2025's Most Underrated Towns In South Dakota
South Dakota, a rugged and beautiful part of the American Midwest, is known for only some of its diverse charms. The state is famous for the world-renowned Mount Rushmore and the Black Hills region. However, away from its major attractions and larger towns like Sioux Falls or Rapid City, the state's numerous small towns should appeal to any visitor with an appetite for history, cultural events, natural wonder, or all three. Here's why the underrated towns of South Dakota merit a trip in 2025.
Aberdeen
Aberdeen, named after the northeast Scottish city, draws cultural and intellectual vacationers for visits and longer stays. Set in the northeast part of the state, Aberdeen is home to Northern State University, endowing the town with a quaint college-town atmosphere. Cultural expression comes to life at The Aberdeen Community Theatre, which has put on performances here since 1979. Hunters love Aberdeen for its pheasant shooting, and a local delicacy, the pheasant sandwich, will appeal to non-vegetarians.
Aberdeen's contributions to the movies, like its South Dakota Film Festival (currently on hiatus), reach back even further: the town is the one-time home of L. Frank Baum who wrote the book The Wizard of Oz before its adaptation into a now-classic motion picture. Aberdeen offers a modest industrial complex of Oz-themed sites to visit. Storybook Land, a local children's amusement park, added a Land of Oz section in recent years.
Custer
The town of Custer earned the honor of being the first European-settled town in the Black Hills region in western South Dakota. Once a land under the rule of the Oglala Sioux tribe, prospectors struck gold here in 1874, triggering a gold rush. Some stayed, forming the basis of the town of Custer today.
In more modern times, each July, Custer pays homage to its mineral-boom legacy with "Gold Discovery Days," an all-ages event. The town sits near a number of state and national parks, including Wind Cave National Park, Custer State Park, and the world-famous Mount Rushmore. For a bite of something different to eat, Skogen Kitchen in downtown Custer offers a surprisingly luxurious menu featuring locally sourced ingredients and a commitment to showcasing the region's culinary possibilities.
Deadwood
Deadwood, established in 1876, is a small town that knows how to draw sizeable crowds. Like the recent hit TV show of the same name, Deadwood celebrates its rough-and-tumble western history. Visitors love the Adams Museum, which has displays on Deadwood's days as a frontier zone. Older tourists may take an interest in The Brothel Deadwood, which showcases the legacy of the world's oldest profession in town. The site recommends visitors be at least 16 years old. For time outdoors, the western gulches and canyons of Black Hills National Forest await just south of town.
Among its diverse events, Deadwood's Will Bill Days, held each June, honor the town's notorious gunslinger and Western figure of legend, Will Bill Hickok. The town also has a musical side: the Deadwood Jam brings groovy groups to town every September, while the Wild West Songwriters Festival also gathers here the following month.
Yankton
In Yankton, a town on the banks of the Missouri River, history and natural beauty blend well. Yankton became the Dakota Territory's first capital (1861-83). The town likewise witnessed violent conflict between white settlers and Native American groups, then later achieved peace. These days, Yankton boasts no fewer than six historic districts on the National Register of Historic Places. Standouts among these six include the area around the Charles Gurney Hotel, built in 1891 with a mix of brick and local stone called Sioux Falls granite. Entertainment in town includes the popular karaoke night at O'Malley's, an Irish-themed bar, and bingo at the Ohiya Casino and Resort.
Outside town, the Missouri National Recreational River zone is a favorite summer attraction, as is the Lewis and Clark State Recreation Area west of town, with its spectacular Lewis and Clark Lake.
Watertown
In northeastern South Dakota, the town, as its name suggests, offers two lakes within easy reach of its buildings and homes. Big Sioux River runs through town, while Pelican Lake and Lake Kampeska, both east of Watertown, give ample opportunity to fish, swim, or relax by the water. The latter lake marks the bottom of triangle-shaped Lake Traverse Reservation, home of part of the Santee Dakota tribe.
Cultural options in Watertown run long. The Goss Opera House delivers performances in a refined setting. The Terry Redlin Art Center, home to more than 150 oil paintings and featuring the 30-acre Conservation Park around it. For families traveling with kids, the Bramble Park Zoo exhibits more than 800 animals in a safe setting.
Huron
In the Glacial Lakes and Prairies region of northeast South Dakota, the town of Huron, like Aberdeen, takes pride in its local pheasant population and hunting traditions. But Huron goes farther: the town maintains a famous, 28-foot-tall pheasant statue, which weighs 22 tons. The statue alone, on top of its hunting options, draws tourists from across the state and beyond. Downtown, the Murals on the Town adds color to Huron's vibrant business and nightlife districts.
Others come to Huron for a few days of state-focused culture. The South Dakota State Fair takes place here every Labor Day Weekend, which features car races, music, livestock shows, and other displays of what makes the state great. Other accomplishments this town can claim include being the birthplace of Gladys Pyle, the first South Dakotan woman to serve in the U.S. Senate, starting in 1938.
Mitchell
The town of Mitchell is known for its own curious attraction: the Corn Palace. The structure, built as a convention center and to celebrate local agricultural industries, has stood here since 1921. The Corn Palace Festival, a music event held each August, packs Mitchell's downtown with revelers who have in the past seen major names like Pata Benatar and "Weird" Al Yankovic. The building features a rotating slate of wall murals, all constructed from multi-colored corn varieties.
Outside town, students of Native American history and archeology will appreciate the Mitchell Prehistoric Indian Village, which recreates a Native American village from some 1,000 years ago. The site is South Dakota's only archeology destination open to the visiting public. The village lets kids dig for their own arrowheads and also features a spear-throwing demonstration.
Keystone
Keystone, south of Rapid City and a short hop from Mount Rushmore makes a great base for visiting both. The town offers interested travelers a legacy of its own, and at the Keystone Historical Museum, built in 1900, the displays show off mining tools, mineral and rock collections, and other artifacts from the region. The museum operates (only) in summer, a fitting timeframe for vacationing families and tourists. Other unique draws include Dahl's Chainsaw Art, a gallery featuring works carved from Black Hills pine by (what else?) hand-held chainsaws from brother sculptors Jarrett and Jordan Dahl. Keystone displays one of their works downtown: the world's largest statue of Bigfoot, which measures 23 feet high.
Given its proximity to Mount Rushmore, budget and other accommodations abound around Keystone. For a zany night out, consider Holy Terror Mini Golf, named after the town's last operating mine and which features a mining-themed course with obstacles like a mine sluice and a water wheel.
South Dakota's Best Towns Are Small But Attractive
As these towns show, some of South Dakota's most interesting places to visit sit a ways from its larger or better-known tourist attractions. Custer, Deadwood, and other places put on western-themed festivals and events that warrant the drive. For artistic expression of a genuinely local kind, Mitchel and Keystone give the traveler a look at folk art that exists in few other places. Visitors can find a variety of interests in South Dakota, and some of the state's best draws await in little-known towns like these.
