Lake Vermillion Recreation Area

06/08/2026

Lake Vermillion had its first Adventure 250 winner at the park this week! The winner was presented with a 52-quart RTIC cooler, courtesy of Independent Insurance Agents of South Dakota, with Randy Sabers of Sabers Insurance Agency in Salem, SD presenting the prize.

It is not too late to participate! There are some great weekly prizes and some even bigger grand prizes for those that reach 250 points. It is really easy to participate, and the final week of the program ends September 6th.

To learn more about the prizes and participate in Adventure 250, use the link below

https://gfp.sd.gov/history2026/

06/07/2026

The Golden Fish has been found! Congratulations to the winners who recieved Scheels gift cards, GFP T shirts, and free kayak rentals!

Thank you to Scheels for sponsoring this program!

Stay tuned for the next round...

06/05/2026

It's o-fish-al, the 2026 golden fish scavenger hunt is on!

Gather your friends and family and use the following clue to locate the hidden golden fishing lure at Lake Vermillion Recreation Area. If you are first to find the fish, bring it to park staff to claim your prize of Scheels gift cards and SD state parks merch!

Here is the hint:

If the golden fish is what you seek, beware this search is not for the weak,
a typical fish resides in the water, but for my golden sides it is not required,
you may find my coordinates with a clue, search between the boaters' rule

06/04/2026

Join us at Picnic Shelter 1 on Saturday, June 6th from 10:30am to 11:00am for our volunteer naturalist's presentation on birds!

The event will include examples and activities from our critter crate AND a pinecone bird feeder craft that the kids will get to take home.

Photo Credit: Outdoor Campus in Sioux Falls -- Terry Sohl, May 9th 2004

06/01/2026

We got to witness some very interesting clouds out here at Lake Vermillion during and after the storm. Thankful we had no damage and we hope everybody stayed safe.

05/30/2026

Don't forget tonight is our SD Parks & Wildlife Foundation Birthday Celebration! As long as it's not raining, we'll be at Picnic Shelter 1 with smores and a campfire.

05/29/2026

The first few rounds of prizes are being distributed to the weekly winners for the Adventure 250 program! Don't miss out on the fun!

Adventure 250 participants are proving there’s no better way to celebrate than by hitting the road and exploring South Dakota state parks! From island trails near Pierre to the hills of Custer State Park, Week 2 adventurers checked in across the state for a chance to win a 6-person tent!

Congratulations to our week 2 winners:

• Ashley B. | Pierre – LaFramboise Island Nature Area
• Sara W. | Watertown – Lake Thompson Recreation Area
• Brad S. | Sioux Falls – Big Sioux Recreation Area
• Jeffrey V. | Canton – Custer State Park

A big thank you to the Independent Insurance Agents of South Dakota for sponsoring our weekly Adventure 250 prizes and helping encourage families to get outdoors and explore South Dakota.

Week 3 prize: 52-qt Hard-sided Cooler

Haven’t joined Adventure 250 yet? There’s still time! Every park visit gets you closer to more adventures, more memories, and more chances to win all summer long.

Learn more: gfp.sd.gov/history2026

05/29/2026

The recent rains have brought things to life out here! Enjoy these interesting photos of what we believe are a Yellow Warbler, Cedar-Apple Rust Fungus, and a rainbow (this one were pretty sure of).

05/20/2026

Here is the schedule for events this summer, all of which are taking place at Picnic Shelter 1:

Saturday, May 30th 7:00pm - Parks and Wildlife Foundation Birthday Bash (smores and coloring pages at the picnic shelter)

Saturday, June 6th 10:30am - Bird Box and Bird Feeder Craft

Saturday, June 27th 10:30am - Woodpeckers and Bird Feeder Craft

Saturday, July 11th 10:30am - Animal Tracks and Craft

Saturday, July 25th 10:30am - topic TBD

Saturday, August 8th 10:30am - Beaver Critter Crate

Attached is a photo from our Mammal Critter Crate event, which was a big success with 38 people in attendance! Big thanks to our volunteer Jessica for lending her talents and knowledge.

05/15/2026

Celebrate America’s birthday with us by taking the Adventure 250 challenge! Now through September 6, complete adventures at any South Dakota state park to earn points and qualify for weekly prize drawings.

Stop by our park entrance booth at Lake Vermillion and grab the list of adventures or head to gfp.sd.gov/history2026 to get started. Then look for state park or recreation area name and complete our specific adventures to start earning points!

It gets even better! Become an official Adventure 250 Club member when you earn 250+ points. You’ll receive an exclusive prize bundle and entry into the end-of-summer grand prize drawings.

Make your history in South Dakota state parks this summer!

Hunting, Fishing or Camping in South Dakota? The South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks' website has the outdoor related information you need. Buy your license, apply for a big game tag and reserve your campsite on-line.