March 7, 2026.
There is something to be said about the timing of a visit to a place. If I was able to pick a different time to come here, I would have. But, based on our travel schedule and the need to stop somewhere, we ended up at Palisades State Park on a bitterly cold day in March.
According to the state park website, “Palisades State Park is one of the most unique areas of South Dakota.” How could we resist?
Short hiking trails here led us to view the 50-foot tall pink cliffs rising out of the river. Do not let the blue skies fool you; the air was very cold. When traveling in March in South Dakota…make sure you pack warm layers and seek out the sun. There were actually a few people climbing on the sunny side of the rock cliffs, so perhaps it wasn’t as bad outside as I remember.
Other than the climbers, there weren’t too many other people enjoying this park today. I pictured it overrun with swimmers, climbers, hikers, families and photographers in the summer. It’s probably a great place to beat the heat, view the shockingly pink rock and look for wildlife. But on this relaxing winter day, I found myself listening for birdsong and trying to identify dried up seed pods. Still interesting, but in a completely different way.
Actually, my favorite part of visiting in winter was noticing the patterns on the ice. Some of the river water had frozen over, leaving a topographic map style of lines on the surface. The geese probably didn’t notice the artistry of the lines, but they did take advantage of having a place to sit still on the river.
I think it’s valuable to visit places even when it’s not peak season. You just have to arrive with different expectations. Know that most or all of the amenities won’t be available (like running water!) and plan accordingly. Be prepared with all of your supplies and then some. Understand that the trails might be overgrown, muddy, impassible, icy or closed. Find other ways to entertain yourself and the reward is seeing a park in a way that most people never will. You’re most certainly going to be rewarded with near solitude and (if you’re lucky) dark skies.