Fort Pierre National Grassland preserves a vast mixed-grass prairie in central South Dakota just south of Pierre and Fort Pierre. Spanning 115,890 acres across parts of Lyman, Stanley, and Jones counties, it is notable for its open prairie landscape and for protecting a large remnant of the region’s native grassland character rather than forest. Its sweeping plains setting was used for part of the film Dances with Wolves, underscoring its strong association with the northern Great Plains. The grassland is managed by the U.S. Forest Service, with administration shared through offices in Chadron, Nebraska, and a local ranger district office in Pierre.