Top attractions near Sioux Falls, South Dakota: Falls Park, Devil’s Gulch Park, Palisades State Park and more
Just as the city of St. Louis, Missouri is considered the “Gateway to the West” due to its strategic importance as the commercial, financial, and logistical hub for America’s westward expansion, to me, the city of Sioux Falls, South Dakota also has a similar distinction as a gateway to the west. That feeling of being in the west begins as soon as you cross the mighty Mississippi River, but it isn’t truly until you get to South Dakota that you really feel like you’re actually in the west.
There are many reasons why I feel this way:
- South Dakota sits directly on a historical, geographical, and cultural boundary where the flat Midwestern plains give way to more rugged, mountainous terrain of the Old West
- Cities tend to be smaller in size compared to those in the Midwest (like Chicago, Minneapolis); this also means less people, less traffic the farther west you go
- Some of the biggest concentration of bison herd is found in western South Dakota at Custer State Park
- The perceived hustle and bustle attitude of the east coast is nowhere to be found by the time you cross over into South Dakota and beyond
- Land just seems bigger, sky seems bigger, and the trees are bigger and taller
That last feeling, the feeling of being small when compared to the landscape, is what makes the west unique. I always love the idea that I’m just a small speck of dust in this place, when it seems like the road may never end…
In those unique environments, you can’t help but think of our place in the universe, and of how small we really are. As much as we all feel our lives are so important, when compared to the age and the vastness of the universe, we are all just a little lightning bug that briefly flashes in the night, before disappearing into the darkness…
Driving on those western roads sure puts things into perspective. It makes me realize I shouldn’t take things too seriously (I generally don’t already), to enjoy this brief life we all have, and to stop fussing over such minor, trivial matters we think are so serious. In the grand scheme of things, most things we worry about today, doesn’t matter 100 years from today…
Leaving a legacy, trying to make a name for yourself, or trying to be rich & famous is a fool’s errand. Most of us will never get there. It’s better to find your inner peace to find your happy place that’s unique to you, than to try to be something you’re not…
Ok, enough with this philosophical nonsense!
The last time my wife and I visited Sioux Falls, South Dakota was in August 2003, the year we sold our home in New York City to move to Hawaii. We ventured out to the west that summer thinking we wouldn’t be coming back to the mainland USA for a long time. We wanted to see the west before starting a new chapter in our lives…
We stayed at a nondescript hotel near Sioux Falls staying only 2 nights, before moving on to Rapid City, South Dakota, on the other end of the state. We used Sioux Falls public library’s computer to book hotels as smartphones weren’t yet available, and we didn’t own portable laptops at the time. ***Wow, how times have changed, and how convenient traveling is today.
We then set out to explore the famous Falls Park. Back then, we were a bit underwhelmed as we sort of expected Niagara Falls, but got a mini waterfall instead. Of course, this attitude was not very conducive to enjoying a new environment!
I admit we were bit spoiled and bit prejudiced back then, always comparing places to New York. It wasn’t until we adopted our dog Toby, that our attitudes changed. We learned to appreciate new places, no matter the size or popularity, and to really learned to enjoy them as they are.
With this newfound appreciation for all places, we were excited to revisit this place the second time around. Here are some of our favorite places near Sioux Falls, South Dakota:
- Falls Park
Falls Park is a 123 acre landmark in Sioux Falls, centered around the waterfalls of the Big Sioux River cascading over pink quartzite rocks. This is without a doubt, one of the most popular attractions in the area.
We headed out of our home in Luverne, then headed west, taking the ubiquitous I-90 interstate highway. The drive would take around 30 minutes.
Just as we had some 20+ years ago, we found parking easy enough, and just a short walk from the Falls Park Visitor Information Center. We had missed the view from the 5 story observation tower on our first visit, so this was to be our first stop at the park.
We walked up instead of taking the elevator, to get some morning exercise in. The stairs were busy with lots of people also getting their exercises in.
We made it to the top, then walked outside to check out the fantastic views! Wow, what a beautiful view!
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| Falls Park Visitor Information Center |
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| View from the top of the tower! |
What an incredible view from the top of the observation tower, and the best part? It’s totally free to get up there!
We spent few minutes walking around the tower, then came downstairs when the tower got really busy. We made room so others can enjoy the views. Five minutes is all we really needed…
We started to walk along the riverside, seeing how clean and well maintained this park is. Somehow, this park looked better than we remembered it. The walkways, the grass, and just about everywhere was meticulously maintained. Kudos to the city of Sioux Falls!
We walked up to the famous waterfall, marveling at its power, grace, and beauty.
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| We had taken the same photo here on our first trip |
We got up close to see the falls. It was so soothing to feel these waterfalls with their millions of gallons of water churning, crashing, and going their merry way…
We decided to go south on the walking path, retracing the same way we had done before some 20+ years ago. We succeeded. Everything looked just like how we remembered it, just better, and cleaner.
We stopped along the route to check out different vantage points. We went as far as we could, until a road construction sign turned us around.
We got back to where we started then walked on the other side of the river by crossing a pedestrian bridge.
Very nice view from there.
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| View from the pedestrian bridge |
We walked south again, now on the other side of the falls, passing fellow tourists, then made it to the perhaps the most scenic spot at the falls. We saw the strongest water flow right at that spot. Cool!
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| Our favorite spot for seeing the waterfall |
Beyond this spot was a historical building, just to the left of where we had just been in. We found out this was the old site of the city mill called “Hive of the Queen City.”
We walked around this building then headed back the way we had come, to get some lunch at the popular Falls Overlook Cafe. The cafe was built on the site of 1908 hydroelectric plant, but the coolest part of the restaurant is its location right near the waterfall. The building has cool historical exhibits throughout, and the fact that it has air conditioning during the hot South Dakota summers means it’s the place to be for several minutes, just to cool off.
We ordered couple of sandwiches and cold drinks. Although the food was average, we thought the prices were reasonable for its location (around $15 for a sandwich).
We spent 30 minutes inside the air conditioned restaurant to cool off. Highly recommend this cafe to take a breather especially during the summer!
- Devil’s Gulch Park
Devil’s Gulch Park, located in Garretson, South Dakota is a scenic natural area with quartzite canyons, hiking trails, and is famous for the legend of outlaw Jesse James leaping across the 18 foot chasm to escape a posse. What’s not to like here? We had to check it out!
Garretson is roughly 20 miles from Luverne, Minnesota, and we headed out there taking strictly local roads. We arrived at the park in about 30 minutes, then pulled into a dirt covered, a decent sized parking lot with a small visitor center.
We bypassed the visitor center as we knew where we needed to go (a big sign to the gulch was visible). We saw the beautiful canyons below us! Wow, so cool…
We crossed a narrow, steel bridge to cross over to the other side of the gulch. The views were simply amazing.
We walked on, taking our time seeing the orange, brown, red colored rocks on either side of the canyon. We followed down the trail to get to the bottom of the canyon for a closer look.
Down below, we noticed birds had built nests inside small crevices inside the canyon rocks. It was so cool to see so many of them going in and out of their nests, in a very uncoordinated, haphazard manner.
Oh, and the place was loud with hundreds of them constantly communicating among themselves!
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| Looking up at the bridge we just crossed |
This place was magnificent. It was almost like walking through an Indiana Jones movie set, somewhere far and exotic.
We continued our exploration of this place by continuing along the creek, watching our steps along the way. The previous day’s rain had made the place muddy making our trek tad more difficult, especially along the creek bank.
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| End of the trail |
We walked as far as we could, as the trail ended near the gigantic boulder. It was a short walk but certainly a very memorable one at that. We definitely liked what we saw!
- Palisades State Park
Palisades State Park, also located in the town of Garretson, South Dakota is a park known for its quartzite rock cliffs and spires. Although it is a small park, it packs amazing views and awesome rock formations, punching way above its weight in terms of things to do and see.
We took almost the same route we had taken on our way to Devil’s Gulch Park the other day, and arrived few minutes shy of half an hour. Unlike Devil’s Gulch Park, the entrance to the park was grand, with expansive open spaces greeting visitors.
We caught a glimpse of several campers relaxing near the campground as we continued deeper into the park. At first glance, the park didn’t look like it houses some of the most amazing rock formations we’d laid our eyes on, but that changed quickly.
We found a parking lot near the South Wall Trail, parked, then started our walk. The trail, which takes you along the creek, slowly gains elevation after several minutes. We walked through densely packed woods until we found several openings to get near the Split Rock Creek.
Views were fantastic! We got to see the beautiful rock cliffs in some of the most spectacular brown/reddish/brown colors.
We pushed on bit further shortly thereafter, then decided to cross over to the other side of the creek via the 1908 Palisades Iron Bridge. Views from the bridge were beautiful…
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| View from the bridge |
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| 1908 Palisades Iron Bridge |
Once we crossed over, we got on the King and Queen Trail to get to the top of the rock cliffs we had just seen from the other side of the creek. We traversed through thick underbrush and a very narrow path, when we saw a clearing just to the front.
We walked closer to the edge of the rock cliffs, being slow, methodical, and very careful…
The views did not disappoint. Wow…
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| From the top of the rock cliffs |
We walked down from there, heading back south to get a different vantage point. Just to the south of the bridge was where we were heading so we can check out the views.
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| View of the bridge from the other side of the creek |
The hot sun really beat us down, and we were desperately trying to find some shelter from it. We got moving again, and we decided to walk back to the parking lot to explore other trails.
Before jumping into our car, we quickly checked out the view from the observation deck. Nice views yet again!
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| View from the observation deck |
We drove out, heading towards one of the most popular area at the park to see the rock spires. We parked right in front of them, and walked to the observation deck.
There were several people already there gawking at the rocks. We snuck in ourselves to see them ourselves. Wow…
It was hard to believe these rock spires were actually real, in the middle of a farm country. Just to imagine the power of the water, wind, and erosion that created these was mind boggling…
After several minutes of reflection, we started our final hike of the day, the popular Balancing Rock Trail. This trail started from the parking lot we were in, and we were on our way.
We walked south, hugging the creek on our right. We saw the famous Balancing Rock, which gave this trail its name.
The rock reminded us of Arches National Park with its own Balanced Rock. Size was certainly different, but both were equally beautiful in their own way.
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| Famous Balancing Rock |
We continued our trek, taking the wooden stairs to get to the bottom, to the creek. For such a small park, there’s so many impressive things to look at. We walked to the end of the trail (end of the trail for us as we were getting hungry!), then walked back the same way to get back to the parking lot. Awesome hike, and an awesome park!
- Sioux Falls Bike Trail
The Sioux Falls Bike Trail is a 19.2 mile long trail that connects many of the city’s parks. We didn’t bike this trail, but rather, we walked on it, just off of the Falls Park.
We found parking at the Siouxland Libraries Public Library located on North Dakota Avenue and 8th Street. Why? The parking was free!
After parking, we headed towards 8th Street bridge, then found our way to the bike trail. It was easy to find.
We got on the trail then headed north first, towards Falls Park area. Along the way, we passed some impressive looking buildings in the heart of downtown Sioux Falls.
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| View from the bridge |
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| Nice flowers on the bridge |
Big Sioux River was extremely calm at this juncture of the river, but noticed it picked up speed the closer we got to the falls. We walked as far as the falls park then turned around to walk the other side of the bridge we had crossed few minutes earlier.
The bike trail was well maintained, perfect for bikes and humans. We walked several blocks admiring the downtown area. Several architectural gems stood out, especially the Arc of Dreams.
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| Arc of Dreams sculpture |
We certainly appreciate walkways along a river or a lake, and with this one situated along the downtown area of a city, there was more to enjoy. We didn’t walk very far, maybe a mile in total, but that’s ok.
We got enough of a workout while seeing some of the more popular buildings and sculptures in downtown. We highly recommend it!
- Golden Bowl Restaurant
We were in the mood for some good Chinese food and we found one in downtown Sioux Falls. After walking the above mentioned bike trail, we drove about 10 minutes to arrive at the restaurant.
The place was packed with fellow diners, and we knew we had picked a good one!
We ordered a shrimp mooshu and a shrimp with garlic sauce which were delicious. Dining area was big, service was good, and prices were reasonable at just around $15 per dish. Oh, and the owners were also very friendly! Highly recommend it.
- Tomacelli’s Pizza & Pasta
I added this restaurant as a warning to all the fans of Italian pasta dishes. This restaurant got decent Google Reviews rating but the food was not good.
We walked into this restaurant and immediately realized we had made a mistake. The decor was reminiscent of a dive bar, and there was only 1 other person eating at the restaurant. This should’ve been our warning to get out of Dodge, but we were stubborn.
We wanted to believe Google Reviews were right. I really wanted to give them a benefit of doubt. In this case, I shouldn’t have…
We were desperately looking for a good Italian restaurant for some tasty pasta dishes but this place was not it. The chicken cacciatore tasted like the tomato sauce was just poured right out of a Ragu spaghetti sauce bottle, the chicken had no taste, and the pasta wasn’t even cooked properly.
Oh, and the shrimp Alfredo was just as bad. It tasted like they poured a generic Alfredo sauce from a supermarket brand and just poured that into the pasta. I thought I was back in college, just preparing something to eat, and the easiest thing was to pour sauce into a pasta.
Both dishes were just terrible. I would not go back there…
We didn’t have pizza, but maybe that would have been a better choice. Oh, well. You win some, you lose some…
In conclusion:
The city of Sioux Falls, South Dakota feels like the beginning of the American West, with its wide open skies, abundant lands, animals & plants unique to the region, as well as the iconic West Coast specific colorful rocks (brown, orange, red). It had been over 20 years since our last visit out there, but we know it won’t be our last.
Exploring the Falls Park again was a treat. Like an old friend, it’s good to see someone or something after all these years. In this case, the place was better than ever, with meticulously maintained facilities and manicured grass.
We’re glad we got to explore several new places on this trip, and why not? We had a month to do so this time around.
As much as we loved the city, it wasn’t all peaches and cream. We were disappointed by the Italian food we sampled, specifically the pasta dishes we had at Tomacelli’s. Like I always say, you can’t win them all…
If anyone is heading out to the west to visit iconic places like Yellowstone & Grand Teton National Parks, then make Sioux Falls your first stop on your way. It offers tons of lodging, food, entertainment options, and you won’t find better options until you get to Rapid City, all the way on the western end of the state.
We thank you for reading and happy trails! Keep up with us as we embark on our third major road trip out to the west.
Jake
Wandering Money Pig
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