Rapid City Parks and Recreation Master Plan

Take the Survey!

Your responses on the 2025 Rapid City Parks and Recreation Needs Assessment Survey will help shape the direction of the plan, and Rapid City's parks in the coming decades!

Click Here to Take the Survey!

Read the Document of Discovery!

June Open House Events

Thank you to those who attended our June Open House events on June 17. Did you miss it? View the materials shared at the event below!

Take a closer look at the boards!

About the Project

The Rapid City Parks and Recreation Department strives to make Rapid City a better place to live, work, and play. Our purpose is to provide and maintain parks and open space throughout the community as well as a wide range of recreation facilities and opportunities for citizens of all ages. There are around 1,700 acres of parkland owned and maintained by the City.

For many years, the Parks and Recreation Department has discussed the need for a system-wide master plan. Rapid City is the second largest community in South Dakota with a population of 74,703, as of the 2020 Census. It is estimated that within the last four years alone, the city has welcomed around 8,000 new residents, and that growth is not expected to stop soon. Serving the needs and desires of an expanding populace presents a myriad of challenges and opportunities that will be addressed in this master plan.

This plan will guide the direction of future improvements and growth for the next ten years by gathering ideas from the public we serve, defining development priorities, aligning recommendations with City Comprehensive Plan goals, and suggesting strategies to utilize staff, facilities, partnerships, and funding most efficiently.

Check back regularly for project updates and public engagement opportunities
to make your voice heard!

Project Schedule

Spring 2025

Data Collection
Park Inventory
Recreation Program Analysis
Community Needs Assessment

Summer 2025

Vision, Mission, Goals, and Actions
Parks, Trails, and Open Space Recommendations
Concepts Plan
Programming Plan
Operations and Maintenance Analysis
Financial Analysis

Fall 2025

Action Plan
Phasing Plan
Estimated Costs
Recreation Program Strategy
Maintenance and Operations Strategy
Prioritization Guidelines

Winter 2025

Public Presentations
Final Report

Frequently Asked Questions

The Rapid City Parks and Recreation Master Plan will guide the direction of future improvements and growth for the next ten years. The Plan will suggest strategies to utilize staff, facilities, partnerships, and funding most effectively.

Visit our website often! This website will stay updated with ways to get involved in the planning process, both online and in person. Check back soon!

Contact Us

If you have questions or want to learn more about this project, contact us via email:

Contact Information
Email	rapidcityparks@rdgusa.com