State routes

South Dakota Rivers

Compare 13 tracked South Dakota paddle routes with route links, water-level context, difficulty, and access planning details.

Paddle Today only lists routes when the gauge, threshold, and source support are defensible enough for live route scoring.

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13 routes4 rivers10 regions9 beginner routes

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Coverage snapshot

Explore supported South Dakota rivers

Scan the highlighted river network from above, then use the route guides and access markers to find a supported reach.

13 route markers1 multi-route rivers9 beginner routes

Supported riverSelected reachAccess-point connectionStrong conditionsGood conditionsWatch closelySkip

Akron Border 2 Hawarden / Akron Border 2 Sioux Falls 2 Akron / Westfield Border 1 Black Hills 1 Brandon / East Sioux Falls 1 East Sioux Falls / Lincoln County 1 Hudson / Hawarden Border 1

Live conditions

Best South Dakota routes today

Loading current scores, gauge reads, and weather signals.

--Live

Akron Border

Big Sioux River

Akron to Ron Wilmot River Access

Easy | About 7.5 mi | About 2.5 hr to 4.5 hr depending on level, wind, scouting, and wood

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Akron Border

Big Sioux River

Big Sioux County Park to Akron

Easy | About 3.2 mi | About 1 hr to 2 hr depending on level, wind, and wood

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Brandon / East Sioux Falls

Big Sioux River

Big Sioux Recreation Area South to SD Highway 42

Easy | About 4.8 mi | About 1.5 hr to 3 hr depending on level, wind, and wood

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Sioux Falls

Big Sioux River

Farm Field Park to Rotary Park

Easy | About 4.15 mi | About 1.5 hr to 2.5 hr depending on level, wind, and scraping

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Current scores load here when available. You can still open the route links to check details and sources if this update fails.

Best route options

Good starting points in South Dakota

Ranked from route metadata, source support, difficulty, and logistics.

A former railroad bridge crosses the Big Sioux River in southern Sioux Falls, now used as a pathway.

South Dakota routeAkron BorderBig Sioux RiverAkron to Ron Wilmot River AccessLaunch from the City of Akron concrete launch and paddle the lower Big Sioux border-river segment to Ron Wilmot River Access. USGS 06485500 is near the...

Route facts

Easy | About 7.5 mi | About 2.5 hr to 4.5 hr depending on level, wind, scouting, and woodcommunity source support

South Dakota routeAkron BorderBig Sioux RiverBig Sioux County Park to AkronLaunch from Big Sioux County Park and paddle the short lower Big Sioux border-river segment to the City of Akron concrete launch. USGS 06485500 sits ins...

Route facts

Easy | About 3.2 mi | About 1 hr to 2 hr depending on level, wind, and woodcommunity source support

South Dakota routeBrandon / East Sioux FallsBig Sioux RiverBig Sioux Recreation Area South to SD Highway 42Launch from the SD GFP-managed Big Sioux Recreation Area South canoe site and take out near the Highway 42 bridge / Mary Jo Wegner Arboretum access for...

Route facts

Easy | About 4.8 mi | About 1.5 hr to 3 hr depending on level, wind, and woodcommunity source support

South Dakota routeSioux FallsBig Sioux RiverFarm Field Park to Rotary ParkLaunch at Farm Field Park and take out at Rotary Park for the short Sioux Falls Big Sioux segment named by Sioux Empire Paddlers. The USGS Sioux Falls g...

Route facts

Easy | About 4.15 mi | About 1.5 hr to 2.5 hr depending on level, wind, and scrapingcommunity source support

South Dakota routeLincoln County / CantonBig Sioux RiverGrandview to Klondike SouthLaunch from the SD GFP-managed Grandview canoe site and take out at Klondike South for the 7.8-mile Jay Heath Trail segment named by GFP. Use USGS 06482...

Route facts

Easy | About 7.8 mi | About 2.5 hr to 4 hr depending on level, wind, and woodcommunity source support

South Dakota routeHawarden / Akron BorderBig Sioux RiverOak Grove County Park to Carr's LandingLaunch from Oak Grove County Park and take out at Carr's Landing for the 6.2-mile lower Jay Heath Trail segment named by Sioux Empire Paddlers and suppo...

Route facts

Easy | About 6.2 mi | About 2 hr to 3.5 hr depending on level, wind, and woodcommunity source support

Beginner routes

South Dakota beginner routes

These routes are tagged easy in the route data. Today's water can still change the call.

Big Sioux RiverAkron to Ron Wilmot River AccessAkron Border | About 7.5 mi Big Sioux RiverBig Sioux County Park to AkronAkron Border | About 3.2 mi Big Sioux RiverBig Sioux Recreation Area South to SD Highway 42Brandon / East Sioux Falls | About 4.8 mi Big Sioux RiverFarm Field Park to Rotary ParkSioux Falls | About 4.15 mi Big Sioux RiverGrandview to Klondike SouthLincoln County / Canton | About 7.8 mi Big Sioux RiverOak Grove County Park to Carr's LandingHawarden / Akron Border | About 6.2 mi Big Sioux RiverOak Ridge Public Water Access to Oak Grove County ParkHudson / Hawarden Border | About 11.1 mi Big Sioux RiverRon Wilmot River Access to IA-3 / SD Hwy 50Akron / Westfield Border | About 5.4 mi

Showing 8 of 9 beginner routes. Use the Easy difficulty filter below to see the full set.

Weekend planning

Routes with practical logistics

Use the live weekend board for score-based recommendations.

Big Sioux RiverAkron to Ron Wilmot River AccessAbout 7.5 mi | About 2.5 hr to 4.5 hr depending on level, wind, scouting, and wood Big Sioux RiverBig Sioux County Park to AkronAbout 3.2 mi | About 1 hr to 2 hr depending on level, wind, and wood Big Sioux RiverBig Sioux Recreation Area South to SD Highway 42About 4.8 mi | About 1.5 hr to 3 hr depending on level, wind, and wood Big Sioux RiverCarr's Landing to Big Sioux County ParkAbout 19 mi | Long day; about 6 hr to 9 hr depending on level, wind, scouting, and stops Big Sioux RiverFarm Field Park to Rotary ParkAbout 4.15 mi | About 1.5 hr to 2.5 hr depending on level, wind, and scraping Big Sioux RiverGrandview to Klondike SouthAbout 7.8 mi | About 2.5 hr to 4 hr depending on level, wind, and wood

Browse coverage

Rivers and regions

Expand a river or region to browse its routes.

By river

Big Sioux River10

Big Sioux River hub Akron to Ron Wilmot River Access Big Sioux County Park to Akron Big Sioux Recreation Area South to SD Highway 42 Carr's Landing to Big Sioux County Park Farm Field Park to Rotary Park Grandview to Klondike South Oak Grove County Park to Carr's Landing Oak Ridge Public Water Access to Oak Grove County Park Ron Wilmot River Access to IA-3 / SD Hwy 50 SD Highway 42 to Grandview

Skunk Creek1

Legacy Park to Farm Field Park

Spearfish Creek1

Spearfish City Park to Jorgensen Park

Split Rock Creek1

Split Rock Park to Palisades State Park

By region

Akron / Westfield Border1

Big Sioux River: Ron Wilmot River Access to IA-3 / SD Hwy 50

Akron Border2

Big Sioux River: Akron to Ron Wilmot River Access Big Sioux River: Big Sioux County Park to Akron

Black Hills1

Spearfish Creek: Spearfish City Park to Jorgensen Park

Brandon / East Sioux Falls1

Big Sioux River: Big Sioux Recreation Area South to SD Highway 42

East Sioux Falls / Lincoln County1

Big Sioux River: SD Highway 42 to Grandview

Hawarden / Akron Border2

Big Sioux River: Carr's Landing to Big Sioux County Park Big Sioux River: Oak Grove County Park to Carr's Landing

Hudson / Hawarden Border1

Big Sioux River: Oak Ridge Public Water Access to Oak Grove County Park

Lincoln County / Canton1

Big Sioux River: Grandview to Klondike South

Sioux Falls2

Big Sioux River: Farm Field Park to Rotary Park Skunk Creek: Legacy Park to Farm Field Park

Southeast South Dakota1

Split Rock Creek: Split Rock Park to Palisades State Park

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All tracked routes

Every South Dakota route on Paddle Today

13 routes with condition and access details.

Showing all 13 routes.

Quick answers

South Dakota paddling FAQ

How does Paddle Today choose South Dakota paddle routes?

Paddle Today lists South Dakota routes when the route has enough defensible gauge, threshold, source, and logistics support to make a live route score useful. The current South Dakota page includes 13 scored routes across 4 rivers.

Are these South Dakota river conditions live?

Open a route page for the latest available gauge readings, weather, water-level context, and route score. Check the update times and any missing-data notices, then verify conditions with the linked sources before leaving.

Can I request another South Dakota route?

Yes. Use the request form to send the river, reach, access points, and any source links. Paddle Today prioritizes routes where a public gauge or defensible threshold support can back the live score.