Anyone who’s been in South Dakota very long knows about the good-natured rivalry between East River and West River. It often seems as though we’re two states, divided by the Missouri River. Whether you think one side is better than the other or not, you can’t deny that there are distinct differences between the two.
- East River has mostly farms…
Fellowship of the Rich/flickr
…While West River is mostly ranches.
South Dakota/flickr You can’t have a bbq without burgers and corn on the cob, though, so we definitely need both.
- West River has bison….
Craig Bennet/flickr
…East River has the pheasant.
Roderick Eime/flickr We can’t help but love our state bird, which is both gorgeous and draws a huge crowd during hunting season. But the bison are pretty cool, too, and they aren’t found in very many places in the U.S. anymore.
- In East River, we sometimes drive like this…
pjah73/flickr
In West River we sometimes ride like this.
Jimmy Smith/flickr Both are scenic…you just have to remind yourself to enjoy East River’s beauty when you’re chugging along at 10 mph.
- West River has Mount Rushmore…
CameliaTWU/flickr
…East River has the Corn Palace.
Swecias/flickr Though Mount Rushmore was obviously a much bigger project, we can’t help but be almost as proud of the Corn Palace, and you won’t find either anywhere else in the world.
- In East River, we celebrate Tabor Czech Days…
Tabor Czech Days
In West River, we celebrate Wild Bill Days.
Deadwood South Dakota East River is proud of its European heritage; West River is proud of its Wild West heritage.
- West River has pie…
Jason Soupene/Google
…East River has kuchen.
Moehre1992/flickr There’s nothing like a slice of pie at Purple Pie Place in Custer, but East River folks love a slice of kuchen, which reminds us of our grandmothers.
- West River has small towns…
dconvertini/flickr
…East River has larger towns.
Ian Freimuth/flickr South Dakota has a very small population overall, but our larger towns tend to be on the east side of the Missouri.
- East River is pretty flat…
Katie Wheeler/flickr
…West River’s Black Elk Peak stands 2,923 feet tall.
Whitney/flickr The scenery is definitely different from one side of the river to the other, but it’s all beautiful.
What other differences would you add to this list? Tell us in the comments!
Fellowship of the Rich/flickr
South Dakota/flickr
You can’t have a bbq without burgers and corn on the cob, though, so we definitely need both.
Craig Bennet/flickr
Roderick Eime/flickr
We can’t help but love our state bird, which is both gorgeous and draws a huge crowd during hunting season. But the bison are pretty cool, too, and they aren’t found in very many places in the U.S. anymore.
pjah73/flickr
Jimmy Smith/flickr
Both are scenic…you just have to remind yourself to enjoy East River’s beauty when you’re chugging along at 10 mph.
CameliaTWU/flickr
Swecias/flickr
Though Mount Rushmore was obviously a much bigger project, we can’t help but be almost as proud of the Corn Palace, and you won’t find either anywhere else in the world.
Tabor Czech Days
Deadwood South Dakota
East River is proud of its European heritage; West River is proud of its Wild West heritage.
Jason Soupene/Google
Moehre1992/flickr
There’s nothing like a slice of pie at Purple Pie Place in Custer, but East River folks love a slice of kuchen, which reminds us of our grandmothers.
dconvertini/flickr
Ian Freimuth/flickr
South Dakota has a very small population overall, but our larger towns tend to be on the east side of the Missouri.
Katie Wheeler/flickr
Whitney/flickr
The scenery is definitely different from one side of the river to the other, but it’s all beautiful.
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