One must considering viewing the falls for which a major populated city was named. Unbelievably…read morecreated by volcanic activity millions of years ago, this showcase is domiciled smack in the heart of Downtown Sioux Falls. Although it does have an elevator lookout with a platform for viewing, it does lack a movie detailing the falls creation as well as history of the Cities development.

As many many, many, many, many, many many other reviewers here have commented, the smell is…read morehorrendous. When we pulled into the parking lot for the falls, my husband was certain that our dog had had an accident in the car but I knew that couldn't be.We searched for what the smell could be and then I opened my door to get out and see if it was something outside. The smell punched me in the face like Mike Tyson. We tried to get our bearings and understand what was going on. Everyone else was walking around like nothing was happening. My husband googled it and we read that due to the proximity of the Falls to the wastewater treatment and pork slaughtering plants, there is always a terrible odor here. We decided to try to walk to the falls since we were already there, but we honestly barely made it. Near The Falls there were children playing and running and people walking and chatting like nothing was going on. I had my shirt up over my nose and mouth and at one point started to throw up. I only noticed two or three other people who were holding their noses and having difficulty with the smell. My husband did go up in the tower at the visitor center quickly and I remained outside because they do not allow pets. He said the smell was much improved from up at the top but you still get whiffs of it. We couldn't stay in the park for more than 5 or 10 minutes. It's really a shame because this park has a lot of potential. I don't think we are particularly sensitive to smells, but sewage mixed with death should be a difficult one for most people. The fact that these large families were picnicking and frolicking as if nothing was happening makes me wonder what their homes smell like or how they could possibly get used to or carry on with this stench. This was a terrible experience for us overall and we would never return and never recommend a stop here to anyone.

They've different fun things to different ages of kids, and very nice rest area, my baby boy had…read morelots fun !

I absolutely love love love this park. When you have multiple children of different ages it's a…read morechallenge entertaining all of them. Here, you have many choices and by agree range.

I cannot for the life of me understand why they are calling this a Japanese garden. This is a small…read morestretch of grass and paving stones near some water. If this city wanted to call it a park, that would be passable, but it's actually insulting and frustrating that they are calling this a Japanese garden. I was able to find what I think is a Japanese maple and they had a bridge that looks like they tried to style it in a Japanese style over an empty bed of rocks that was possibly intended as a koi pond once upon a time, but as it stands, there is nothing Japanese about this location. It's really confusing. For anyone who's not clear, putting a stone lantern from Pier One next to a walkway does not make it a Japanese garden. To add insult to injury, they had the sprinklers going full blast at noon with only one pathway in and out. We got soaked, as did many other people who seemed like locals that were just trying to walk on their lunch break. I was hoping to stop here and feel a little more Zen but I left wet and annoyed.

Beautiful! You would never know you're in a big city. It was peaceful and a great spot to have a…read morepicnic and a walk.

This is an access point to the Sioux Falls Greenway and bike trail system. Here you can park your…read morecar and gain access to the loop. There is also bathrooms and covered picnic shelter. The trail is paved so you can ride bike, rollerblade or walk/run on the trail. This is on the Big Sioux River so the trail is scenic providing views of the river, grassland and trees as you enjoy the trail. You can follow the trail around the entire city including loops that go through downtown. Whether you walk a section or take the entire trail, I highly recommend checking this out!

The name of this facility is the Outdoor Campus and it's a joint project of the South Dakota Dept…read moreof Game Fish and Parks and the City of Sioux Falls Parks and Rec Dept. Not only can you get your hunting and fishing licenses here, but you can also learn more about hunting and fishing as well as animals, survival, and more. They have free classes, try it events, walking trails, an aquarium, geo-caching, and more. There's a fantastic playroom for the kids where they can learn while they're playing. After exploring the museum on our own we headed over to a table where Thea (she works there) met us and we made Sunshine in the Clouds. This is usually an activity she does with the kids, but I'm a big kid so it went over really well. We took peaches (sunshine), cool whip (the clouds) and cinnamon graham crackers. We added all the ingredients into a bag and crushed them. It was good, messy, fun! Then you just cut a whole in the bag and squeeze it into your mouth. It tasted like peach pie Outside they have a beautiful walking path. We visited in fall so a lot of the plants were withering. I bet it's gorgeous in the spring and summer! It was gorgeous and I really enjoyed walking around in the beautiful weather. There is so much to see and do here that a family could easily spend all day here. The best part is that it's free!

Free nature escape. The offerings of this facility are impression, and would be especially…read morewonderful if you have young kids (they do free archery training and stuff). Must see in Sioux Falls

Nice clean visitor center. Over 6 miles of scenic trails. Classrooms are available for rent. Neat…read morehistory of the Poncas.

Nice park with plenty to do. The USS South Dakota is a good place to start with kids to check out…read morethe memorial. There are several fields for softball and baseball. Thats good and bad. If you come here just to play in the park it can be difficult to find a place to park!. Its a short walk to the Great Plains Zoo.

Righteous park. Upper section has spread-out meadow with playground equipment and tons of room for…read morepicnicking. Killer view of northern Sioux Falls from ridge/overlook. Native burial mounds dot the upper ridge section, making it clear that humankind has long enjoyed this spot. Lower section spills down toward the zoo, with more picnic spots. In between the two, the adventuresome kid will find some trails along a steep ridge.

When we have been in the past, lines have been short, and very beautiful view especially at sunset…read more But I would not recommend purchasing tickets ahead of time even at a discount, if you live out of town. Their hours are too inconsistent. Two days ago it said tubing open that day and the previous day (both weekdays, and no times listed) - weekend hours TBD, last chance to go tubing. Tonight (Friday) at 9:15 p.m. it said their last day was 2/13 4-9 p.m. and then closed for the season 2/14 (which would be the weekend). Similar inconsistencies with hours when trying to go previous seasons. Last weekend varies drastically. Weekend hours just not consistent enough for out-of-town people to plan around, even throughout the season.

Most people think of Great Bear for only skiing, but they are open in the summer too. They have a…read morenetwork of hiking trails. Some go right to the top of the ski hills which give great views of the city. You can see downtown. We live hiking here on the groomed trails. There are tons of trees so you can enjoy some shade as you hike. Try this place in the summer and you won't be sorry!

7/15/24 - Currently still closed due to the flooding we had! See photos for other options (not sure…read moreof their availability right now though, with the exception of Kirby, downtown). I love this large dog park. One section for small dogs, one for large. Picnic benches a few shade trees and covered benches on large dog side... not so sure about the small side. Water fountains (spring, summer and fall) and dog poop bags provided. The large dog area is perfect for fetchers and you'll often find 'donated' balls on the ground. I've never had any problems with unruly dogs but I do often see people bringing littles into the big dog area. If your dog is reactive our hyper with other dogs there is a nice paved trail (ADA compliant for everyone) or a twisty curvy (up and down as well) dirt trail right along the river ... not it is heavily shaded and not ADA) to walk them on before coming in to off leash area.

Beautiful park. Lots of dominant dogs while we were there with owners who had no social skills or…read morecommon curtesy.

Absolutely beautiful camp sites! Lots of trees, fairly level sites, beautiful river with paved…read morewalking trails and pit toilets. Attendants were very pleasant. About 20 minutes from downtown! The only warning I have... there's a racetrack nearby and we happen to be therein race night - very loud till 10:0-ish... after that... very quiet!

Stunning Park, Deeply Disappointing Experience and Park Practices:…read more A park this beautiful shouldn't leave visitors feeling deceived and angry -- but after my first visit, I'll never invest another penny to return. The grounds are pristine, the scenery breathtaking, and it's the kind of place you'd gladly support -- I would have happily donated to help preserve it. But being blindsided with a $128 citation for parking in the visitor's lot, at the ranger station, before even reaching the park itself, left a lasting mark that no view could erase. We were short on time, but since it was her favorite birthday tradition -- and her two friends (myself included) had never seen the park she loved so much -- my friend offered to give us a quick drive-through using her season pass. We parked just outside the small brown ranger station at the main entrance -- before entering the park itself -- and hopped into her vehicle, which had the pass. We stayed only long enough to share a small cupcake and take in her favorite view. When I returned to my car minutes later, I found a $128.xx citation on my windshield. I was stunned! My car had never entered the park -- it sat at the ranger station where visitors commonly stop for information. When we explained the misunderstanding, the ranger repeated a script he seemed to know too well: "You don't have to pay the citation if you buy a season pass." When it was clear that wasn't an option, he moved to, "We also have a monthly pass," and finally landed on "daily." Why not start there? It felt rehearsed -- as if this situation happens often, relying on loosely interpreted rules to justify charges. We had deliberately parked outside to ensure we were abiding by the park's rules -- a choice made out of respect, not avoidance. Ironically, we could have driven through without a care and paid the same or less. It made me wonder if this is how the park maintains such immaculate grounds -- by penalizing good-intentioned visitors for honest mistakes, time and time again, until the script is second nature. For those unaware: the moment your tires touch the gravel -- even before reaching any usable part of the park -- it's considered "entry." There was no signage clarifying this, no grace for an honest misunderstanding, and no willingness to resolve it fairly. What could have been a memory of shared beauty became a lasting disappointment. Instead of creating lifelong visitors, this experience ensured that none of us will return. It breaks my heart that a place so beautiful left such an ugly impression.