Part of our in-depth series exploring Sioux Nation Forts
11907 434th Avenue
Lake City, SD 57247
605.448.5474
Email: [email protected]
Walk the grounds where the officers' quarters, stone barracks, powder magazine, guard house, and other buildings remain at frontier Fort Sisseton. This 1864 fort, atop the Coteau des Prairies (or hills of the prairies), is a rare reminder of the western frontier. The fort's name comes from the nearby Sisseton Indian Tribe, and it is now a picturesque state park that unfolds the area's history.
Facilities at a Glance
Visitor Center and Interpretive Displays
Campground with 15 Campsites
Boat Ramp
Comfort Stations
Picnic Area, Shelter with kitchen
Guided Walking Tour
Fees
$8 per vehicle for day visit. Annual pass is $36 for one vehicle. Camping is $26/night and $55/night for cabin.
Hours of Operation
Fort Sisseton Visitor Center is open daily, May-August (10am to 6pm). Guided tours typically take place at 1:30pm. September hours are daily 8am to 4:30pm and Monday-Friday 8am to 4:30pm for the rest of the year. The park is open all year. The Fort Sisseton Festival, held the first full weekend in June, is a rendezvous featuring cavalry, fiddlers, square dancing, draft horse pulling, tomahawk throwing, a melodrama, and other excitement. Admission fee charged to the Festival.
Directions
To get to the fort from I-29, take U.S. Highway 12 west about 24 miles, then Highways 25 and 73 north about another 24 miles. Or, from I-29 take Highway 10 west about 26 miles, then Highway 73 south about 5 miles.
Sidelights
Take in the intriguing sight where the water flow goes separate directions -- going north and south -- at the North/South Continental Divide on Lake Traverse along the South Dakota/Minnesota border. It's southeast within 10 miles of I-29, along S.D. Highway 10.