# Up the Missouri River through South Dakota

> 4-day road trip of about 547 km (340 mi) with 8 stops, from Sioux Falls to Sitting Bull Monument. About 6 h 04 min of driving in total.

Source: https://camping-spirit.com/guides/b9-missouri-river-sd/

**At a glance:** 4-day road trip of about 547 km (340 mi) with 8 stops, from Sioux Falls to Sitting Bull Monument. About 6 h 04 min of driving in total. From Sioux Falls to the Missouri at Chamberlain, then north past the state capital and Oahe Dam to the Sitting Bull Monument above the river.

| | |
|---|---|
| Distance | 547 km (340 mi) |
| Driving | 6 h 04 min |
| Suggested days | 4 |
| Stops | 8 |
| Route | Sioux Falls → Sitting Bull Monument |
| States | SD |
| Updated | May 9, 2026 |

## Route description

Leave Sioux Falls on I-90 west and stop in Mitchell at the Corn Palace, redecorated each year with murals of corn and grain. The interstate then crosses farm country to the Missouri River, where Dignity, a tall steel statue of a Native woman with a star quilt, stands at a rest area above the valley.

Chamberlain sits beside Lake Francis Case, one of several reservoirs that turned the Missouri into a chain of lakes. State highways, ending with SD-34, follow the river north-west through the hills of the Lower Brule and Crow Creek reservations to Pierre, the state capital.

In Pierre, see the capitol and then drive a few miles north to Oahe Dam, whose huge reservoir reaches far into North Dakota. US-83 and US-12 continue north across open ranch country to Mobridge, named for the railroad bridge over the river.

West of Mobridge, a bluff overlooking the Missouri holds the Sitting Bull Monument and a memorial to Sacagawea. Services are sparse between towns; summer and early fall are best, as winters are harsh and windy.

## Stop-by-stop itinerary

1. **Sioux Falls** (SD)
2. **Corn Palace** (Mitchell, SD): An arena covered in murals made of thousands of ears of colored corn. The design changes every year.
3. **Dignity** (Chamberlain, SD): A 50-foot stainless-steel statue of a Native woman holding a star quilt, standing at an I-90 rest area above the Missouri River. Best in late light.
4. **Chamberlain** (SD)
5. **Pierre** (SD)
6. **Oahe Dam** (Pierre, SD): A huge rolled-earth dam holding back Lake Oahe, one of the largest reservoirs in the country. The visitor center and overlook show the scale.
7. **Mobridge** (SD)
8. **Sitting Bull Monument** (Mobridge, SD): A granite bust of the Lakota leader on a bluff above the Missouri, west of Mobridge. The Sacagawea monument is nearby.