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

South Dakota State Agricultural Museum

South Dakota State Agricultural Museum

977 11th Street, Brookings, SD, USA
Distance: 0.94 mi (straight line)

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 mi (straight line)

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 mi (straight line)

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 mi (straight line)

Food and Drinks

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Sioux Falls, South Dakota

Sioux Falls, South Dakota

Sioux Falls, SD, USA
Distance: 53.18 mi (straight line)

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 mi (straight line)

Museums and Interpretive Centers Guided Tours Tribal Experiences

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Spirit Mound

Spirit Mound

Spirit Mound, SD, USA
Distance: 100.78 mi (straight line)

Outdoor Experiences Walks and Hikes Tribal Experiences LC Features

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Mead Museum

Mead Museum

Mead Museum / Dakota Territorial Museum, Mickelson Drive, Yankton, SD, USA
Distance: 101.87 mi (straight line)

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 mi (straight line)

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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 mi (straight line)

Outdoor Experiences Outfitters

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Pierre Dorion Memorial

Pierre Dorion Memorial

W Riverside Dr & W 2nd St, Yankton, SD 57078, USA
Distance: 104.80 mi (straight line)

General History LC Features

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Wacipi

Wacipi

953 N Dakota St, Vermillion, SD 57069, USA
Distance: 105.72 mi (straight line)

Festivals and Events Tribal Experiences

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National Music Museum

National Music Museum

National Music Museum, E Clark St, Vermillion, SD, USA
Distance: 106.15 mi (straight line)

Museums and Interpretive Centers

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Lewis and Clark Visitors Center at Gavins Point Dam

Lewis and Clark Visitors Center at Gavins Point Dam

55245 NE-121, Crofton, NE 68730, USA
Distance: 107.28 mi (straight line)

Museums and Interpretive Centers Viewpoints LC Features

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Calumet Bluff Trail

Calumet Bluff Trail

Calumet Bluff Trailhead, Unnamed Road, Crofton, NE, USA
Distance: 107.47 mi (straight line)

Walks and Hikes LC Features

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Bow Creek

Bow Creek

Bow Creek Recreation Area, Unnamed Rd, Wynot, NE, USA
Distance: 107.90 mi (straight line)

Outdoor Experiences Walks and Hikes

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Goat Island Recreation Island

Goat Island Recreation Island

Goat Island, Nebraska, USA
Distance: 108.04 mi (straight line)

Outdoor Experiences Fun and Sports

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Plymouth County Fair

Plymouth County Fair

Plymouth County Fair, 4th Avenue Northeast, Le Mars, IA, USA
Distance: 109.11 mi (straight line)

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The Expedition spent their first January at Camp D

The Expedition spent their first January at Camp DuBois in Illinois. Visit the site where they spent that first winter at the Lewis and Clark State Historic Site - Camp River Dubois.

Located at the confluence of the mighty Mississippi and Missouri Rivers, Lewis & Clark State Historic site celebrates the winter that the Lewis & Clark Expedition spent preparing at Camp River Dubois from December 1803 – May 1804. The site includes a 14,000 sq. foot Interpretive Center with theater, reconstructed Camp River Dubois encampment, full-scale keelboat replica, reconstructed early 19th Century Settler’s Cabin, and confluence viewing area.

Camp River Dubois is the location where training and bonding forged the team now known as the Corps of Discovery. Preparations and supplies gathered while wintering in the Illinois Country had an invaluable impact on the Expedition’s success. Staff and volunteers share this rich history with visitors through tours of the site and special programs throughout the year.

https://www.lewisandclark.travel/listing/lewis-clark-state-historic-site/

https://www.nps.gov/lecl/learn/historyculture/camp-dubois.htm

#lewisandclark #history #adventure #travel #Illinois

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.

Interested in re-tracing Lewis’ steps to prep fo

Interested in re-tracing Lewis’ steps to prep for the expedition?

Walk in the footsteps of Meriwether Lewis as he bought supplies for the expedition in 1803. At the same time, experience the birth of the United States at key places in the Independence National Historic Park.

The trip by foot is 2 miles long.

Stop 1 - The Independence Visitor Center provides a great starting point for visiting the Independence National Historic Park. You will find knowledgeable rangers, ticket sales, historic films, and interactive exhibits.
https://www.phlvisitorcenter.com/IndependenceVisitorCenter

Stop 2 - Located at 526 Market Street the Liberty Bell Center has free admission on a first-come, first-served basis. In addition to the historic Liberty Bell, the site has exhibits, but no public restrooms.
https://www.nps.gov/inde/planyourvisit/libertybellcenter.htm

Stop 3 - Independence Hall is where the Declaration of Independence and U.S. Constitution were debated and signed. Tickets are required during prime hours.
GPS: 520 Chestnut Street
https://www.nps.gov/inde/planyourvisit/independencehall.htm

Stop 4 - The American Philosophical Society archives hold many of the Lewis and Clark Expedition’s original journals, Nicholas Biddle’s notes on queries, Titian Peale’s sketches of expedition bird specimens, and other related documents such as the Donation Book . Public exhibits generally change annually, and the site hosts several events open to the public. https://www.amphilsoc.org/
Philosophical Hall
104 South Fifth Street

Stop 5 - Second Bank of the United States houses over 150 portraits—many by Charles Willson Peale—of early American political leaders including the original portraits of Meriwether Lewis and William Clark.

Note: The gallery will not re-open until at least February 2025.
https://www.nps.gov/inde/learn/historyculture/places-secondbank.htm
Located on 420 Chestnut Street between 4th and 5th Street

https://www.lewisandclark.travel/inspiration/philadelphia-walking-tour/

#lewisandclark #history #adventure #travel #pennsylvania #philadelphia

Site of the Week: The Lewis and Clark Visitor’s

Site of the Week: The Lewis and Clark Visitor’s Center at Gavins Point Dam

By August of 1804, the Lewis and Clark Expedition had entered the land of the Yankton Sioux, a powerful tribe on the Missouri River. Lewis and Clark were tasked with notifying them that the United States now had a claim over their land. So, on August 29, the expedition met with the tribe at a site called Calumet Bluff where Lewis gave his routine speech and the customary gifts were handed out.

Today, the Lewis and Clark Visitor’s Center at Gavins Point Dam sits on Calumet Bluff, overlooking the nearly two-mile-long Gavins Point Dam. The dam was originally planned to be built further upstream at Gavins Point,the place from which the dam gets its name. However, even though it was constructed at a different site (which resulted in the formation of Lewis and Clark Lake), the dam maintained its original name throughout the project.

The visitor’s center, which is operated by the Army Corp of Engineers, has exhibits pertaining to the wildlife and rich history of the area. Information regarding recreation on Lewis and Clark Lake is also available, as well as a gift shop and bookstore. There is a viewing deck on the back of the visitor’s center which allows visitors to view the Gavins Point Dam.

https://www.nps.gov/places/lewis-clark-visitor-center-at-gavins-point-dam-nebraska.htm

Photos credited to Cait Clark

#lewisandclark #history #adventure #travel #nebraska

Site of the Week: Sergeant Floyd Monument The Lew

Site of the Week: Sergeant Floyd Monument

The Lewis and Clark Expedition is known for having lost only one man, something of a miracle when it comes to such a lengthy and treacherous adventure. Sadly, the majority of people do not know the name of this man as he died rather early on in the Expedition. Fortunately, there is a monument dedicated to his burial in Sioux City, Iowa.

On July 31, 1804, Sergeant Charles Floyd, one of the original “Nine Young Men from Kentucky,” wrote in his journal that he was “verry sick and {had} ben for Sometime.” He recovered somewhat before suddenly taking a turn for the worse. Captain Lewis administered to him as he was the Expedition’s doctor, but it was no use. On August 20th, the young man passed away at the age of 22. It is widely believed that Floyd died from peritonitis caused by a ruptured appendix. If this truly was the case, there would have been nothing that Lewis could have done to save him.

Today, the Sergeant Floyd Monument stands on a cliff overlooking I-29, a tall obelisk surrounded by iron fencing for protection. There is a parking lot and informational signs concerning the Expedition and the last days of Floyd’s life. When standing at the base of the monument, one can look out over the mighty Missouri River. Despite the rumbling of the cars racing by below, the site possesses a solemn tranquility, especially when visited in the evening as the sun is fading in the west. A sun that young Charles Floyd was unable to pursue with his fellow explorers.

#lewisandclark #history #adventure #travel #Iowa #siouxcityiowa