SOUTH DAKOTA’S GREAT 8!

South Dakota, one of the States of the Great American West, attracts more than three million travellers a year to its ‘Great 8’ top attractions. One of the most visited is Mount Rushmore, with the heads of the four presidents carved into stone. Another wonder is the Crazy Horse Memorial, with sculptor Korczak Ziolkowski beginning this massive undertaking in 1948 at the invitation of Chief Henry Standing Bear. Once complete, this tribute to the Lakota leader will be the largest mountain carving in the world. For a dose of gun-totin’ cowboy culture visit the historic town of Deadwood, where Calamity Jane and Wild Bill Hickok lay buried side-by-side in the local Moriah Cemetery. Badlands National Park, Wind Cave National Park and Custer State Park boast spectacular landscapes and wildlife, while Jewel Cave is the third-longest cave in the world with a glorious underworld. Last but not least is the Missouri River, which cuts a swathe through South Dakota, and is home to part of the Lewis and Clarke trail and the lands of five Native American tribes. travelsouthdakota.com; greatamericanwest.com.au