Fall River County: Mammoths, Wild Horses and Unique Trails

Fall River County combines impressive natural experiences with unusual history. Highlights include the mammoth finds in Hot Springs, wide-open prairie with free-roaming mustangs, water activities at Angostura Recreation Area and routes to historic sites. For families and other travelers, it is worth considering before searching for a vacation rental whether nature, activity, water or culture should shape the stay.

Mammoths and Water in Hot Springs

The Mammoth Site is a covered, active paleontological excavation site in Hot Springs. More than 60 mammoths have been excavated there, including 58 Columbian mammoths and three woolly mammoths. Self-guided tours and summer educational programs convey the special features of this excavation site in an engaging way. Anyone who would like to discover this exceptional side of Fall River County can make The Mammoth Site a central part of their travel plans. Hot Springs also provides a useful point of reference.

Evans Plunge offers a different kind of experience. The facility has indoor and outdoor pool areas with four slides, two hot tubs, a sauna and a steam room. This makes it possible to complement a trip to the historical and natural-history attractions with a more active or relaxing water experience, without limiting the stay to a single theme.

Wild Horses and the Character of the Landscape

The Black Hills Wild Horse Sanctuary is located 12 miles south of Hot Springs in Fall River County, along SD Highway 71 and Rocky Ford Road. Hundreds of free-roaming mustangs wander across 11,000 acres of prairie. Visits to the wild horses are possible only for a limited number of visitors, exclusively by reservation and with a guide in an SUV or van. You should take these conditions into account when planning your day and check before traveling how this experience fits into your preferred itinerary.

At Angostura Recreation Area, 10 miles southeast of Hot Springs on US Highway 385/18, camping, boating, fishing and swimming are the main activities.

Trails, Springs and Activity

For cyclists, the George S. Mickelson Trail begins at the Edgemont Trailhead at milepost 0 at the southern end of Main St. The Fall River Freedom Trail connects the Mueller Civic Center and Chautauqua Park on a route of approximately 2.3 miles round trip. The two options represent different ways of exploring the area: one clearly identifies the starting point for a longer trail route, while the other is a shorter route between two specific destinations.

Brookside Park offers opportunities for swimming, wading and floating on the water in inner tubes at Fall River. Kidney Springs has a pavilion with a fountain supplied by natural mineral water. The site also includes a historic gazebo and a naturally formed amphitheater. Discoveries like these can complement an outing when the itinerary is meant to include special places as well as the well-known attractions.

History and Local Culture

Battle Mountain Sanitarium was part of the National Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers, which cared for Union Civil War veterans after the Civil War. The Fall River Pioneer Museum houses a sandstone schoolhouse from the 19th century. The Hot Springs Murals on the exterior walls of shops and buildings in the historic district of Hot Springs depict the history of Fall River County.

There are also cultural events and traces of history outside Hot Springs. The Fall River County Fair takes place annually on the first weekend of August. The Edgemont Community Theatre stages vaudeville-style melodramas on four weekends each summer. The Bartlett-Myers Building in Edgemont, Fall River County, South Dakota, is eligible for listing under Criterion C as an example of commercial architecture in a small town in South Dakota. A tour of Serendipity Farmstead demonstrates how a sustainable self-sufficient farm operates.

The Right Accommodation Idea for Your Trip

When searching for a vacation rental or vacation home in Fall River County, it helps to establish a clear focus. For mammoth finds, murals, museums and historic buildings, a culture-focused itinerary is a good choice. Water activities, Evans Plunge and Angostura Recreation Area are suited to a stay that combines activity and relaxation. Anyone wishing to visit the wild horses should include the reservation and the guided trip in an SUV or van in their plans. For cycling and walking ideas, the Edgemont Trailhead and the Fall River Freedom Trail are specific points of reference.

Additional destinations for orientation: Kingsbury County, Clark County, Beadle County, Butte, Grant County, Pennington, Clay.

For the higher-level travel overview: South Dakota.