Dancing chickens, open skies, and zero entry fees await south of Fort Pierre, South Dakota

It’s a Dust Bowl comeback story

Fort Pierre National Grassland spreads across 116,000 acres of open prairie south of Fort Pierre, South Dakota, and you don’t need a permit or a penny to walk onto it.

The U.S. Forest Service manages the land, a rolling mix of grass flats and low hills split nearly in half by U.S. Highway 83.

Hundreds of small ponds dot the landscape, pulling in birds, fish, and wildlife from every direction. What happened here in the 1930s nearly killed this land for good, and what came back is worth the drive.

The prairie that survived the Dust Bowl

In the 1930s, drought and over-plowing turned the Great Plains into a disaster zone. Topsoil blew away.

Farms failed. The federal government stepped in, buying worn-out land from homesteaders to take it out of production and bring the native grasses back.

On June 20, 1960, the government reorganized those former Dust Bowl lands into 19 national grasslands across the Plains. Fort Pierre was one of them.

Today, the ground that was once barren and eroded supports a thriving mixed-grass prairie and dozens of wildlife species.

Watch prairie chickens boom and stomp each spring

Every spring, male greater prairie chickens gather on flat patches of ground called leks to put on a show.

They inflate bright orange air sacs on the sides of their necks, stomp their feet in rhythm, and send a deep booming sound across the grass. Neck feathers puff into a ruff while females watch and pick a mate.

The Forest Service sets up three viewing blinds near the leks, and you can reserve one free of charge from April to mid-May through the Fort Pierre Ranger District office.

One of the country’s strongest prairie bird habitats

Central South Dakota holds some of the last strong populations of greater prairie chickens in the country, and this grassland is right in the middle of it.

Sharp-tailed grouse also display on leks here, and you can sometimes spot both species at the same site. Mallards and Canada geese use the grassland’s many ponds as rest stops during seasonal flights.

The land sits along the Central Flyway, a major north-south migration route for birds across the Great Plains.

Rare raptors perch on hay bales all winter

When winter sets in, the wide-open terrain and few natural perches turn this grassland into one of South Dakota’s best raptor-watching spots.

Birders have recorded Gyrfalcons here from late November through April, one of the rarest raptors in the lower 48 states.

Snowy Owls show up in winter, and Short-eared Owls can appear any time of year. Ferruginous Hawks, Bald Eagles, and Prairie Falcons sit on hay bales and utility poles.

In a single spring day, birders have spotted up to eight different owl species in the grassland and surrounding Pierre area.

Burrowing owls stand guard at prairie dog towns

Black-tailed prairie dog colonies cover entire hillsides here, and the burrows they dig support a whole web of animals. Burrowing owls move into abandoned holes and stand near the entrances like tiny sentries.

Prairie rattlesnakes den in and around the colonies too, so watch your step. You’ll also spot badgers, jackrabbits, and Northern Harriers working the edges.

The whole system runs on those prairie dogs. Without them, most of these animals would lose their footing on this landscape.

Pronghorn on the flats and meadowlarks in the grass

Pronghorn antelope are one of the first large animals you’ll notice on the open flats. Both mule deer and white-tailed deer live in the shrubby drainages and on the hillsides.

In summer, cattle and bison graze the grassland under managed leases. The western meadowlark, South Dakota’s state bird, fills the air with its song from the tall grass.

Upland sandpipers perch on nearly every fence post during summer, giving you something to look at no matter which direction you turn.

Cast a line into the prairie ponds

Small ponds and reservoirs across the grassland hold bluegill, crappie, largemouth bass, and perch. Richland Dam is one of the more popular spots, with a small concrete boat ramp and fishing pods along the shore.

Sheriff Dam draws anglers for similar reasons. Some ponds also hold walleye, northern pike, bullhead, and catfish, so you never quite know what’s going to hit.

When winter locks the water under ice, the fishing doesn’t stop. Ice fishing is a favorite cold-weather activity on many of the grassland ponds.

Drive Forest Service Road 227 for the best wildflowers

Spring and summer bring waves of wildflowers across the grassland. Purple coneflower is one of the most common, blooming along roadsides and hillsides.

You’ll also find western yarrow, spiderwort, prickly pear cactus, daisy fleabane, and goldenrod scattered through the grass.

Forest Service Road 227, on the southwestern edge of the grassland, is known as one of the best wildflower routes.

As summer rolls on, native grasses like big bluestem, blue grama, buffalo grass, and western wheatgrass put on their own show.

Camp for free under a sky full of stars

You can camp anywhere on the grassland at no cost, no reservation needed. There are no developed campgrounds, so bring everything you need with you.

Park up to 30 feet off any designated road or hike into the backcountry to pitch your tent. Open campfires, charcoal grills, and smoking outside your vehicle are all off-limits because of prairie fire risk.

The tradeoff is worth it. With almost no light pollution out here, the night sky puts on a show that’s hard to find anywhere else.

Bring your horse and ride the open range

Horseback riding is welcome across the grassland’s wide-open terrain, and there’s no shortage of room to roam. You’ll need to bring certified weed-free hay or feed for your horses to protect the native plants.

No marked trails exist, but you can ride cross-country, follow dirt roads, or loop around the many ponds. The Ranger District office in Fort Pierre hands out free maps showing all roads open to vehicle travel.

Keep an eye on the weather, though. Clay soils turn unpaved roads slippery and sometimes impassable after rain.

Miles of grass, no buildings, no billboards, no crowds

Fort Pierre National Grassland gives you something that’s hard to come by in modern America: miles of open prairie with no structures, no signs, and almost no other people.

Conservation work over nearly a century brought native grasses back to land the Dust Bowl left barren. What you see today is a living example of what much of the Great Plains looked like before widespread farming.

Whether you come for the birds, the fishing, or the silence, you’ll leave with a feel for one of the most overlooked landscapes in the country.

Explore Fort Pierre National Grassland in South Dakota

If you want to see the grassland for yourself, start at the Fort Pierre Ranger District office at 1020 North Deadwood Street in Fort Pierre.

The office is open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and the staff will hand you a free map and fill you in on current road conditions.

From there, head south on U.S. Highway 83 to reach the grassland. There’s no admission fee, no permit, and no gate.

The prairie is open year-round and waiting.

This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.

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