Palisades State Park
| Palisades State Park | |
|---|---|
 King and Queen Rock in Palisades State Park | |
  Palisades State Park Location in South Dakota | |
| Location | Minnehaha County, South Dakota, United States |
| Nearest town | Garretson, South Dakota |
| Coordinates | 43°41′16″N 96°31′02″W / 43.68764°N 96.51717°W[1] |
| Area | 435 acres (176 ha)[1] |
| Established | 1972 |
| Administered by | South Dakota Department of Game, Fish and Parks |
| Website | Official website  |
Palisades State Park is a state park of South Dakota, United States, featuring cliffs and rock formations eroded out of pink Sioux Quartzite. The park is located just south of Garretson, 10 miles (16 km) off Interstate 90. At only 435 acres (176 ha), it is South Dakota's second-smallest state park.[2]
Natural history
The Sioux Quartzite rocks are 1.2 billion years old and up to 50 feet (15 m) high. They are exposed on either side of Split Rock Creek, which also flows through Split Rock Creek State Park in Minnesota. Within the quartzite are deposits of catlinite, a softer mineral essential to many Native American groups to make ceremonial pipes. The park lies on the Coteau des Prairies, a plateau on the northern Great Plains.[2]
Cultural history
Pioneers settled in the area beginning in 1865. In the 1870s, Split Rock Creek was harnessed to power a large flour and feed mill, and a town called Palisades formed around it. Silver was discovered shortly downstream in 1886, prompting a short-lived silver rush but the ore was found to be low quality. Three years later Garretson became a railroad junction and most of Palisades relocated to the north.[1][3] A steel truss bridge built over Split Rock Creek in 1908 is on the National Register of Historic Places.
Recreation
The park's recreational features include campground, camper cabins, group tenting area, and lodge in addition to hiking trails, fishing, canoeing and rock climbing.[1]
References
- ^ a b c d "Palisades State Park". South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks. Retrieved December 2, 2025.
- ^ a b "Palisades State Park". SouthDakota.com. Retrieved December 2, 2025.
- ^ South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks, Palisades State Park signage
External links
- Palisades State Park South Dakota Department of Game, Fish and Parks
- Palisades State Park Map South Dakota Department of Game, Fish and Parks