Terrace Park & Japanese Gardens Hummingbird Guide

Sioux Falls, Minnehaha CountyCity Park & Japanese GardenAdmission: Free

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No boiling, no dye. The same sugar hummingbird flowers make. One ingredient, nothing else. Makes up to 160 oz of fresh feeder nectar per bag.

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No boiling, no dye
The same sugar hummingbird flowers make
One ingredient, nothing else: 100% pure cane sugar
Lab tested. Resealable 2 lb bag, sourced and packed in the USA

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Overview

A 52-acre National Register of Historic Places park along Covell Lake in Sioux Falls, Terrace Park is one of South Dakota's most beloved public green spaces. Founded in 1916 and listed on the National Register as Terrace Park and Japanese Gardens in 2015, the park features dramatic quartzite-lined terraces descending 30 feet to the lakeshore, a formal Japanese garden with pagodas, exotic trees, and perennial plantings. The Japanese garden's layered plantings combined with native plants along Covell Lake's shoreline create nectar resources that attract Ruby-throated Hummingbirds during the summer season.

Hummingbirds to Watch For

• Ruby-throated

Most Common Hummingbird

The most commonly sighted hummingbird at Terrace Park & Japanese Gardens is the Ruby-throated.

Best Time to Visit

Plan your visit during July, August, September for the highest chance of hummingbird sightings. Early morning and late afternoon are typically the most active feeding times.

Plants and Habitat

• Exotic flowering perennials in the Japanese Garden — including tubular-flowered ornamentals
• Native shoreline plantings around Covell Lake
• Shrub plantings with tubular flowers (ornamental salvias and penstemons)
• Wild bergamot (*Monarda fistulosa*) — naturalized areas near the lake
• Native prairie forbs along park edges and terraces
• Cardinal flower (*Lobelia cardinalis*) — moist lakeside areas

NectarBloom Tip

The Japanese Garden is on the east side of Covell Lake and is best reached by parking at the 707 N Grange Ave lot and walking the lakeside path counterclockwise. Early morning visits are especially rewarding as hummingbirds are most active in the first two hours after dawn. Parking and entry are free.

Visitor Notes

Free; open year-round. Parking free at 707 N Grange Ave. ADA accessible on main lakeside paths.

Map

Ruby-throated near Exotic flowering perennials in the Japanese Garden — including tubular-flowered ornamentals at Terrace Park & Japanese Gardens in South Dakota

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Reviews and Sightings

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Sources

Nearby gardens in South Dakota

Hummingbirds at Great Plains Zoo (Sioux Falls Zoo & Aquarium) in Sioux Falls, South Dakota

Map

Minnehaha County

Great Plains Zoo (Sioux Falls Zoo & Aquarium)

Sioux Falls

The Great Plains Zoo is a 45-acre accredited zoo in Sioux Falls operated by the Zoological Society of Sioux Falls, home to animals representing all seven continents. The landscaped grounds feature ornamental and native plantings throughout, combined with the Big Sioux River riparian corridor immediately adjacent — providing summer habitat for Ruby-throated Hummingbirds. The zoo also operates the Butterfly House & Aquarium at a separate campus.

Zoo & Nature GardenRuby-throated

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