A glacial kame left over from the ice age, operated now by the county conservation board as a wildlife management area, with religious symbols added.
Located in a county park, Devil's Punchbowl is a wide spot in a streambed where a small rivulet has worn away the rock. Perhaps because it was early spring, the area was not well-maintained, though there are signs that repairs might be made in due course. The area is popular with students from the local college, which may or may not interfere with your own enjoyment of the place. If you're up for a pleasant, easy 5-mile hike, the Red Cedar trail, which begins near the turn-off from Hwy 29, will lead you to this park.
There are lots of beautiful and interesting spots in the Black Hills, but this is the one I most look forward to returning to see. Have been 3 times, and find it an awesome undertaking. The size of it is unbelievable.
I first saw this place as a child when we came to SA for the world's fair in 1968. Came back many times since, but now that I live in SA I don't go much unless company comes.
Yes, it's not that big, and it's in the middle of downtown, and most of the original mission grounds have been built over; but remember that this is the site of a famous and important battle, and that it sat unloved for decades after that; and remember that it was saved from destruction by a bunch of society ladies who thought it was valuable long before preservation became fashionable.
For history buffs and scholars, it's a significant artifact. For most people, it's just a kind-of-pretty old building stuffed with a lot of meaningless artifacts, and a gift shop. You should make your kids watch either the 1960 or 2004 movies, (neither of which is accurate but who cares) then bring them.
The scale of this garden is surprising: it spreads over 2 large city blocks, separated, unfortunately, by a very busy street with no crosswalk. Quality of the art varies, of course, but there's so much of it that, surely, everyone will find much to delight, inspire and provoke. Just wish they would devote more attention to landscaping. Too many sculptures are just kind of plunked down where there's a space, and photos are marred by the unattractive background of houses and cars. The traffic noise is a distraction as well.
A pleasant little collection of American and international corporate clutter. Most stuff is from the 80s and later, but plenty to tickle the childhood memories of old folks too.
This is basically a city park operated by the federal government. It celebrates a trivial border dispute concerning 600 acres stranded on the US side of the river after the channel shifted. It took about a hundred years to settle, because, let's face it, it was only important to the few families that lived and worked there.
This old mission has recently been completely redone on the outside; the interior is closed for restoration and no date for reopening has been set. It is presently completely gutted so it'll be a while, I reckon.
Yup, there it is, right by the freeway, a big ol' sandhill crane sculpture. Access is through a dirt parking lot behind the adjacent business. As these things go, it's pretty well done.
This place, closed when we went, seems to be mainly a sort of open-air special-events location. Check their website for days of operation; they're kind of erratic. From the outside, it looks like it could be quite a fun setting for a community celebration, especially if you have kids.