For those of us who live in South Dakota, we certainly appreciate our state and it's vast natural beauty. But people in other states just see us as a "fly-over" state, with nothing to offer but crops, farming and cold weather.

However, South Dakota has finally been recognized on a national scale for its immense beauty and fantastic scenery.

In an independent study held by the website Thrillest, the southernmost Dakota lands just shy of the top ten "Most Beautiful States." At number 11, we are recognized for the Black Hills, the Badlands. Even the eastern side of the state gets a mention which includes Palisades State Park.

The website also named South Dakota the most underrated state in America, which I completely agree with. I can't tell you how many times I've been told that there is absolutely nothing to do here and that's surprising people who do live here.

A few of our neighbors landed in the top ten, but states like North Dakota, Iowa and Nebraska didn't even make the top 35. Yikes. So good for you, South Dakota. We are finally getting some of the credit we deserve!

The rest of the list can be viewed here: 50 Most Beautiful States in America

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