McCrory Gardens - Lewis and Clark Trail Experience

Information

Formal Garden Hours Wednesday – Sunday: 10 a.m. – 5 p.m Last admission 4:30 p.m. Arboretum Hours 45 Acres of Varying Tree Collections, waiting to be explored Open Daily Sunrise to Sunset Holiday Hours OPEN: Labor Day, Independence Day and Native American Day: 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. CLOSED: Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year's Day, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day and President's Day

605-688-6707

Members: Free Adults: $6 Senior ages 65 & over: $4 Youth ages 6–17: $4 SDSU Employees: $4 w/SDSU ID Military personnel: $4 w/valid ID Children ages 5 & under: Free SDSU Students: Free w/valid SDSU ID

lat: 44.3151731 long: -96.7705699

Appalachian novelist Wendell Berry once said, “I love spring anywhere, but if I could choose I would always greet it in a garden.” Such truth is in this statement, taking a walk through the garden is one of the most simple but-profound experiences this life has to offer. Walking through a green haven, pure air that seems to emanate straight from the plants into the lungs, can make anyone feel at peace with the environment.

There may be no better place in the plains to feel this serenity with nature than at the McCrory Gardens in Brookings, South Dakota. Located in central Brookings near South Dakota State University, there may not be an easier escape to nature. Filled with blooming flowers, local wildlife, paved-brick walkways, benches and numerous trees that offer their shade- this spot is perfect for any type of walker. Whether you visit for the wildlife, plants and trees, a workout, or whatever else- this little urban oasis is a perfect option.

Nearby Attractions

Distance Unit:

South Dakota State Agricultural Museum

South Dakota State Agricultural Museum

977 11th Street, Brookings, SD, USA
Distance: 0.94 Away

Galleries and Venues Museums and Interpretive Centers

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Wooden Legs Brewery

Wooden Legs Brewery

Wooden Legs Brewing Company, 5th Street, Brookings, SD, USA
Distance: 1.48 Away

Food and Drinks Breweries and Distilleries

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Eponymous Brewing Company

Eponymous Brewing Company

Eponymous Brewing Company, Main Avenue South, Brookings, SD, USA
Distance: 1.57 Away

Food and Drinks Breweries and Distilleries

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Buffalo Ridge Ghost Town

Buffalo Ridge Ghost Town

Buffalo Ridge Ghost Town, South Dakota 38, Buffalo Ridge, SD, USA
Distance: 49.18 Away

Museums and Interpretive Centers

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Sanaa’s Gourmet Mediterranean

Sanaa’s Gourmet Mediterranean

Sanaa's Gourmet Mediterranean, East 8th Street, Sioux Falls, SD, USA
Distance: 53.03 Away

Food and Drinks

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Sioux Falls, South Dakota

Sioux Falls, South Dakota

Sioux Falls, SD, USA
Distance: 53.18 Away

Cultural Districts

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Mitchell Prehistoric Indian Village

Mitchell Prehistoric Indian Village

Mitchell Prehistoric Indian Village, Indian Village Road, Mitchell, SD, USA
Distance: 74.17 Away

Museums and Interpretive Centers Guided Tours Tribal Experiences

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Spirit Mound

Spirit Mound

Spirit Mound, SD, USA
Distance: 100.78 Away

Outdoor Experiences Walks and Hikes Tribal Experiences LC Features

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Mead Cultural Education Center

Mead Cultural Education Center

82 Mickelson Drive, Yankton, SD 57078, USA
Distance: 101.87 Away

Galleries and Venues

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Mead Museum

Mead Museum

Mead Museum / Dakota Territorial Museum, Mickelson Drive, Yankton, SD, USA
Distance: 101.87 Away

Museums and Interpretive Centers

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NFAA Easton Yankton Archery Center

NFAA Easton Yankton Archery Center

NFAA Easton Yankton Archery Center, Archery Lane, Yankton, SD, USA
Distance: 103.75 Away

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Missouri River Rafting / Guided Raft Tours On The Missouri River

Missouri River Rafting / Guided Raft Tours On The Missouri River

Missouri River Rafting, 450th Avenue, Gayville, SD, USA
Distance: 104.34 Away

Outdoor Experiences Outfitters

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Holidays on the Trail “In the first few decades

Holidays on the Trail

“In the first few decades of the 1800s, throughout the North, Christmas was just another ordinary day; it didn’t become an official holiday in the US until 1870. Meanwhile, most southerners observed it with fireworks, hunting, dancing, food, and drink. However, on the western frontier—in Kentucky, for instance—Christmas was an occasion to indulge in a few extra rations and to recall the pleasures of lives and times left behind, beyond the Appalachians. Easter was even less significant in the puritanical early American church. Not until after the Civil War, during which violent death had touched nearly every family, did Easter become as significant as Christmas.

In a compromise with its multicultural makeup, the Corps of Discovery celebrated just three special days—Christmas Day, New Year’s Day, and Independence Day—and each must have been observed with a jovial mixture of traditions.”

Click the link below to learn more about the Corps and the 3 Christmases they spent while on the expedition - Camp Dubois in 1803, Fort Mandan in 1804, and Fort Clatsop in 1805.

https://lewis-clark.org/other/holidays-on-the-trail/

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays, all!

Site of the Week: Falls of the Ohio State Park St

Site of the Week: Falls of the Ohio State Park

St. Louis is often recognized as the starting place of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. However, others would argue that the Expedition began further east where Lewis and Clark met to begin traveling together. Today, this site is the Falls of the Ohio State Park.

In 1803, Meriwether Lewis brought the keelboat down the Ohio River to meet Clark in Louisville. While Lewis had been overseeing the building of said keelboat, Clarj had been busily recruiting local men by way of a strict interview process. Once Lewis arrived with his two men and joined them with Clark’s seven men in Louisville, these first men of the Expedition became known as “the Nine Young Men from Kentucky.” These were William Bratton, John Colter, Joseph and Reuben Field, George Shannon, John Shields, Nathaniel Pryor, George Gibson, and Charles Floyd.

While the Falls of the Ohio are no longer visible, the fossil beds are still very prominent. These Devonian fossil beds are famously recognized as being one of the largest exposed fossil beds in the world. There is a museum on site which tells the history of these fossils, as well as the evolution of the area’s wildlife. The museum also provides information about Lewis and Clark’s time at the Falls and the complicated relationships between the incoming settlers and the local native tribes. The museum was recently renovated and has significantly expanded its exhibits.

Photos credited to Mitchell Pence and the Department of Natural Resources

#lewisandclark #history #adventure #travel #fallsoftheohiostatepark #ohioriver

Check out our YouTube Channel! We have some great

Check out our YouTube Channel!

We have some great content being posted there every Saturday - you’ll see videos related to personal stories and adventures on the trail, special reports on various trail locations, and much more!

Be sure to subscribe and share with friends as well!

https://www.youtube.com/@lewisandclarktrailalliance

Our new APP is now available! Check it out if you

Our new APP is now available! Check it out if you haven’t yet to bring the adventure and magic of the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail on your mobile device. Scan the QR code here or find it on your app store.

Site of the Week: Pompey’s Pillar National Monum

Site of the Week: Pompey’s Pillar National Monument

William Clark christened the rock formation “Pompey’s Tower” on July 25, 1806, as he and his party descended the Yellowstone River. Clark gave the huge monolith the nickname that he himself had fondly bestowed upon Sacagawea’s young son, Jean Baptiste Charbonneau. Nicholas Biddle, as he edited the journals upon Lewis and Clark’s return, changed the name to “Pompey’s Pillar.”

Pompey’s Pillar is known for being the only site with visible physical evidence of Lewis and Clark’s journey: Clark carved his name and the date onto the rock’s face. Now covered by a clear panel, the signature is protected from the elements while still being visible to visitors willing to climb up the steps to see it. Visitors can continue up the steps to the top of the rock where they can enjoy a 360-degree view of the landscape surrounding the site. There is also a highly informative and very well-designed visitor’s center at the base of Pompey’s Pillar, along with several outdoor educational structures and hiking trails.

Photos credited to Cait Clark.

#lewisandclark #history #adventure #travel #pompeyspillar #Montana #pompeyspillarnationalmonument