black Elk Peak, and… well, you get the picture!
