Giant Prairie Dog – Philip, South Dakota - Atlas Obscura
Places near me Random place

AO Edited

Giant Prairie Dog

Badlands Ranch Store
Philip, South Dakota

A six-ton, 12-foot-tall concrete prairie dog is touted as the largest in the world. 

View all photos
Prairie dog general store amcampagna (Atlas Obscura User)
Vintage Postcard of the Ranch Store & Prairie Dog http://bad-postcards.tumblr.com/post/71641576481/worlds-largest-prairie-dog-ten-baddest-bad
Giant Praire Dog, photo taken 2016 Gavin (Atlas Obscura User)
Giant Praire Dog, photo taken 2016 Gavin (Atlas Obscura User)
869
915
Top Places in South Dakota
View of the ghost town
Buffalo Ridge 1880 Cowboy Town
Sioux Falls, South Dakota
Chapel In The Hills
Rapid City, South Dakota
Hall of Records in Mount Rushmore
Keystone, South Dakota
 See All

Outside of Badlands National Park there is a prairie dog of a disturbing size. Surrounded by an actual prairie dog colony, this concrete giant towers 12 feet over its little friends at a whopping six tons.

The massive pink and ocher mascot to the colony below has been watching over this little corner of the Badlands for over 50 years, and despite a little weather wear and tear, shows no sign of going anywhere anytime soon.

The attraction is free, and for $1.00 you can buy peanuts at the Ranch Store Gift Shop to feed the (in comparison) teensy prairie dogs of the non-concrete variety. 

Know Before You Go

Not hard to find. It is off of I-90, off of exit 131, on Hwy 240 which is the main road to Badlands National Park Drive.

roadside attractions statues
Nearby
Minuteman Missile Visitor Center
1.62 miles
Delta-09 Minuteman Missile Site
15.01 miles
Conata
15.75 miles
Want to see fewer ads? Become a Member.
Near This Place
Philip, South Dakota

Minuteman Missile Visitor Center

Dedicated to the history of the 1,000 nuclear missiles that once covered the Great Plains.
The glass dome that encloses the missile silo opening.
Wall, South Dakota

Delta-09 Minuteman Missile Site

One of the first intercontinental ballistic missile sites in the United States.
Conata
Conata, South Dakota

Conata

A ghost town now swarming with dozens of prairie dogs.
Wall, South Dakota

Wall Drug

The granddaddy of all tourist traps, built on ice water, jackalopes, and a giant dinosaur.
Related Places
Leicester, Vermont

Queen Connie

A gorilla holding a VW Beetle isn't what you'd expect in rural Vermont.
St. Augustine, Florida

Bluebird of Happiness Statue

An oversized bluebird statue returns to its rightful place on Vilano Beach pier.
Steele, North Dakota

World's Largest Sandhill Crane

The metal bird, nicknamed "Sandy," stands nearly 40 feet tall and is an homage to the birds that migrate through North Dakota every year.
Harlan, Kansas

Statue of Liberty Replica

This roadside prairie Statue of Liberty replica is one of the foremost examples of the Boy Scouts of America's "Strengthen the Arm of Liberty" campaign.
Appears in 1 List
List

The Ultimate Guide to America's National Parks

Big or small, urban or remote, the parks are full of nature, history, and surprises.
Atlas Obscura March 30, 2021
In partnership with KAYAK

Plan Your Trip

From Around the Web