Great Plains Overview

In 1803, the Louisiana Purchase doubled America’s size, adding French territory west of the Mississippi at the bargain price of $0.03 per acre. Over time, the plains spawned legends of pioneers, cowboys, and Native Americans as they fought over land and struggled to learn the way of life that came to define the American West. The arrival of railroads and liberal land policies in the 19th century spurred an economic boom, until a drought during the Great Depression transformed the region into a dust bowl.

Modern agriculture has reclaimed the soil, and the heartland of the US now thrives on farm products. The Plains are a truly vast swathe of land, where open sky and endless prairies stretch from horizon to horizon as far as the eye can see. While signs of humanity in the region are unmistakable—checkerboard farms, outlying Army posts, and railroad corridors—the region’s most staggering sights are its works of nature, from the Badlands and the Black Hills to the mighty Missouri and Mississippi Rivers.

Venture into the depths of Jewel Cave and Wind Cave and the rugged wilderness of Theodore Roosevelt National Park and the Badlands .
Slide down the famous “shoe chutes” at the City Museum in St. Louis .
Gaze at the formidable Mt. Rushmore and Crazy Horse Memorial .
Unbuckle your belt after feasting on the nation’s best beef in Omaha, NE .
Misbehave like cowboys did when the West was wild in Deadwood, SD .

North Dakota

By clicking submit you agree to the terms of the Let’s Go Privacy Policy

For 52 years, we have published the world’s favorite budget travel guides, written entirely by students and updated every year. With pen and notebook in hand and a few changes of underwear stuffed in our backpacks, we spend months roaming the globe in search of travel bargains.