Where Does South Dakota Rank On Most Beautiful States List?

You have the usual suspects on this list: Alaska, Hawaii, Montana...and so on. But our state of South Dakota has plenty of beauty within its borders too, and it's nice that this is being recognized. Of course, the ranking of a state's beauty is very subjective and depends on personal preferences and experiences.

Thrillist, the online lifestyle website has taken it upon itself to determine which states have the most going for them in the beauty department. Thankfully, they have travel writers who actually visit the subjects of their prose and in South Dakota's case appreciate what they see.

And, it's not really where South Dakota ranked in this Thrillist piece (which was 25th by the way), it's what they said about our state that caught my eye.

If you’re wondering how the heck a freaking DAKOTA made it this far, you’ve clearly never made a trip to the most underrated state in America. The scenery here is so much more than just a mountain with four dudes’ faces disrespectfully carved into it. It’s the entire Black Hills region, where you can in the morning hike to Harney Peak (the highest point between the Rockies and the Pyrenees) and spend the afternoon hiking Spearfish Canyon. Or head a little further into the Badlands, that inaptly named Martian rockscape, with more vegetation and a greater variety of colors. Even the flatter eastern part of the state has places like Palisades State Park outside Sioux Falls, where Split Rock Creek meanders through 50ft quartzite cliffs. A trip here might have you wondering why it’s not ranked higher.

All I have to add is stunning scenery, and rich history. . .what's not to love? Maybe they could spend a little more time in Sioux Falls for their next trip.