Clark County: Lakes and Cultural Heritage

Clark County offers several distinct highlights: a landscape shaped by potholes and sloughs, birdwatching at Dry Lake #2, and cultural history and events in Clark. If you’re looking for a hotel in Clark County, it helps to first decide when you’re traveling and what matters most to you. Some information relates to the county as a whole, while museums, parks, and Potato Days are specifically associated with the city of Clark. Consider whether nature-watching or the town’s history and events will shape your trip.

Landscape, Birdwatching, and Waterways

Clark County has thousands of potholes and sloughs. An older birdwatching description puts the flooded lake habitat at Dry Lake #2 at 3,750 acres; water levels and access conditions may vary. The lake is a specific point of interest for travelers who want to include wetlands and birdwatching in their plans. Birdwatchers there may spot Western Grebe, Snowy Egret, Blue-winged Teal, and Ruddy Duck. Which species are actually seen varies by season, so take the time of year into account if birdwatching is an important part of your trip.

The time of year also matters for boating: boating on Reid Lake in Clark County is prohibited from October 20 through December 31. Since regulations can change over time, check the current boating regulations handbook before your trip. This will help you plan your time at the lake in accordance with the rules in effect.

Cultural History in and Near Clark

Little Fellow’s grave is six miles east of Clark. A tourism account published in 2006 noted that the annual tribute at the grave had been held since 1890 and was sponsored by the Clark Rotary Club. Clark’s cultural attractions offer other highlights: the Classic Wheels Museum features restored classic cars, motorcycles, tractors, and airplanes, as well as historical scale models of the community. The Beauvais Heritage Center complex in Clark includes a homesteader’s claim cabin, Clark’s railroad depot, and a historic school. Classic Wheels focuses on vehicles and models, while the Beauvais complex focuses on buildings and local history. This distinction can help you choose which cultural themes to include in your travel plans.

Potato Days and When to Visit

Potato Days is a citywide festival in Clark, held on the first weekend in August. It began in 1992 to celebrate the region’s potato-growing identity. Mashed potato wrestling began at Potato Days in Clark in 1995. Arts in the Park at Potato Days features arts and crafts, candles, taxidermy, and wood decorations, as well as jams and jellies, produce, and baked goods. The specific offerings may vary from year to year, and event planning may also change. If you’re planning to visit Clark for the festival, check the latest dates and program. The first weekend in August gives Potato Days a set timeframe; birdwatching at Dry Lake #2, by contrast, is seasonal.

Parks in Clark

Dickinson Park in Clark offers campsites and electrical hookups. Confirm current availability before including these facilities in your plans. Flat Iron Park in Clark makes a scenic stop along Highway 212 and honors war veterans. Conditions for stopping there may change, so check in advance if you plan to make the park a stop on your trip.

Discover more destinations: Carpenter, Edmunds, Meade County, Union, Pennington, Shannon County, Hutchinson County, Kingsbury County.

For the broader travel overview: South Dakota.