Waterfalls in South Dakota at a glance
South Dakota has 12 named waterfalls on our map, 41st among the states. That is a short list: much of South Dakota lacks the steep terrain and hard rock ledges that make waterfalls, so the ones here are mostly small drops on creeks and rivers, many of them best after rain.
For bigger falls, the nearest waterfall country is Wyoming and Minnesota. Wyoming's best-known falls include Lower Falls, Upper Falls, Hidden Falls. Search your town on the map above and set the radius to 100 or 200 miles to see which are within a day trip; the map crosses state lines.
Small falls like these are at their best in spring and in the day or two after heavy rain, when the creeks feeding them run high; in dry spells many shrink to a trickle. See the best time to see waterfalls.
South Dakota by the numbers
The map shows 12 named falls in South Dakota. 7 of them are in the USGS Geographic Names Information System, the federal register of official place names, and 5 more are named falls mapped only in OpenStreetMap. 5 have a height recorded by OpenStreetMap mappers, which is what the height filter above uses. LawrenceCounty has the most, with 3.
Tallest recorded waterfalls in South Dakota
Heights as recorded in OpenStreetMap, converted to feet. Guidebooks may list different figures, usually because they count every tier of a fall or only the biggest drop. Why heights differ.
| Waterfall | Height | County | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Roughlock Falls | 59 ft | Lawrence | |
| Spearfish Falls | 46 ft | Lawrence | |
| Mirror Creek Falls | 7 ft | not recorded | |
| Upper Windy Pine Falls | 7 ft | not recorded | |
| Lower Windy Pine Falls | 5 ft | not recorded |
Counties with the most waterfalls
From the USGS record, which gives each fall's county.
| County | Named falls |
|---|---|
| Lawrence | 3 |
| Pennington | 2 |
| Fall River | 1 |
| Minnehaha | 1 |
Every named waterfall in South Dakota
Alphabetical within each county. Tap a name to centre the map above on it.
Fall River County (1)
Lawrence County (3)
, (59 ft), (46 ft)
Minnehaha County (1)
Pennington County (2)
,
County not recorded (5)
(5 ft), , (7 ft), , (7 ft)
Before you go
The map shows where falls are, not whether they are open or safe to reach. Check the land manager, usually a state park or national forest, for closures, fees and permits, and stay on the trail near the water. Our waterfall safety guide covers the hazards, and waterfall hikes near me explains how to pick a trail.
Waterfalls near cities close to South Dakota
Every named fall within driving range of the city, nearest first: waterfalls near Minneapolis, waterfalls near Denver, waterfalls near Colorado Springs.
Waterfalls in nearby states: Nebraska, Wyoming, Minnesota, Colorado. Or see waterfalls in every state.