The Trail of Governors

28th governor George S. Mickelson, 1987-1993 (he died in a plane crash). Kevin OKeeffe (Atlas Obscura User)

25th governor Richard F. Kneip, 1971-1978 (he left office to become Ambassador to Singapore), the last Democrat (or otherwise non-Republican) to be elected governor of South Dakota. Kevin OKeeffe (Atlas Obscura User)

32nd governor Dennis Daugaard, 2011-2019. Kevin OKeeffe (Atlas Obscura User)

11th governor Carl Gunderson, 1925-1927. Kevin OKeeffe (Atlas Obscura User)

31st governor Mike Rounds, 2003-2011, the junior U.S. Senator from South Dakota since 2015. Kevin OKeeffe (Atlas Obscura User)

2nd governor Charles H. Sheldon, 1893-1897, with the state capitol dome visible behind him. Kevin OKeeffe (Atlas Obscura User)

20th governor Joe Foss, 1955-1959, decorated hero in the Pacific Theater of the Second World War. Kevin OKeeffe (Atlas Obscura User)

21st governor Ralph Herseth, 1959-1961, whose daughter, Stephanie Herseth Sandlin, went on to serve in Congress from 2004-2011, and is now President of Augustana University in Sioux Falls. Kevin OKeeffe (Atlas Obscura User)

8th governor Frank M. Byrne, 1913-1917. Kevin OKeeffe (Atlas Obscura User)

27th & 30th governor Bill Janklow, the longest-serving governor in South Dakota history (and the third-longest serving governor in United States history), as well as quite possibly our most controversial modern governor. Kevin OKeeffe (Atlas Obscura User)

Generally thought to be inspired by Rapid City’s tribute to the presidents, South Dakota’s capital, Pierre (pronounced like “pier”), boasts the Trail of Governors. Some of the same artists worked on both projects, including sculptor John Lopez of the Kokomo Gallery in Lemmon.

The trail itself runs on a generally northeast-to-southwesterly trajectory, beginning just across the street from the governor’s mansion, and continuing alongside the state capitol building, through downtown Pierre, and to the banks of the Missouri River.

Spaced along the trail are the realistic-looking statues of the governors themselves. Every single one of South Dakota’s 32 ex-governors can be found alongside the trail.

Know Before You Go

The trail can perhaps most reasonably (if a bit arbitrarily) be said to begin at its northeastern most statue ie. the one of Carl Gunderson, located at the southeastern corner of N Washington Avenue and E Cabot Street (just east of the governors' mansion).