You may never have been to Bruce, South Dakota. For that matter, you may not have ever heard of it. But it's a little town (population around 200) north and west of Brookings, or north and east of Volga.

The reason you should know about it especially if you're a kayaker is that it would be a good place to pick up some picnic or other essentials before you hit the best kayaking lake in South Dakota.

Oakwood Lakes State Park is the place. And maybe you've never heard of it either. So guess the name of the lake. You've got it- Lake Oakwood!

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According to Only in Your State Lake Oakwood is a great place to kayak, especially if you're a newbie at it because it is a mostly calm water lake. If you want to try kayaking, but don't have your own, they have rentals right there also.

Lake Oakwood is just one of eight South Dakota glacial lakes in that area, including, Lake Tetonkaha and Johnson Lake, so you could move from one to the other until you find the one (in Goldilock's words) that's "just right!

But let's say you're not a kayaker. No problem, it's also a beautiful place for camping, fishing, boating, picnicking, sitting on a towel or in a chair on the shore reading or more importantly - dozing, ad more.

Oakwood Lakes State Park is open year-round, so if you're a winter camper, snowshoer, or cross-country skier, this is a haven for you.

For more information and to make reservations see the South Dakota Game, Fish & Parks website.

Source: Only in Your State

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Today these parks are located throughout the country in 25 states and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The land encompassing them was either purchased or donated, though much of it had been inhabited by native people for thousands of years before the founding of the United States. These areas are protected and revered as educational resources about the natural world, and as spaces for exploration.

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