In October of 2017, I spent a few days exploring the Northeastern area of South Dakota.  I was hoping to catch Fall colors in and around the many lakes in the area, but as is usually the case with the Great Plains, the trees all change at different times, making it difficult to get images filled with Autumn splendor.  The weather didn’t really cooperate either, as the wind was strong most of the time, and the clouds rarely cleared.

I did get an afternoon of nice light, and found a nice bay that was protected from the wind on Roy Lake.  Many of the trees were turning, although a few were already bare.  There is a cool walk bridge to an island in the bay, and a pleasant hiking trail around the island.  I also spent a day around Pickerel Lake and the Waubay National Wildlife Refuge, but had very little light to work with–the clouds did break up just before sunset, so I got some great color over a dock on Pickerel Lake.  I hiked the Sica Hollow State Park, which is where the stair image is from, but most of the leaves had already fallen from that area.