Blue Mounds State Park, Minnesota

Named for its 100-foot Sioux quartzite cliff (which is way more pink than blue, but a beaut nonetheless), Blue Mounds State Park has a ridiculous amount of cool things to see—allow yourself at least a few days here. When you’re done climbing the mounds, check out the herd of 100 bison who graze one of Minnesota’s largest prairie remnants, swim in the reservoir, or visit one of several park structures that appear on the National Register of Historic Places. Take a day to drive to Sioux Falls less than an hour away, or marvel at the preserved 1,250-foot line of rocks aligned by Plains Indians to mark where the sun rises and sets on the spring and fall equinoxes (seriously). Even if you aren’t there on the equinox, this is a killer spot to watch a sunset.