When visitors arrive in Rapid City South Dakota there are many choices for what to see and where to go. Reptile Gardens deserves to be at the top of the list. We're a little reptile inclined as it is. Having spent a significant amount of our time in early 2017 in the country's western scrub and desert areas of California, Nevada, and Utah, our 'Love of Lizard' was locked in early on. When we learned that the 80 year old Reptile Gardens was a mere 17 minutes from our RV park we were IN. The collection was started in 1935 and has grown to be the largest reptile zoo in the world.

Sure, Mount Rushmore and Crazy Horse are famous United States monuments. We’ve been there and done that. In honor of our 2017 visit to South Dakota to finalize our residency here, for us there was no choice but to revel in reptiles. Note that the second word in the establishment’s name is gardens. The name is lived up to in spades, with an outstanding collection of orchids, bromeliads, and lovely landscaping throughout the grounds. The weather was perfect for wandering the well tended, very pretty areas of the park.

Enjoy the scales, tails, and colors that abound at the excellent … Reptile Gardens.