Check availabilityCheck availabilitySouth Dakota's official icons
Eight landmarks define the state. One of them is the Missouri River, which runs directly through Pierre. The other seven can shape the road trip around your stay.
A better home base story
Each guide explains what makes the landmark worth visiting, how it relates to Governor's Inn, and what travelers should confirm before leaving. The destination list follows Travel South Dakota's official Great 8.
View the official Great 8 ↗Fish, paddle, walk, and watch the prairie meet the water without leaving Pierre behind.
At the hotel's doorstepExplore the guide →Great 8 · 02Layered buttes, fossil beds, prairie wildlife, and night skies turn the drive west into an experience of its own.
Under 2 hoursExplore the guide →Great 8 · 03Make Pierre the central chapter of a South Dakota journey that continues to the state's most recognized landmark.
Just over 3 hoursExplore the guide →Great 8 · 04Bison, granite spires, scenic highways, and mountain lakes make this one of South Dakota's biggest outdoor days.
Just over 3 hoursExplore the guide →Great 8 · 05Explore rare boxwork underground and a wildlife-rich prairie landscape above it.
3½ to 4 hoursExplore the guide →Great 8 · 06Descend into a vast underground maze known for calcite crystals, intricate passages, and continuing exploration.
3½ to 4 hoursExplore the guide →Great 8 · 07Walk through a gold-rush town shaped by frontier legends, preserved architecture, museums, and entertainment.
3-hour driveExplore the guide →Great 8 · 08Encounter a mountain carving in progress alongside museums and programming centered on Indigenous cultures.
3 to 3½ hoursExplore the guide →Ready when you are
Choose your dates, check availability, and let Pierre be the easy part of your trip.