Great Bear Recreation Park
Park
229 acres4.6 mi of trail
Cactus Hills TrailOverlook TrailValley TrailNorthern Slope Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Laura M Welch House · Photo: AlexiusHoratius · CC BY-SA 3.0B+Outdoors
Outdoors in Sioux Falls
Sioux Falls has 61 miles of mapped trails, 0.7 for every square mile of land
The biggest trail networks: Great Bear Recreation Park (4.6 mi), Sertoma Park (2.9 mi), Terrace Park (2.8 mi). 84% of residents live within a half mile of a park. 5% of Sioux Falls’ land is conserved, about 2,884 acres.
Ahead of 74% of U.S. towns · #11 of 35 in South Dakota. What drives it
Conserved land
5%
2,884 acres · of 84.5 sq mi of land
Trails
61 mi
0.7 per sq mi of land
Park land
3,188 ac
16 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
84%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
74 mi
9.8 mi lanes · 64 mi paths
Lakes & rivers
11
What kind of outdoors town is Sioux Falls?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Sioux Falls have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Sioux Falls is ahead of 74% of U.S. towns, #11 of 35 in South Dakota. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; trail miles rank highest, park acres per resident lowest.
B+
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Sioux Falls’ overall grade.
Conserved land5% of the land · typical SD town 3% · U.S. 4%BTrails0.7 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (61 mi) · SD 0.5 · U.S. 0.4B+Park land16 acres of park per 1,000 residents (3,188 acres) · SD 13 · U.S. 13BParks close to home84% of residents within a half mile of a park · SD 87% · U.S. 72%B+
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 74%
LessMore
South Dakota towns of 2,500+ (35)Ahead of 71%
Among the 400 U.S. cities of 100,000 or more, Sioux Falls ranks #241 on Outdoors.
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would range from B+ to A−. Trails and many small parks come from OpenStreetMap, mapped by volunteers, so coverage varies from town to town; the half mile is a straight line from each census block, so a river or highway in the way isn’t counted against it.
PAD-US, OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors), Census 2025 Gazetteer and 2020 blocks; details in Sources below. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →
The map
Conserved land, trails & bike routes
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it.
Easements protect land from building but are usually private.© OpenStreetMap contributors · USGS PAD-US
Places to walk
Pick a walk
The longest trail network is Great Bear Recreation Park, with 4.6 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Sertoma Park
Park
126 acres2.9 mi of trail
Riparian TrailPrarie TrailWoodland TrailPrarie/Woodland Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Arrowhead Park
Park
103 acres2.4 mi of trail
North Loop TrailQuarry Rock TrailStairstep Quarry Primitive Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto Waterfowl Feeding Area Parking
Spencer Park
Park
66 acres1.4 mi of trail
Nordic Ski Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Family Park
Park
84 acres1.3 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
All 71 parks & preserves
Great Bear Recreation Park229 acres · 4.6 mi of trail
DirectionsSertoma Park126 acres · 2.9 mi of trail
DirectionsTerrace Park56 acres · 2.8 mi of trail
DirectionsArrowhead Park103 acres · 2.4 mi of trail
DirectionsYankton Trails Park144 acres · 1.4 mi of trail
DirectionsSpencer Park66 acres · 1.4 mi of trail
DirectionsFamily Park84 acres · 1.3 mi of trail
Falls Park148 acres · 1.1 mi of trail
DirectionsSherman Park84 acres · 0.9 mi of trail
DirectionsFrank Olson Park33 acres · 0.8 mi of trail
DirectionsVeterans' Memorial Park24 acres · 0.8 mi of trail
DirectionsPasley Park80 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
DirectionsKuehn Park86 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsLegacy Park50 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsTomar Park44 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsOakview Park15 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsLaurel Oak Park14 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsKarras Park9 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsGalway Park6 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
Mansor-Pioneer Park5 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
Riverdale Park48 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsElmwood Park34 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsKenny Anderson Park24 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsEarl McCart Fields21 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
Rotary Park20 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsSpellerberg Park19 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
Dugan Park6 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
Jefferson Park4 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
Tuthill Park92 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsYMCA Camp Lief Ericson52 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsCherry Rock Park26 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsLions Centennial Park14 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsPlatinum Valley Park10 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Whittier Park7 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsEmerson Park6 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Marion Park5 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsLien Park4 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsThelin Park4 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsFawick Park3 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsTown One Park3 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsHeritage Park2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsMenlo Park2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsVan Eps Park1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsHarmodon Park145 acres
DirectionsDunham Park88 acres
DirectionsBeadle Park46 acres
DirectionsLeaders Park40 acres
Oxbow Park33 acres
Memorial Park24 acres
DirectionsMorningside Park22 acres
McKennan Park20 acres · City of Sioux Falls
DirectionsRiver Boulevard Greenway19 acres
DirectionsNorlin Greenway Park18 acres
DirectionsFarm Field Park13 acres
DirectionsGlenview Park12 acres
Drake Springs Park11 acres
DirectionsBurnside Park11 acres
DirectionsElmen Park Trailhead11 acres
Prairie Trail Park7 acres
Hayward Park6 acres
Nelson Park6 acres
DirectionsLewis Park5 acres
Lacey Park5 acres
Willow Ridge Park5 acres · Sioux Falls Parks
Meldrum Park5 acres
Bakker Park4 acres
Tower Park3 acres · City of Sioux Falls
Linwood Park3 acres
Bryant Park3 acres
Lyon Park2 acres
DirectionsCampus Park2 acres
DirectionsWho protects it
2,884 conserved acres
5% of Sioux Falls’ land. Who manages Sioux Falls’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Town or city2,554 ac
County161 ac
Joint100 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits55 ac
Other or Unknown Local Government13 ac
Local Park · 2,479 acLocal Recreation Area · 403 ac
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Great Bear Park Local Park | Town or city | 239 | Open |
| Sherman Local Park | Town or city | 150 | Open |
| Yankton Trail Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 144 | Open |
| Harmodon Park Local Park | Town or city | 140 | Open |
| W H Lyon Local Park | County | 137 | Open |
| Arrowhead Local Park | Town or city | 126 | Open |
| Sertoma Local Park | Town or city | 103 | Open |
| Falls Park Local Park | Joint | 100 | Open |
| Tuthill Local Park | Town or city | 92 | Open |
| Dunham Local Park | Town or city | 90 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
183 places to go in Sioux Falls
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Public pools in Sioux Falls
Frank Olson Swimming PoolIn Frank Olson Park
DirectionsKuehn Park PoolIn Kuehn Park
DirectionsLaurel Oak Swimming PoolIn Laurel Oak Park
DirectionsPlus 1 public pool without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Playgrounds in Sioux Falls
Jacobson Plaza PlaygroundIn Falls Park
DirectionsLaurel Oak ParkIn Laurel Oak Park
DirectionsNature PlayscapeIn Sertoma Park
DirectionsRonning Park
DirectionsSanford Children's Play Area
Directions133 playgrounds are on OpenStreetMap in all; the list shows named ones from the first 30.
Dog parks in Sioux Falls
Kirby Dog Park at Fort Sod
DirectionsSpencer Dog ParkIn Spencer Park
DirectionsSubaru Dog Park
DirectionsPlus 3 dog parks without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Waterfalls in Sioux Falls
Middle Sioux FallsIn Falls Park
DirectionsUpper Sioux FallsIn Falls Park
DirectionsPlus 1 waterfall without a name on the map.
Scenic views in Sioux Falls
East Quartzite RidgeIn Arrowhead Park
DirectionsPlus 9 scenic views without a name on the map.
Picnic areas in Sioux Falls
Corn Feeding AreaIn Arrowhead Park
DirectionsFamily ParkIn Family Park
DirectionsPlus 24 picnic areas without a name on the map.
Community gardens in Sioux Falls
1 community garden without a name on the map.
Trails & water
21 named trails and 11 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 3.9 miHorses · 1.4 miUnpaved · 18.7 mi
Nordic Ski Trail1.4 mi
Cactus Hills Trail0.9 mi
Riparian Trail0.8 mi
North Loop Trail0.6 mi
Woodland Trail0.5 mi
Prarie Trail0.5 mi
Overlook Trail0.5 mi
Valley Trail0.5 mi
Northern Slope Trail0.4 mi
Skyline Trail0.4 mi
11 more trails
Quarry Rock Trail
0.3 miStairstep Quarry Primitive Trail
0.3 miGateway Trail
0.3 miPrarie/Woodland Trail
0.2 miWest Pond Trail
0.2 miGrand Meadow Trail
0.2 miWest Valley Trail
0.2 miIronwood Ridge Trail
0.2 miMiner's Trace Trail
0.2 miOak Canyon Trail
0.2 miAmerican Plum Trail
0.1 miBiking & sports
74 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
9.8 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
64 mi
off-road bike paths
1.0 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Courts & fields
112Baseball
81Tennis
77Soccer
51Basketball
33Football
19Beach volleyball
15Pickleball
12Tracks
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →74 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 15 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
All Saints School Main BuildingBuilding · listed 1973
About itOld Minnehaha County CourthouseBuilding · listed 1973
About itRock Island DepotBuilding · listed 1974
About itFederal Building and U.S. CourthouseBuilding · listed 1974
About itEdward Coughran HouseBuilding · listed 1976
About itGrand Lodge and Library of the Ancient Free and Accepted MasonsBuilding · listed 1976
About itMarion E. Bowen HouseBuilding · listed 1976
About itAugustana College Historic BuildingsBuilding · listed 1977
About itPhillips BlockBuilding · listed 1978
About itSouth Dakota State Penitentiary Historic BuildingsBuilding · listed 1978
About itBerdahl-Rolvaag HouseBuilding · listed 1979
About itSioux Falls National Bank BuildingBuilding · listed 1979
About it62 more on the History page.
When to get out
September is the best month for walking in Sioux Falls
NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals for the town and the daylight at its latitude. Outlined months have long days, highs of 59 to 86 °F and little rain for the place.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 9.3 | 10.4 | 11.8 | 13.4 | 14.7 | 15.4 | 15.1 | 14.0 | 12.4 | 10.9 | 9.6 | 9.0 |
| High (°F) | 26 | 31 | 44 | 58 | 70 | 80 | 84 | 81 | 74 | 60 | 44 | 30 |
| Rain (in) | 0.6 | 0.8 | 1.5 | 2.9 | 3.8 | 4.6 | 3.4 | 3.4 | 3.0 | 2.3 | 1.2 | 0.9 |
January is the driest month (0.6 in) and July the warmest (highs of 84 °F). 4.6 inches fall in June, the wettest month. The climate in Sioux Falls →
Next door
Sioux Falls and its neighbors
Sioux Falls has the most mapped trails of the 8 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Sioux Falls61 miSpringdale Township8.1 miSplit Rock Township5.6 miBrandon Township1.8 miMapleton Township0.9 miBenton Township0.7 miWayne Township0.5 miDelapre Township0.4 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sioux Falls | 5% | 0.7 | 16 | 84% | B+ |
| Split Rock Township | 4% | 0.2 | 174 | 37% | B |
| Wayne Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Springdale Township | 5% | 0.3 | 257 | 35% | B |
| Delapre Township | 3% | under 0.1 | under 1 | 11% | D |
| Brandon Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Mapleton Township | under 1% | under 0.1 | 3 | 10% | D |
| Benton Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Sioux Falls
Where can I hike in Sioux Falls?
The longest trail networks: Great Bear Recreation Park, 4.6 miles; Sertoma Park, 2.9 miles; Terrace Park, 2.8 miles; Arrowhead Park, 2.4 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Sioux Falls is conserved land?
5% of its land, against a typical 3% for a South Dakota town and 4% nationally (PAD-US). Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors: easements are usually private land.
Are dogs allowed on Sioux Falls’ trails?
Great Bear Recreation Park and Sertoma Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Sioux Falls?
74 miles of bike routes are on the map: 9.8 of painted or protected lanes, 64 of off-road paths and 1.0 of shoulders and shared lanes.
Is there public land near Sioux Falls?
6,285 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Sioux Falls or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 3,188 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Sioux Falls have?
Ahead of 74% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #11 of 35 in South Dakota. The grade combines the share of land that is conserved, miles of mapped trail per square mile of land, park acres per 1,000 residents and the share of residents within a half mile of a park. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Sioux Falls neighbors.
Share a tip
Sources
Where this page comes from
Conserved and public land: USGS Protected Areas Database of the United States (PAD-US), service updated July 2026. Parks, trails, playgrounds, beaches and other places: OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), map data as of 2026-10-28. Land and water area: Census 2025 Gazetteer. Residents near a park: 2020 Census blocks. National Register: National Park Service. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →