Vermillion is a small college town above the Missouri River in southeastern South Dakota. The University of South Dakota gives it a steadier cultural pulse than many towns its size, but the real surprise is how quickly the town opens onto prairie, river bluffs, and Lewis and Clark country.
The National Music Museum is the anchor that lifts Vermillion above an ordinary university stop. Add Spirit Mound, a short but memorable prairie walk north of town, and the Missouri National Recreational River nearby, and Vermillion has enough for a spare day if you are already in the southeast corner of the state.
Do not expect the drama of the Black Hills. Vermillion is quieter: campus brick, broad streets, bars and cafes around Main Street, and open country just beyond town.