Hot Springs in Fall River County, South Dakota — The American Midwest (Upper Plains)

Hot Springs, SD

Photographed By Barry Swackhamer, September 6, 2015

1. Hot Springs, SD Marker

Inscription. Tribal tradition states that as long ago as the 16th century the Fall River Valley and canyon area were seldom without groups of tipis belonging to North American Plains Tribes. They knew the curative value of the warm springs located there and used them for bathing their sick and lame.

Exploration of the area by white men in 1874-75 led to settlement and the discovery of 75 geothermal springs. The crystal clear water issues from clefts in rocks or bubbles up out of the ground. Bathhouses, swimming plunges, hotels, hospitals and sanitariums were built turning the City of Hot Springs into an early national health resort. Some of these structures still exit, including a sanitarium now used as the VA Center, and the South Dakota Soldiers Home.

Cowboys and others crippled by rheumatism and other afflictions would arrive in wagons or trains and leave on horseback after three weeks in the springs.

From this point the rushing Fall River can be seen and heard.

Erected 1995 by the people and businesses of Hot Springs, the South Dakota State Historical Society and the South Dakota Department of Transportation. (Marker Number 663.)

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Settlements & Settlers

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• Waterways & Vessels. In addition, it is included in the South Dakota State Historical Society Markers series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1874.

Location. 43° 25.152′ N, 103° 27.51′ W. Marker is in Hot Springs, South Dakota, in Fall River County. Marker is on Fall River Road (U.S. 385) near Hidden Nook Trail, on the right when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 13013 Fall River Road, Hot Springs SD 57747, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 5 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Leslie Jensen Scenic Drive (within shouting distance of this marker); Mammoth Site of Hot Springs, SD (approx. 1.3 miles away); Sandstone Architecture of Hot Springs, SD (approx. 1.6 miles away); An Old Jail - 1888 (approx. 1.6 miles away); Battle Mountain (approx. 1.7 miles away); a different marker also named Leslie Jensen Scenic Drive (approx. 2.2 miles away); Fall River Falls (approx. 2.8 miles away); John Stevenson Robertson: Pioneer Horticulturalist (approx. 5 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Hot Springs.

Also see . . . Hot Springs, South Dakota - Wikipedia. Hot Springs is one of the warmest places in South Dakota, with an annual mean temperature
Photographed By Barry Swackhamer, September 6, 2015

2. Hot Springs, SD Marker
of 48.6 °F (9.2 °C). Some of the attractions in the Hot Springs area are the Mammoth Site of Hot Springs and Evans Plunge, built in 1890, with its naturally warm 87 °F (31 °C) spring water. The town is a gateway to the attractions of the southern Black Hills, particularly Wind Cave National Park. Hot Springs holds the annual Miss South Dakota pageant. (Submitted on October 6, 2015, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California.)

Hot Springs, SD Marker, from the south image. Click for full size.

October 17, 2021

3. Hot Springs, SD Marker, from the south

Credits. This page was last revised on October 23, 2021. It was originally submitted on October 6, 2015, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California. This page has been viewed 552 times since then and 31 times this year. Last updated on October 22, 2021. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on October 6, 2015, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California. 3. submitted on October 22, 2021. • J. Makali Bruton was the editor who published this page.