A conspiracy theory is defined as being a “belief that some covert but influential organization is responsible for a circumstance or event,” which, like all other states, South Dakota is not immune to. If you are ready to question everything, read on as we address the five biggest conspiracies about the Mount Rushmore State:

1. Nobody actually lives in northern South Dakota/all of North Dakota.
Flickr/Jimmy Emerson, DVM
Quite possibly one of the most head scratching of conspiracy theories is that nobody lives in northern South Dakota/all of North Dakota... say what?! This gem just recently came to light, after a man claims he was driving through and came to a "Welcome to Canada" sign right along the border. (Since my husband's entire family lives in NoDak and we have been up to visit several times, this has me questioning my entire existence!)
2. A spike in suicides may be caused by a mysterious spirit.
Flickr/Chris Isherwood
You have heard of Slender Man, but have you heard of Walking Sam? After a horrifying 100+ suicide attempts on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, local teens began accusing/speculating about a tall and skinny spirit by the name of Walking Sam who was encouraging youth to die by hanging themselves.

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3. Unexplained bridges along Spook Road.
Spook Road Facebook
Quite possibly one of the most famous of SoDak legends and conspiracies is Spook Road; a dirt road outside of Brandon that is said to have bridges disappear. How? Nobody knows... but conspiracy theorists claim that driving one way down the road has 5 bridges and driving back only has 4. ¯_(ツ)_/¯
4. Big Foot is alive, well, and living right here in South Dakota.
Wikimedia Commons
The missing link isn't missing here in South Dakota, as it is speculated that he lives in Sica Hollow; old Native American hunting grounds that have been avoided since the unexplainable disappearance of several people in the 1970s.
5. Gitchie Manitou is haunted
Flickr/Michael Shaheen
Okay, so technically Gitchie Manitou is in Lyon County, Iowa, but it is still worth noting, as the area is allegedly haunted after the gruesome 1973 murders of 4 Sioux Falls teenagers. Thankfully, the murderers were captured, tried, and convicted, but the area is still off-limits to those who believe in the paranormal.

Discover even more weird things about South Dakota by clicking 8 Terrifying Urban Legends in South Dakota That Will Keep You Awake at Night.

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