This South Dakota Legend Will Send Chills Down Your Spine

It's a 320-acre state park with an interesting history...and a creepy legend.

They believed that Spirit Mound was occupied by evil spirits who appeared as little men, standing about 18 inches tall, with oversized heads. The demons had bows and arrows and could kill a man from far away, as he approached the mound. The tribes in the area flat-out refused to go anywhere near the mound, and when Lewis & Clark, with their party of ten men, climbed to its top on August 25, 1804, they did it without a Native American escort.

Lewis and Clark did not encounter any demon men, but when they got to the top of Spirit Mound, they had a stunning view of the surrounding prairie which included roaming bison and huge herds of elk.

This place was privately owned and used as a farm and cattle feed lot for many years. In 1974, it was placed on the National Register of Historic Places, and in 1986 the Spirit Mound Trust began working with the state and national parks systems to restore the prairie.

If you visit, take the .75-mile trail to the top of Spirit Mound, and witness the beautiful view of this prairie. Oh, and keep your eyes open for little demons...