Photos of South Dakota Parks

The last few weeks have seemed like just one big road trip down the back roads of the American West and Midwest. And it's been awesome! While America may seem just like the sum of major metros like New York City, Los Angeles, and the like, I think the best of America is found furthest from high-rises dotting the skyline. It's here where natural beauty and simplicity converge like you won't find elsewhere in America.

And that couldn't be any truer than of my trip a few weeks ago to South Dakota. What I perhaps love the most about South Dakota is that you have these long expanses of beautiful, stark landscapes, from rolling prairies to rocky spires and buttes to black rolling hills. In many respects, I consider it the gateway to the West's many great parks. It's dramatic, it's beautiful, and the wildlife is plentiful.

But while I'll be sharing more in the coming days about my trip, today I'm coming to you with a few of my favorite photos of South Dakota.