Belle Fourche Reservoir covers about 8,000 acres of water, 6,700 acres of land, and 58 miles of shoreline. Alongside its waterside scenery, you can explore architectural history, the streetscape of Belle Fourche, and museums covering topics from regional history to dinosaur fossils.
At the Reservoir: Fishing, Boating, and Ice Activities
The reservoir is stocked with walleye, catfish, and white bass. Common activities include boating, fishing, ice fishing, ice skating, camping, picnicking, and water skiing. This offers water-based pursuits alongside activities on the ice; camping and picnicking provide another way to spend time at the reservoir.
Buildings and Local History
Belle Fourche Dam combines an exceptional place in history with two distinctions. When it was completed in 1911, it was the largest earth-fill dam in the world. It is also listed on the National Register of Historic Places and was designated a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark in April 1989.
The Belle Fourche Commercial Historic District is in downtown Belle Fourche, in Butte County, South Dakota. Historic State Street in Belle Fourche has antique shops and galleries; individual shops and offerings may change. These two details offer different starting points for exploring the city’s history: the designated historic district and a street lined with shops and galleries.
Belle Fourche Band Shell was built in Herrmann Park in 1954; the Belle Fourche River Walk Trailhead is also part of the park’s amenities. Another notable landmark is the Belle Fourche Centennial Statue: the 8.5-foot solid-bronze statue depicts a cowboy on a rearing bronco. A time capsule lies beneath it, scheduled to be opened in 2089.
Museums: From Regional History to Fossils
Tri-State Museum is a 4,000-square-foot municipal history museum in Belle Fourche. Its subjects range from the history of early pioneers, rodeo, and the Old West to the landscapes associated with that history: western South Dakota, eastern Wyoming, and southeastern Montana. The Center of the Nation Monument is also located at the Tri-State Museum and Visitor Center.
Dinosaurs of the Hell Creek Museum offers a different perspective. It promotes public understanding of and engagement with fossils from the Hell Creek Formation. The museum offers a half-day lab program. A full-day dinosaur fossil dig is available by reservation with PaleoAdventures. Newell Museum features, among other things, a one-room schoolhouse, adding another historical subject to the museum offerings.
Events and Getting Your Bearings
Hometown Thursdays offers a summer concert series in Belle Fourche every June and July. If you want to plan your trip around it, check the dates for your intended travel year. For geographic reference, Rocky Point Recreation Area is eight miles east of Belle Fourche on SD Highway 212.
Discover more destinations: Belle Fourche, Roberts County, Davison County, Clay, Perkins County, Grant County, Lyman County, Stanley.
For the broader travel overview: South Dakota.
