Good Earth State Park

Good Earth State Park at Blood Run is used to adapting to the changes of the time. Between 1300 and 1700 AD it served as a gathering place and trading outpost for an estimated 10,000 tribal peoples. In the 1800s it was the site of European settlement. After archeological finds in the 1900s revealed the area’s historical importance, it eventually became a National Historic Landmark before it’s induction as Good Earth State Park.

2017 Updates

In 2017, Good Earth State Park unveiled a new chapter of its history with the opening of a state-of-the art visitor center. The center features an exhibit hall complete with the park’s famous history. Inside, visitors can experience world class displays from Split Rock Studios, complete with hands-on aspects, 3D dogs and travois, and even an eleven-foot Native American lodge. Beautiful hand painted murals line the walls with vibrant colors of South Dakota landscape and scenes of the Native American civilizations who once lived here. 

Across the hall from the exhibit is a 40-person theater, which showcases a short film created for Good Earth State Park at Blood Run. The film depicts a grandfather sharing his story of Good Earth. Outside the visitor center, the historic and nature exhibits continue. Around the building there are informational displays leading you back in time. Out on the six and a half miles of trails, there are eight additional signs informing about the landscapes and environment of the park.