In late March 1743, the Verendrye expedition buried a lead plate at this site to claim French sovereignty over the upper Missouri. The Verendrye Monument is associated with some of the earliest European explorations of the northern Great Plains and is designated a National Historic Landmark. In Stanley, early expedition history meets a landscape shaped by the Missouri River.

Trading Posts and History Along the Missouri

The Verendrye Monument overlooks a distinctive southeastern bend in the Missouri River; from there, views extend to the north, east, and south. Fort Pierre Chouteau also tells a story of encounters along the river: the fur-trading fort was an important outpost on the western frontier and developed into a trading center where Euro-Americans and Indigenous peoples exchanged goods. The U.S. Army purchased the fort in 1855. It became the first military fort in the upper Missouri region; today, a stone monument marks the site.

Another historic building houses the Verendrye Museum: the former community hall was built in the 1930s and added to the National Register of Historic Places in July 2017. Exhibits include a country store, an original telephone switchboard, and post office boxes. The museum also displays household furnishings, horse-drawn carriages, local saddles and cowboy hats, as well as settlers’ tools, Indigenous artifacts, rocks, and fossils. Together, they bring different aspects of everyday life and history to life.

The history of education and transportation can also be traced at specific sites. Sansarc School was built in 1910 and used as a school until 1969. In 1975, the schoolhouse was moved to Fort Pierre for use as a museum. At the Sansarc Country School Museum, visitors can ring the Orton School Bell. Fort Pierre Depot was completed in 1906 and served the community for more than 50 years. The Fort Pierre Depot Museum opened in 2016; in 2018, it was fully restored and furnished with original and additional memorabilia.

Between Memorial Day weekend and Labor Day, the Fort Pierre Depot Museum is open Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Check opening hours before your visit. For a different perspective on the state’s history, visit the Casey Tibbs South Dakota Rodeo Center, which combines a multipurpose conference center with a historical museum about rodeo in South Dakota. Its memorabilia includes items commemorating nine-time world champion Casey Tibbs, 1920s trick rider Mattie Goff Newcombe, and other world champions from South Dakota.

Expedition Traces and Places Along the Water

Several sites tell the story of the Lewis and Clark expeditions and their encounters in the region. Fischers Lilly Park marks the place where the expedition first entered the region on September 24, 1804. This arrival was followed by the expedition’s first encounter with the Lakota, then known as the Teton Sioux. Bad Humored Island was the setting for an important exchange between Lewis and Clark and the Indigenous tribes of the region. At the Bad River Encounter Site, a plaque mounted on a boulder, a Lewis and Clark trail marker exhibit, and a series of flagpoles explain the history to visitors.

Fischers Lilly Park has a boat landing on the Bad River. Another landing on Deadwood Street is connected to the park by a footbridge over the Bad River. When finding your way on the water, the river’s location matters, as does the connection between the two landings mentioned here.

Prairie, Wildlife, and Trails

Stanley County lies on the western bank of the Missouri River. Rolling prairie, river breaks, productive farmland, and ranchland shape the varied landscape. Year-round opportunities include fishing, boating, hunting, camping, and wildlife watching. This range of activities extends from time on the water to observing the landscape and its animals.

At Oahe Downstream Recreation Area, you can watch bald eagles below Oahe Dam in winter; viewing conditions vary. The area is five miles north of Fort Pierre on Highway 1806 and south of the dam. It also features an interactive prairie butterfly garden with 17 species of native prairie plants. The content on display may change.

The 11-mile Oahe West Shore Trail runs north of Fort Pierre. It is suitable for mountain biking and hiking and offers views of Lake Oahe. Trail conditions and permitted uses may change; check the latest information before setting out. Dunes Golf Course offers a different way to experience the landscape: this public par-63 course sits along the Missouri River on land redeveloped from an abandoned cattle feedlot. Narrow fairways, smaller greens, and several water hazards characterize the course; you can play on foot or use a golf cart.

Discover more destinations: Fort Pierre, Custer County, Kingsbury County, Meade County, Beadle County, Pennington, Hughes County, Hutchinson County.

For the main travel overview: South Dakota.