palisades state park

Well let's face it, Eastern SD is flat or if one is generous, rolling hills which has a beauty all of it own. So when you see the sign to Palisades State Park, you wonder what could this be - more of the same - well no its not. This is a small but dynamic park loaded with history and scenic views. According to legend, Jesse James made his great leap here - followed later by the Sundance Kid where he uttered those famous words or so we are told. I digress, back to the park. We had the place to ourselves and watched the ice flow and the canyon thaw but the place is loaded with cabins for rent, camp sites, picnic tables, volleyball nets and tons of stuff for family and friends to do. If you are in the Garretson area, a great place to stop and take in the best of what nature has to offer. This is an easy drive from Sioux Falls . . .

The makeup of lower-eastern South Dakota is usually pretty flat and boring, not to mention mostly farmland. This place is a hidden away treasure with large, beautiful rock formations that are unmatched on this side of the state. This park has a great place for swimming, fires, and outdoor cooking. As a photographer, this places offers unique photos that cannot be taken elsewhere. At night, the rock cliffs manage to block off most of the light pollution from nearby towns so star photography here is amazing.

We bought a South Dakota state park membership so that we could visit Palisades State Park more than once. It has enough trails and rocks to climb over to keep you and your family busy all day. There are rock walls that you're allowed to climb (with proper equipment). There are hiking trails with varying terrain. When we took family members there who can't walk very far, we were still able to take them along the relatively smooth King and Queen Rock Trail to see King and Queen Rocks. (These are two large rock formations along the river.) There are even benches for resting along that trail. For those using wheelchairs, there are some picnic areas that are accessible, but the trails are mostly too narrow and rocky to be wheeled along on them. There are many sets of stairs along the various trails, none of which are too long or too steep for those of us on foot.There are a good number of camping spots, some with air-conditioned cabins. There's a shower house for those who want to camp without "roughing it." There are plenty of picnic areas with grills and fire pits around the park, some with pavilions for shade and some under the natural shade of trees. We haven't tried any of the camping facilities, so make sure to research the campsites' handicap accessibility before booking your trip.Many people choose to swim in the river that flows through the park. We didn't trying the swimming, but our young daughter spent most of one day playing along the banks of the river on the rocks and in the sand. We also enjoyed walking over the old iron bridge that crosses the river, a remnant of the village and old mill that used to be there until the railroad decided to pass through nearby Garretson instead. The bridge is car-sized so that you can reach the trails and parking lot on the other side.On other trips to Palisades we've come out to the park for star gazing. It's still a little too bright to see an impressive amount of stars, but it's much better than trying to see anything under the bright lights of Sioux Falls. Overall, it's our favorite park in the area and well worth any fees.

Fall foilage and unbelievable sites greeted us on entrance to this park. Our weekday visit was solitary making it easy to take photos and hike. Leaving the park, we saw our first visitor. It's a small park but one that should not be missed.

We were looking for a new place to explore, tent camp and kayak, fairly close to home. This park was such a pleasant surprise! It is small but amazingly awesome! We spent 3 nights here. The trails (on paper) are short, but we spent so much time exploring, jumping the rocks across the creek and having fun that they actually took quite awhile to hike. Some parts of each trail are pretty steep and rugged. A word of caution: the rocks on the trail are VERY slippery when wet. The kayaking is pretty limited, but again it was great and relaxing. The rock formations are amazing. There is also, swimming in the creek. The tent camping sites are very limited so be sure to make a reservation before heading out. Don't count on "Reserved" signs on the posts, either, when setting up your camping stuff. None of the sites had reserved signs on them. It is worth the effort to make a reservation so you aren't asked to leave the site. Unless you like being right by the road stay away from tent sites 5-8. If you have an RV, site 25E looked incredible. The fire pit is in a rock formation--awesome! I highly recommend this trip for all age groups. The kids will have a blast and the adults will, too!

After a less than pleasant experience at another state park in a neighboring state, we were a little apprehensive about what we would find. This is a beautiful, clean and quiet state park. It's very well maintained, and every staff member we encountered was friendly and ready to help. We went sight seeing one day only to find that the sights to see were right in this park. Amazing rock formations and a decent river to hang out in and by. We liked this park so much that we came back on our return trip home. If we're in the area in the future, we will be stopping at this park.

We spent a Friday night at a cozy camping cabin Friday night. The park is absolutely beautiful! So much to see and explore. We spent all day walking the trails, climbing rocks and playing in the creek. The park was very quiet and peaceful, not super crowded. Very clean. Staff was friendly and polite. he cabin was only $40 a night and bathrooms with showers were close. Our deck looked out over the creek. We could hear the water below. The cabins are very private wit the entrance and deck facing away from the road, also well established with trees and brush so you feel like you are in the woods. We brought our bikes but its a bit hilly for them. I would leaving them at home and plan on walking or hiking everywhere. We didn't even notice the trains. I'm sure they went thru but they weren't overly loud.Overall, its our new favorite camping spot. We plan to o back again in October when the trees turn colors for fall.

Palisades is one of the cleanest, most well kept state parks in which I have ever stayed. Beautiful Navajo quartz formations along the river and short, easy hikes which lead to scenic river views. It is not a large park by any stretch of the imagination, but perfect for a day trip or a stop if you are just passing through. If you are a particularly light sleeper, there is the occasional train passing through during the night as well as some limited highway noise. I noticed the trains at first but not at all night two. I would imagine it would be much less noticeable when staying in one of the cabins. Reservations can be made online at http://gfp.sd.gov/state-parks/campsd.aspx

The sights are wonderful. Loved the peacefulness during the day. As soon as 10 pm came around so did the trains. Its 2am right now and train whistles are still blowing its awful.I can handle the 10 raccoon's that have taken over our site. What I can't deal with are the drunk loud neighbors screaming and letting off what I hope are fireworks.

There is some neat history to read here and the hiking is great. We saw people rock climbing, it appeared to be an organized group, not affiliated with the park but I could see how it was a great location for that. It's really peaceful and I honestly wasn't expecting the cliffs and rock formations, you drive into the park and get on a trail and all the sudden they are there right along the river, its stunning!

You sure could never guess this park would be where it is. It appears out of no where from the midst of the featureless prairie. You will be surprised how beautiful it is too. Small, but very scenic. The campgrounds are nice and well kept. All the camp sites have good fire rings with cooking grates. They all seem to be spaced reasonably too. The cabins are very nice and some have views of the river. The old bridge is very cool. Entrance fee only $6 and camping fees $15/$19 There isn't a ton of hiking, but there is some. If you want a great place to camp, relax, fish, bird watch and check out a very scenic stretch of river, this is that place.

I only learned about this from a friend who'd posted pictures on Facebook of her family vacation to Palisades Park. I had no idea this kind of landscape could exist in eastern South Dakota! Camping was available though we didn't take advantage of that. There is no fee to enter the park if you have a SD State Park Permit...I'd assume there are also camping fees. We stopped at all the hiking areas and fully enjoyed our time. We were thrilled that we didn't see any poison ivy on our hikes (though I wouldn't guarantee it). My husband is severely allergic so we are extra cautious. Wonderful family time in nature.

Palisades State Park is a nice state park located just outside of Garretson. It's focal point are King and Queen Rock, which are two large rock formations in the middle of the park. There's very little hiking to be had, but the area is one of eastern South Dakota's best kept secrets. One of the only drawbacks is the apparent lack of care that some visitors display. If you travel downstream, you'll often find trash like beer cans and wrappers stuffed in hollowed out tree trunks or small holes in the rock formation. Incredibly disappointing to see people treat a state park in this way.

This is a small state park on 30 mins off I-90. The rock formations are amazing. There are 3 hiking paths - 2 short and 1 longer. It takes about 2-3 hours to do all 3. More adventurous visitors can take advantage of the great opportunities for rock climbing. There are a few basic cabins for rent but they do not include bathroom facilities and fill up quickly in summer. There are camping and RV areas as well. Entrance was $6 for a car for a day and it was the best money I have spent.

On our way to Alaska from Forest City , Iowa. This was our first experience staying overnight at a state park in an RV. Very nice park, walking trails, views etc. one night stay with electric , $20.00. Up early and on the road this morning. Upon check in, two young girls, very friendly and helpful in getting us checked in and to our site. Would deffinately recommend this to anyone traveling in this area.