South Dakota may not be considered to be one of the best places for water sports in the country, but those who say that have obviously never visited the Mount Rushmore State and experienced our diverse bodies of water and various recreational opportunities! While there is no shortage of lakes and streams to choose from, our favorite one of all may just be this pristinely emerald South Dakota lake:

Welcome to the picture-perfect Pactola Lake! 
DXR/Wikimedia Commons
Tucked away in the Black Hills near Rapid City, Pactola Lake is not only the largest reservoir in South Dakota but arguably the most blue. 
AllTrails/Elizabeth Thompson
Covering an impressive 800 acres and housing a whopping 14 miles of shoreline, Pactola Lake is as massive as it is beautiful, as the reservoir also reaches depths of up to 150+ feet.
AllTrails/Casey Schlechter
Thanks to Pactola's size, it is also THE place to be for all things water sports and recreation and offers some of the best boating, swimming, sanding, camping, and hiking opportunities in the state.
AllTrails/Chris Simpson

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Since Pactola Lake is strikingly blue, we also highly recommend bringing your camera for some unique photo opportunities.
AllTrails/Real Girl
While Pactola Lake can be reached by car, it also boasts several surrounding trails just waiting to be explored, including this easy-peasy 2.2 mile out and back Osprey Trail (pictured).
AllTrails/The Shofar Rider VBC
Admission to Pactola Lake is $6 per day, per vehicle, plus an additional fee for camping.
TripAdvisor/JA699
To learn more about Pactola Lake, please visit the U.S. Forest Service's website.
TripAdvisor/Chileice

Do you have a favorite place that you would like to see featured on Only in South Dakota? Remember to nominate it here! For even more to do around Pactola Lake, check out There’s A Scuba Complex Hiding In South Dakota That’s Perfect For Your Next Adventure.

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Pactola Lake, West Pennington, SD 57702, USA