South Dakota
Badlands
South Dakota’s Scenic Byways
South Dakota is home to two national scenic byways, the Native American Scenic Byway and Peter Norbeck Scenic Byway, which offer breathtaking views of the most historically, culturally, and archaeologically important places in the state. Points of interest along each route include Mount Rushmore, Sylvan Lake, the site of Wounded Knee, and the resting place of Sioux Chief Sitting Bull – which are some of the most revered sites in our nation. Scenic byways play a vital role in delivering visitors to these sites and have become integral to the travel experience.
Key Points
- South Dakota is home to six scenic byways, including two national scenic byways and four state scenic byways.
- In 2019, 14.5 million visitors traveled to South Dakota and spent $4.1 billion.
- Travel and tourism activity in the state generated $308 million in state and local taxes, saving each South Dakota household $890.
South Dakota Byways
Map Key:
- National Scenic Byways
- State Scenic Byways
National Scenic Byways
Byways Provide Access to Public Lands
South Dakota byways provide access to the state’s most spectacular public lands, including six national parks, 63 state parks, one national trail, one Wild and Scenic River, two national grasslands, and one national forest.
About the National Scenic Byways Program
The National Scenic Byways Program, established by Congress in 1991, recognizes historic, scenic, and culturally important roads, all of which promote economic development and tourism in communities around the U.S. There are more than 1,200 byways in all 50 states.
All scenic byways exhibit one or more of six core intrinsic qualities — scenic, historic, recreational, cultural, archaeological, or natural. For a road to be named a national scenic byway, it must first be designated a state, tribal, or federal agency scenic byway. Once achieving that, a road may apply for national scenic byway designation, but its intrinsic quality must be of regional significance. All-American Roads are the very best of the national scenic byways, demonstrating at least two intrinsic qualities of national significance.