6 Underrated South Dakota Towns Worth Driving In 2026

South Dakota boasts more than 300 communities between the Missouri River and the Black Hills, where small-town life thrives authentically beyond the crowds at Mount Rushmore and Badlands National Park. Yankton blends history and recreation as a former Dakota Territory capital, featuring the Mead Museum with steamboat and settler exhibits, the Meridian Pedestrian Bridge over the Missouri River to Nebraska, and a lively downtown Meridian District with shops, galleries, and restaurants.