The Top Three Choices Offer Opportunities for Birdwatching, Fishing, and Visiting a Historic Fort.
South Dakota State Parks offer a diverse selection of recreation and activities in the spring. In early spring, before the snow melts, visitors can enjoy cross county skiing, snowmobiling, snowshoeing and ice fishing. Once it warms up, opportunities abound for hiking, biking, disc golf, fishing and canoeing. For more information, visit the South Dakota State Parks web site.
Fort Sisseton State Historical Park
Walk the grounds where the officers' quarters, stone barracks, powder magazine, guard house, and other buildings remain. Built in 1864,
Fort Sisseton offers a wealth of history and an abundance of activities to visitors. Visitors are invited to take a lantern tour of the fort, go snowshoeing and ice fishing while it’s still cold, and go canoeing and hiking once it’s warm. Fort Sisseton offers events year round, including Easter on the Frontier/Walking the Wadsworth Trail and the annual Fort Sisseton Historic Festival in the spring. In addition, Fort Sisseton offers traditional campsites, tipis, Sibley and Marquis tents and cabins for rent. For more information, call 605-448-5701.
Newton Hills and Union Grove State Parks
Nestled in the far southeast corner of South Dakota,
Newton Hills and
Union Grove State Parks provide ample opportunity for bird watching in the spring. More than 200 species of birds visit the area each year. Twenty-six warbler species have been recorded in Newton Hills and 25 warbler species at Union Grove during peak season, which is the first half of May. Both parks support a lush growth of native woods and open prairie that botanists, horseback riders, hikers and bikers will all enjoy. For visitors who want to stay a few days to take in the natural beauty of the parks, Newton Hills offers a campground, cabins and a group lodge, and Union Grove offers a campground. For more information, call 605-987-2263.
Lake Herman State Park
April and May are prime fishing months in the state of South Dakota, and there is no better place to fish than Lake Herman. Located on a peninsula,
Lake Herman State Park offers visitors spectacular views of the 1,350-acre lake, which was formed by melting glacial ice thousands of years ago. Bullhead, crappie, perch and walleye can all be found in Lake Herman. If you need a break from fishing, you can go canoeing, kayaking, hiking, biking, play horseshoes or try your hand at the nine-hole disc golf course. Lake Herman State Park also offers a campground and rental cabins. For more information, call 605-256-5003.
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