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Welcome to Hot Springs, South Dakota..... with an average comfortable 64° degrees, we are also known to be the highest average temperature in South Dakota. It's ideal weather for taking a stroll on the Freedom Trail along the banks of Fall River. Feel free to browse in a quaint shop, shade yourself in the cool shadows of a ponderosa pine or one of the countless century-old sandstone structures that grace our streets. At the end of your walk along River Street, home to the world's largest natural warm water indoor pool, built in 1890.  Originally, several mineral baths in Hot Springs were sought as a cure-all for a multitude of illnesses. You will find features like indoor, outdoor pools, 3 water slides, action rings, health club, steam room, hot tubs, sauna, snack bar and gift shop. Right around the corner you'll find Chautauqua Park, where you can picnic beneath beautiful red rock cliffs along the river. Don't forget Cascade Springs and Cascade Falls are just 10 minutes from Hot Springs SD. You'll enjoy the gorgeous view, a refreshing dip in the warm spring water, and a stop at nearby Keith Park for a picnic under the gazebo.

Be sure to visit the world famous paleontological site and museum in Hot Springs, SD. It is an active paleontological excavation site at which research and excavations are actively digging today. Take a guided tour of the bone-bed displaying actual bones of over 50 mammoth elephants. Enjoy the hands-on exhibits and pick up some souvenirs in the extensive gift shop. If you visit in July, you're likely to have the opportunity to watch an active archaeological dig in progress.

A top rated Golf Course is set within the pine covered mountains just west of Hot Springs. The National Golf Foundation chose it as one of the best in America's heartland. a golf magazine has awarded the course a 4-star rating and selected it as one of its recommended places to play. 

With plenty of room for boating, fishing and swimming, Angostura Reservoir Recreation Area attracts visitors to its clear waters and natural sand beaches. The dam was built in 1949 by the Bureau of Reclamation across the Cheyenne River for irrigation purposes, but ultimately paved the way for recreation.

Cottonwood Dam is located 3.5 miles west of Hot Springs on Cottonwood Springs Creek. It's an excellent place to fish, swim or hike, and offers a large picnic area and playground for children. 

Swim, picnic, fish and relax at Cold Brook Dam. Surrounded by red canyon walls, the clean, clear water beckons, or test your skill at the archery range located nearby.

Mount Rushmore and the Wildlife Loop in Custer State Park offers visitors a wide variety of experiences. There are open grasslands and rolling hills speckled with pine. Many of the park's wildlife species occupy this area and are commonly seen. They include buffalo, bighorn sheep, antelope, deer, wild donkeys, elk, coyote, prairie dog, and numerous birds. Also, some of the park's wild "begging" burros live at the southernmost end of this road. The park is home to one of the worlds largest buffalo herds.

111 miles in length, the Mickelson Trail is the longest trail in the Black Hills. On foot or by bike, you'll experience old growth forests, sunny meadows dotted with wildflowers, towering granite crags and remote canyons. With luck you'll see turkeys, deer, elk, mountain goats, bighorn sheep and bison.
Hot Springs Community and Surrounding Area
Hot Springs Quick Facts:
  • Population: 6,849
  • Honored as a Main Street America City
  • Golf Course: 18-hole course in South Dakota.
  • The National Golf Foundation chose it as one of the best in America's heartland.
  • 2009: Selected as one of a Dozen Distinctive Destinations by the National Trust for Historic Preservation
  • 22 churches, 17 motels with 384 rooms, 6 Bed & Breakfast Inns, 7 Banquet Rooms, 8 Caterers, 11 Meeting Rooms, and 2 Entertainment Convention Centers
  • 5 parks, 3 ballfields, 3 tennis courts, 1 golf course, 1 bowling alley, 1 theatre, 1 swimming pool, 2 trail rides and 44 active clubs and organizations.
  • Local Newspapers: 
  • Local Radio Stations
  • Cable TV:  Television, 66 channels
  • Post Offices: Class 1
  • Hot Springs Library: 25,000 volumes
  • Public School: 2 Elementary, 1 Middle School, 1 High School
  • Private School: Bethesda Lutheran (Pre-K to 5) 3 teachers & 40 enrollment
  • Hospitals: VA Medical Center, 130 beds; Fall River Hospital, 25 critical care beds
  • Nursing Center, 16 private, 12 double and 4 toe-to-toe (double) beds.
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