Moon Phase Today Sioux Falls

Moon Phase Today Sioux Falls: New Moon

On Friday, October 9, 2026, the moon in Sioux Falls is a New Moon with 0% illumination. Moon age: 28.9 days.

Illumination
0%
Moon Age
28.9d
Next Full Moon
Oct 25
Distance
--
☽ Moonrise
6:36 AM
↑ Highest
—
☾ Moonset
6:21 PM

moon-over-sioux-falls-south-dakota

☽ Best Places to View the Moon in Sioux Falls, South Dakota

Sioux Falls sits at roughly 43.54°N on the Big Sioux River in eastern South Dakota, with around 220,000 residents — the state's largest city, founded in 1856 and named for the waterfall at its centre. That waterfall still runs right through downtown, and just southeast of the city lies an archaeological site with deep ties to the region's Indigenous history. Between the falls, a riverside sculpture trail, and a centuries-old settlement on the edge of town, Sioux Falls gives a genuinely layered set of places to watch the moon.

1

Falls Park

The city's namesake waterfall, where the Big Sioux River drops about 100 feet over pink quartzite in a series of cascades, typically carrying thousands of gallons of water per second. A five-story observation tower gives elevated views, and the ruins of the Queen Bee Mill sit alongside a café built into a former hydroelectric plant. The falls are illuminated regularly, with special "Lighting of the Falls" events on select holidays and a seasonal Winter Wonderland light display each November through early January; the park itself stays open until midnight.

2

Arc of Dreams & the Big Sioux River Greenway

A large steel sculpture by South Dakota artist Dale Lamphere arching over the Big Sioux River near downtown, part of the city's 19.13-mile Greenway Recreation Main Trail Loop and a broader system of more than 45 miles of paved trails. It's an easy, central option for an evening walk along the water.

3

Good Earth State Park at Blood Run

An important Oneota archaeological site along the Big Sioux River, listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1970 and recognized as a National Historic Landmark, with strong historical connections to the Iowa people. Blood Run was a major Indigenous settlement and trading centre centuries before Sioux Falls was founded. Trails and viewing decks look out over the river and prairie, and the park itself stays open from 6am to 11pm daily, though the visitor centre keeps separate daytime hours.

4

McKennan Park

A historic city park with mature trees and quiet, tree-lined streets, offering a calmer, more residential option than the downtown riverfront for an evening walk.

5

Terrace Park

A city park along the Big Sioux River offering open green space and walking paths, a straightforward stop for anyone wanting a quieter stretch of riverside away from the busiest parts of Falls Park.

6

Downtown Phillips Avenue District

The historic commercial heart of the city, close to Falls Park and the river trail system. It's Sioux Falls' simplest option for an ordinary evening, with restaurants and shops nearby.

◉ Best Times for Moon Photography

🌕 Full Moon ±1 day — Good Earth State Park and Terrace Park can both provide broader horizons away from downtown lighting
❄ Dec–Feb — cold, often snowy winters typical of the northern Great Plains, with the region's longest nights and clear conditions possible
🌙 Mar–May & Sep–Nov — often comfortable evenings for a walk along the Big Sioux River Greenway or through McKennan Park
☀ Jun–Aug — warm, sometimes humid evenings, with a spring-into-summer severe thunderstorm season typical of the region
🥶 Winters bring regular sub-freezing nights and occasional bitter cold snaps — dress for genuine plains winter weather

📷 Quick Photography Tips

🎯A tripod helps at open spots like Good Earth State Park and Terrace Park, more exposed to prairie wind than the streets downtown
💧Falls Park's illuminated cascades and observation tower give a dramatic foreground for a moonrise shot right downtown
🌾Good Earth State Park's open prairie gives a genuinely wide, low horizon — a different feel from the more built-up river trail downtown
🔋Cold drains batteries fast in winter — carry spares in an inner pocket and swap them rather than waiting for one to die
🕐 Timezone

Sioux Falls runs on Central Time (UTC-6, or UTC-5 during Daylight Saving Time). Clocks move forward on the second Sunday in March and back on the first Sunday in November.

🌐 Other Locations

For the moon phase in any other city worldwide, visit our Dynamic Moon Phase Calculator for instant lunar data tailored to wherever you are.

Enjoy the moon over Sioux Falls — a prairie city named for its waterfall, with a centuries-old Indigenous settlement still standing quietly on its edge.

The moon phase today in Sioux Falls, South Dakota is shown in detail above — complete with exact illumination percentage, moonrise/set times, and the best viewpoints to see it. For the moon phase today in any other city or location worldwide, visit our Dynamic Moon Phase Calculator on the home page.

◐ While Actually There

Falls Park is the obvious place to start, and for good reason — a real waterfall crashing over pink quartzite right at the edge of downtown is not something most American cities can offer. The five-story observation tower and the ruins of the old Queen Bee Mill give the falls a sense of layered history, industry built and abandoned around a natural feature that outlasted all of it.

Good Earth State Park at Blood Run tells an older, quieter story. Long before Sioux Falls existed, this stretch of the Big Sioux River served as a major Indigenous settlement and trading centre, with strong historical ties to the Iowa people and archaeological evidence pointing to an even older Indigenous landscape. Walking its trails at dusk, prairie grass and river on either side, feels a world away from the falls and the downtown arcade a few miles north.

None of it requires much beyond an ordinary evening's planning. Falls Park, the river greenway, and the downtown district are all straightforward, while Good Earth is worth treating as its own short drive given the distance from the city centre.

"Sioux Falls has its waterfall roaring through downtown and, just a few miles south, ground with Indigenous roots stretching back long before the city had a name."

✓ Your Sioux Falls Moon Chase Checklist

Before You Go

  • Check the moonrise time and phase on this page for each night of your stay
  • Check current dates for any "Lighting of the Falls" holiday event or the seasonal Winter Wonderland display if you want to combine one with your visit
  • Check current hours for Good Earth State Park's visitor centre if you want to go inside rather than just walk the trails
  • Check the forecast for severe thunderstorms if visiting in spring or early summer
  • Check the forecast for snow or dangerous cold if visiting between December and February

What to Bring

  • Serious winter clothing for December–February — Great Plains cold snaps can be severe
  • A tripod, useful at open spots like Good Earth State Park and Terrace Park
  • Sturdy, grippy footwear for icy pavements in winter
  • Comfortable shoes for the trails at Good Earth and the river greenway
  • Spare camera batteries kept warm in an inner pocket during cold-weather sessions

On the Night

  • Arrive 20–30 minutes before moonrise at open spots like Good Earth State Park or Terrace Park
  • Shoot RAW and bracket exposures, especially where Falls Park's illuminated cascades mix with moonlight
  • Mind icy paths and stairs at every outdoor spot in winter
  • Confirm your return transport if visiting Good Earth State Park in the evening, since it's a short drive from downtown
  • Watch for sudden severe weather if visiting in spring or early summer, a season known for strong storms across the region
Good Earth State Park's visitor centre keeps separate daytime hours from the park's 6am–11pm trail access, and Falls Park's special lighting events run on their own calendar — check current schedules before building an evening around either.
The moon over Sioux Falls shares the sky with a waterfall that gave the city its name, a river trail lined with public art, and a centuries-old Indigenous settlement just down the road. Use the phase calendar on this page, check seasonal event dates before you go, and take the short drive out to Good Earth if you have the time.

? Sioux Falls Moon Phase — Frequently Asked Questions

Q. What is the moon phase today in Sioux Falls?

The moon phase today in Sioux Falls is a New Moon with 0% illumination. The next full moon is in 17 days, on Oct 25. Moonrise is at 6:36 AM and moonset at 6:21 PM.

Q. Where is the best place to view the moon in Sioux Falls?

Falls Park, where the Big Sioux River drops about 100 feet over pink quartzite, has a five-story observation tower and illuminated cascades as a dramatic foreground, and it stays open until midnight. For a wider, low prairie horizon, Good Earth State Park at Blood Run, southeast of the city, has trails and viewing decks over the river and prairie and is open 6am to 11pm. Terrace Park, a city park along the Big Sioux River, can also give broader horizons away from downtown lighting, while the Arc of Dreams and the Big Sioux River Greenway are easy central options along the water. McKennan Park and the Phillips Avenue district suit a calmer ordinary evening.

Q. Where does the moon rise and set in Sioux Falls, and how high does it climb?

At about 43.5°N, Sioux Falls' moonrise and moonset points swing across the horizon each month, from roughly northeast to southeast for rising and northwest to southwest for setting. A winter full moon culminates high in the south, at roughly 70° above the horizon, while a summer full moon stays low, peaking near 23°. The city sits on the flat northern Great Plains, so the horizon is low in every direction, and Good Earth State Park's open prairie and river valley give the widest view of a rising moon in the east. Downtown, buildings and trees are the main obstruction, so Falls Park suits a moon already well above the horizon. Check the azimuth for your date and exact spot.

Q. Is light pollution a problem for moon observing in Sioux Falls?

The moon is bright enough to observe and photograph from almost anywhere in Sioux Falls, so light pollution rarely limits the lunar disc itself. It does wash out earthshine on a thin crescent and any faint sky detail. Falls Park's illuminated cascades and the downtown district carry substantial artificial lighting, and on special holiday and winter display nights there is extra light. Good Earth State Park and Terrace Park are less affected by downtown lighting and offer broader horizons, which makes them the better choice around a new moon.

Q. What camera settings and phases work best for moon photography in Sioux Falls?

For a full moon, start with Looney 11 (f/11, ISO 100, 1/100 s) and refine using your histogram, since it is a baseline rather than a guarantee. The moon is much brighter than the illuminated falls and river trail, so shoot RAW and bracket or blend exposures to keep both crater detail and the foreground. A full moon rises around sunset in the east, which suits Good Earth's low prairie horizon before the park closes at 11pm. A 200–400 mm lens helps isolate the moon against the observation tower or the treeline, with a tripod for bracketing and manual focus on the moon using magnified live view.

Q. How do plains winters, wind and severe storms affect moon viewing in Sioux Falls?

Sioux Falls has cold, often snowy winters typical of the northern Great Plains, with the region's longest nights, regular sub-freezing nights and occasional bitter cold snaps, though clear conditions are possible. Cold drains camera batteries quickly, so carry spares in an inner pocket and swap them rather than waiting for one to die, and mind icy paths and stairs. Open spots like Good Earth and Terrace Park are exposed to prairie wind, and spring into early summer is a severe thunderstorm season, so check the forecast for storms and watch for sudden weather changes. Summers are warm and sometimes humid.

Q. Can I shoot the moon at Sioux Falls' viewpoints after dark?

Access varies by site. Falls Park stays open until midnight, with special Lighting of the Falls events on select holidays and a seasonal Winter Wonderland light display each November through early January, so check the current calendar. Good Earth State Park's trails are open 6am to 11pm daily, though the visitor centre keeps separate daytime hours. Check current hours for Terrace Park and McKennan Park before an evening visit. Confirm your return transport if you drive to Good Earth, since it is a short drive from downtown.

Q. Does this page work for cities besides Sioux Falls?

This page is set up specifically for Sioux Falls, South Dakota. For the moon phase in any other city or location worldwide, use the Dynamic Moon Phase Calculator on the moonphase.today home page.