North America > United States > South Dakota > Yankton
Yankton is an old Missouri River town in southeastern South Dakota, with enough river, bridge, and Lewis and Clark history to justify a spare day if you are nearby. It was the first capital of Dakota Territory, but its present-day appeal is more outdoorsy than governmental.
The riverfront is the easy start. The Meridian Bridge is a rare double-deck lift bridge turned pedestrian crossing, and Lewis and Clark Recreation Area spreads west of town along the reservoir. The Mead Museum gives the local history some weight in a former state hospital building.
Yankton is not dramatic like the Black Hills. It works as a quieter river stop: walking the bridge, following the lake shore, and seeing how the Missouri shaped settlement at the southern edge of South Dakota.