Perkins County: Prairie, River Landscapes and Art

Grand River National Grassland stretches across approximately 151,000 acres in Perkins, Corson and Ziebach counties. In Perkins County, the South Fork of the Grand River features a varied landscape of riparian woodland, badlands, sand dunes and deeply cut drainage channels. These contrasts give the trip a strong connection to nature: river landscapes and open prairie sit alongside striking, deeply incised terrain.

Experience the Water and Trails Outdoors

Shadehill Recreation Area lies along the shore of Shadehill Reservoir. The reservoir is one of the few large bodies of water in western South Dakota. At Hugh Glass Park, you can walk along the banks of the Grand River and Shadehill Reservoir. If you’d prefer a longer route, the Blacktail Trail is a 7-mile loop that starts and ends at Blacktail Picnic Area. It runs through rolling mixed-grass prairie in Grand River National Grassland near Shadehill.

The Blacktail Trail is for hikers, horseback riders and other non-motorized users. From Lemmon, the trailhead is approximately 16 miles south along Highway 73. Blacktail Picnic Area also has a rainbow trout fishing area. Llewellyn Johns Recreation Area has ten campsites. These different options offer different experiences: a walk along the shore, a longer loop through the prairie or time at the fishing area. Which one suits your stay depends on the nature experiences you want to plan.

Art and History in Lemmon

In Lemmon, Boss Cowman Square commemorates Ed Lemmon. The Ed Lemmon monument combines scrap iron with a bronze portrait. Tour buses are welcome in the square; it’s a good idea to briefly confirm the policy before a group visit. The mural at the Kokomo Inn is also eye-catching: it is 150 feet long and 15 feet high.

Those interested in John Lopez’s work will find several specific places to visit in Lemmon. The Kokomo Gallery features a rotating collection of his work; “The Last Stand” is also on display there. Since exhibitions may change, check the latest information before visiting. Gallery hours are listed as 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Monday through Saturday, from May 1 to October 1. Confirm the hours before your trip. “Nike of Samothrace” stands at the entrance to the John Lopez Sculpture Garden.

Grand River Museum also brings together art and local history. On Highway 12 in Lemmon, the “Triceratops Cowboy” sculpture greets visitors. The museum also displays a Triceratops skull named “Garth,” which was found at Schmidt Ranch in the 1990s. The G.E. Lemmon House was built in 1908 and was the residence of the man involved in planning and settling Lemmon. The annual Hugh Glass Rendezvous honors the history of frontier resident and fur trader Hugh Glass.

Petrified Wood and Choosing a Base

Lemmon Petrified Wood Park contains locally collected petrified wood formations and is considered the world’s largest petrified wood park. It includes a free museum built from petrified wood. The seasonal visiting period is listed as Memorial Day through Labor Day; check the specific dates before your trip.

When choosing a vacation rental, you can use your interests as a guide: cultural sites and petrified wood lead to the destinations mentioned in Lemmon, while shore paths, the fishing area and Blacktail Trail offer other nature experiences. The trail is approximately 16 miles south of Lemmon along Highway 73; this provides a specific point of reference for planning, but not a general estimate of driving time.

For more trip-planning ideas, you can also explore Bison.

Discover more destinations: Edmunds, Jerauld County, Clay, Aurora County, Tripp County, Stanley, Davison County.

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