Attractions Close to Newton Fork Ranch
Hill City
(1/2 mile from the ranch)
Newton Fork Ranch is located one-half mile outside of Hill City, a popular destination for visitors in search of art, crafts and terrific food. Hill City was founded in the late 1800s as a mining camp. The town thrived until gold was discovered in Deadwood. After that, as legend would have it, all that was left in Hill City was one old miner and a dog. Now, Main Street is alive once again with art galleries, renowned artists, Black Hills gold jewelers, gift shops, coffee houses, and fine restaurants. Don't miss taking a ride on the 1880 Train to Oblivion and Keystone.
Crazy Horse Memorial
(11 miles from the ranch)
The Crazy Horse Memorial is a mountain monument complex that is under construction on privately held land in the Black Hills, in Custer County, South Dakota. It represents Crazy Horse, an Oglala Lakota warrior, riding a horse and pointing into the distance. The memorial consists of the mountain carving, the Indian Museum of North America, and the Native American Cultural Center. The monument has been in progress since 1948 and is still far from completion. If completed, it may become the world's largest sculpture, as well as the first non-religious statue to hold this record since 1967.
Keystone
(12 miles from the ranch)
Truly a “City of Gold” and rich in gold mining history, this quaint town is just two miles from Mount Rushmore National Memorial. Once a gold mining boomtown and later the location of the monumental carving of Mount Rushmore, Keystone was also the adult home of Carrie Ingalls of “Little House on the Prairie” fame. With all this to offer, who needs more? But there is a lot more. There are historic and Presidential museums where you can learn about the history of Mount Rushmore and its sculptor Gutzon Borglum, United States Presidents, Keystone, and Carrie Ingalls. Other enticements are: an alpine slide and tramway with great views of Mount Rushmore and the surrounding area; an actual gold mine that you can tour and then learn to pan for gold; a historic 1880 train ride that takes you through some of the most beautiful Black Hills scenery; beautiful caves that boast some of the largest area formations, and a historic walking tour that takes you on a trip back in time!
Mount Rushmore National Memorial
(13 miles from the ranch)
Mount Rushmore National Memorial is visited by nearly three million people each year that come to marvel at the majestic beauty of the Black Hills of South Dakota and learn about the birth, growth, development and preservation of the country. From the history of the first inhabitants to the diversity of America today, Mount Rushmore brings visitors face to face with the rich heritage we all share.
Deerfield Lake
(16 miles from the ranch)
Deerfield Lake contains 400 surface acres and has 16 miles of shoreline. Here you will find public use areas, camping, picnic areas, concessions, swimming, boating, hiking and fishing. Available species include rainbow trout, brown trout, and rock bass. Open year-round.
Custer State Park
(24 miles from the ranch)
The clear mountain waters are inviting, and the open ranges are waiting to be discovered. Bring your family to Custer State Park and let yourself run wild. Custer State Park in the Black Hills encompasses 71,000 acres of spectacular terrain and an abundance of wildlife. Within the park, you'll discover a world of adventure!
Rapid City
(26 miles from the ranch)
Rapid City is the second-largest city in South Dakota, and is the county seat of Pennington County. Named after Rapid Creek on which the city is established, it is set against the eastern slope of the Black Hills mountain range. Rapid City is known as the "Gateway to the Black Hills" and the "Star of the West.” The city is divided by a mountain range that splits the western and eastern parts into two.
Jewel Cave National Monument
(27 miles from the ranch)
Immerse yourself within the second longest cave in the world. With over 160 miles of mapped and surveyed passages, this underground wilderness appeals to human curiosity. Its splendor is revealed through fragile formations and glimpses of brilliant color. Its maze of passages lure explorers, and its scientific wealth remains a mystery. This resource is truly a jewel in the National Park Service.
Wind Cave
(33 miles from the ranch)
Hidden beneath the rolling prairie of the southern Black Hills is one of the world’s longest caves! Swaying prairie grasses, forested hillsides, and an array of wildlife such as bison, elk, and prairie dogs welcome visitors to our country’s seventh-oldest national park and one of its few remaining intact prairies. Secreted beneath is Wind Cave. Named for barometric winds at its entrance, this complex labyrinth of passages contains a unique formation – boxwork.
Deadwood
(43 miles from the ranch)
The discovery of gold in the Black Hills in 1874 set off one of the last great gold rushes in the country. In 1876, miners moved into the northern Black Hills. That’s where they came across a gulch full of dead trees and a creek full of gold…and Deadwood was born. Practically overnight, the tiny gold camp boomed into a town that played by its own rules that attracted outlaws, gamblers and gunslingers along with the gold seekers. Wild Bill Hickok was one of those men who came looking for fortune. But just a few short weeks after arriving, he was gunned down while holding a poker hand of aces and eights – forever after known as the Dead Man’s Hand. Deadwood, South Dakota, is where Wild Bill Hickok’s luck ran out but yours begins!
Mammoth Site
(47 miles from the ranch)
The Mammoth Site in Hot Springs, South Dakota, is the world’s largest mammoth research facility. You can tour an active paleontological dig site and view Ice Age fossils exhibited as they are found. Open year round, the Mammoth Site offers the museum visitor a 30-minute guided tour plus a 10-minute video. Tour information features the Mammoth Site and Ice Age geology, paleontology, and paleoecology. Today, visitors to the museum observe first-hand a scientific excavation. During July, Earthwatch volunteers, under the direction of Dr. Larry Agenbroad, excavate, identify and study the Ice Age fossils.
Sturgis
(56 miles from the ranch)
Named after General Samuel D. Sturgis, this normally sleepy town is famous for being the location of one of the largest annual motorcycle events in the world, which is held yearly on the first full week of August. Motorcycle enthusiasts from around the globe flock here during the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally.
Spearfish Canyon
(59 miles from the ranch)
Spearfish Canyon Scenic Byway throngs with summertime pleasure drivers. Thousand-foot-high limestone palisades in shades of brown, pink and gray tower to the right and left of Highway 14A as it twists through the 19-mile gorge. Spearfish Creek lines the canyon floor while canyon waterfalls make for popular roadside attractions. Bridal Veil Falls and Roughlock Falls are must-sees along the route. The speed limit is 35 miles per hour, but you’ll find so many drivers enthralled by the beauty, they drive even slower. Others simply pull over at one of the dozens of pull-offs along the way and get out to stretch their legs and capture the perfect Kodak moment.
Badlands National Park
(82 miles from the ranch)
People are drawn to the rugged beauty of the Badlands. These striking geologic deposits contain one of the world’s richest fossil beds. Ancient mammals such as the rhino, horse, and saber-toothed cat once roamed here. Its 244,000 acres protect an expanse of mixed-grass prairie where bison, bighorn sheep, prairie dogs, and black-footed ferrets live today.
Devil's Tower National Monument
(117 miles from the ranch)
A geologic feature protrudes out of the surrounding prairie of the Black Hills. The site is sacred to the Lakota and other tribes that have a connection to the area. Hundreds of parallel cracks make it one of the finest traditional crack climbing areas in North America. Devil’s Tower entices us to explore and define our place in the natural and cultural world.
