Planning a Disc Golf Trip Through Southeast South Dakota?

Southeast South Dakota has a surprisingly strong collection of disc golf courses, with destinations in Freeman, Sioux Falls, Brandon, Mitchell, Yankton, Vermillion and surrounding communities.

Right in the middle of the region is Prairie Arboretum Disc Golf in Freeman, where disc golf is played through a setting unlike a typical city park. Mature tree collections, landscaped grounds, ponds, gardens, prairie areas, bridges and walking paths make the Prairie Arboretum as much a destination as it is a place to play.

Whether you're traveling across South Dakota on Interstate 90, coming north from Yankton or Nebraska, heading west from Sioux Falls, or putting together a weekend disc golf road trip, Freeman is an easy course to work into a larger southeast South Dakota itinerary.

Planning a Disc Golf Road Trip to the Black Hills?
Traveling west from Minnesota or eastern South Dakota? PrairieDisc makes an unusual stop along the I-90 corridor.

[Explore the Minnesota-to-Black-Hills Route]

PLAN YOUR VISIT
VIEW PRAIRIEDISC COURSE MAP 

Start in Freeman: PrairieDisc

Prairie Arboretum Disc Golf — Freeman, South Dakota

Prairie Arboretum Disc Golf is located within the Prairie Arboretum on the south side of Freeman.

The current course is a free-to-play, permanent nine-hole course with Mach VII baskets. It plays through a mixture of open lawns and mature trees, with the ponds, landscaped collections, walking trails and other features of the arboretum providing the setting.

What makes PrairieDisc worth adding to a South Dakota disc golf trip isn't simply the number of holes. It's the environment surrounding them.

Players will encounter:

• Mature tree collections and landscaped grounds

• Ponds and water-influenced shots

• Prairie and open lawn

• Bridges and walking paths

• Gardens and sculptures

• Picnic areas

• Restrooms and drinking water at the Visitor Center

• Plenty of room to explore the Prairie Arboretum before or after a round

The course is also being developed with a much larger long-term vision, including an expanded 18-hole layout and additional tee options designed to make better use of the arboretum's ponds, wooded areas and distinctive landscape.

EXPLORE THE COURSE

From Freeman to Mitchell

Dry Run Creek — Mitchell, South Dakota

If you're traveling I-90 through South Dakota, Mitchell is one of the most obvious disc golf stops in the region.

Dry Run Creek has become a substantial destination course. UDisc currently lists 22 holes, with the main 18 measuring about 5,768 feet. The course uses hills, mature trees and Dry Run Creek itself, with the creek coming into play on several holes. It currently carries a 4.3 UDisc rating and was listed as #9 in South Dakota for 2026.

That makes a Mitchell + Freeman combination especially attractive for players crossing South Dakota.

A traveler can stop in Mitchell directly from I-90, then head south toward Freeman for a very different style of round at the Prairie Arboretum.

Good combination for:

I-90 travelers • Weekend trips • Players wanting two very different park-style courses

FIND DRY RUN CREEK ON UDISC

From Freeman to Sioux Falls

Sioux Falls Disc Golf

Sioux Falls has the largest concentration of disc golf close to Freeman and makes an excellent starting or ending point for a southeast South Dakota disc golf trip.

UDisc currently lists four courses in Sioux Falls itself, including two full 18-hole courses.

Tuthill Park

Tuthill Park is one of the region's established courses and one of the best-known courses in eastern South Dakota.

The 18-hole layout combines substantial elevation changes with mature trees and open shots. UDisc currently rates Tuthill 4.3, and it was ranked #6 in South Dakota for 2026.

Spencer Park

Spencer Park provides a different challenge, playing through wooded areas and prairie grass near the Big Sioux River. UDisc currently lists it as an 18-hole, moderate-to-hard course.

Together, Sioux Falls and Freeman can easily form the foundation of a full day or weekend of disc golf.

EXPLORE SIOUX FALLS DISC GOLF

Brandon and the Big Sioux River

Big Sioux Disc Golf Course — Brandon, South Dakota

Just east of Sioux Falls, Brandon adds another high-quality course to a southeastern South Dakota trip.

Big Sioux Disc Golf Course offers 18 holes mixing tight wooded lines, prairie, more open shots and holes along the Big Sioux River. UDisc currently gives the course a 4.3 rating and lists it as #8 in South Dakota for 2026.

Unlike many municipal courses in the region, Big Sioux is located within a state recreation area and requires a park entrance fee.

A strong eastern South Dakota disc golf itinerary could therefore include:

PrairieDisc → Sioux Falls → Big Sioux

That gives players three distinctly different course environments within one regional trip.

Head South Toward Yankton

Fantle Memorial Park — Yankton, South Dakota

Players approaching Freeman from the south have several good options.

Fantle Memorial Park in Yankton offers an established 18-hole course with concrete tees. Its current main layout measures approximately 5,466 feet, including two par-4 finishing holes.

Yankton also has several additional courses nearby, making the area particularly useful for players who want to fit multiple rounds into a day.

UDisc currently lists Pierson Ranch Recreation Area, Cottonwood Park and Gavins Point among the nearby options around Yankton.

From Yankton, Freeman makes a natural northbound addition to the trip.

Yankton → Freeman → Mitchell can also become a very nice north-south disc golf route through southeastern South Dakota.

Disc Golf in Vermillion

Another Stop From the South

Vermillion offers another cluster of courses between Sioux City and the Freeman/Yankton area.

Cotton Park

Cotton Park is Vermillion's newer 18-hole course, combining open and wooded holes. UDisc currently lists the main blue layout at about 5,330 feet, with a mixture of technical holes and longer throws.

Prentis Park

For a shorter round, Prentis Park provides a long-established 10-hole course in a traditional city-park setting.

That makes Vermillion another logical stop for players coming into South Dakota from Sioux City or northeastern Nebraska. 

Build a Southeast South Dakota Disc Golf Road Trip

One of the advantages of playing disc golf in this part of South Dakota is that several very different courses can be connected without driving across the entire state.

A weekend trip might look something like this:

I-90 Route

Mitchell → Freeman → Sioux Falls → Brandon

Play Dry Run Creek while traveling I-90, head south to Freeman and PrairieDisc, then continue east toward Sioux Falls and Big Sioux.

Southern Route

Vermillion → Yankton → Freeman

A good option for players coming from Sioux City, Omaha or northeastern Nebraska.

Full Southeast South Dakota Weekend

Mitchell → Freeman → Yankton → Vermillion → Sioux Falls → Brandon

That itinerary combines traditional park golf, wooded courses, creek and river hazards, prairie, elevation, and the unique landscaped environment of the Prairie Arboretum.

Why Put Freeman on the Route?

South Dakota already has some excellent established disc golf courses.

PrairieDisc isn't trying to duplicate them.

The reason to stop in Freeman is that the Prairie Arboretum offers something different.

Instead of playing through another conventional city park, you're playing inside a living arboretum filled with trees, gardens, water, bridges, prairie and landscaped spaces.

That makes Freeman particularly well suited as the change-of-pace round in a larger South Dakota disc golf trip.

Play a demanding round in Mitchell.

Play the hills at Tuthill.

Play the woods and river at Big Sioux.

Then play among the ponds and collections of the Prairie Arboretum.

Traveling I-90?

PrairieDisc Is an Easy South Dakota Disc Golf Detour

Players crossing South Dakota on Interstate 90 don't have to limit their trip to courses directly beside the interstate.

Freeman is located south of I-90 with straightforward access through southeastern South Dakota, making PrairieDisc practical as part of a longer road trip rather than requiring a major diversion.

Combine the Prairie Arboretum with Dry Run Creek in Mitchell or continue east toward the courses of Sioux Falls and Brandon.

If you're hauling a camper, trailer or larger vehicle, the Prairie Arboretum also has additional parking available near the Visitor Center.

GET DIRECTIONS TO PRAIRIEDISC

Make Freeman More Than a Disc Golf Stop

If you have extra time, walk the Prairie Arboretum before leaving.

The grounds include ponds, gardens, mature tree collections, bridges, walking paths, picnic areas and other landscaped features, so non-players have something to enjoy while a group is on the course.

That can make PrairieDisc especially useful for families and road-trip groups where not everyone plays disc golf.

Plan Your Round at PrairieDisc

Prairie Arboretum Disc Golf
Freeman, South Dakota

Free to play
Public course
Parking available
Restrooms and water available at the Visitor Center

Before traveling, check current course conditions and layouts.

PLAN YOUR VISIT
COURSE MAPS
VIEW PRAIRIEDISC ON UDISC
VIEW PRAIRIEDISC ON PDGA

Explore More South Dakota Disc Golf

PrairieDisc.com is based in Freeman, but we want this page to help anyone planning a disc golf trip through southeast South Dakota.

If you're traveling through the region, explore the courses in Mitchell, Sioux Falls, Brandon, Yankton and Vermillion—and consider adding the Prairie Arboretum to the route.

Come for the round. Stay for the setting.