Newton Hills State Park

Glaciers created this narrow strip of rolling hills and forest that is part of the geological formation called the Coteau des Prairie, which extends along the eastern boundary of South Dakota. At its highest point, the Coteau rises to more than 2,000 feet above sea level. Artifacts and burial mounds found near the park indicate that a Woodland Indian Culture inhabited this region between 300 B.C. and 900 A.D. The area's unique dark forest, amidst a vast open prairie, has prompted many recent legends, including of buried gold, robbers' hideouts and horse thieves.

Camping Options	Located 6 miles south of Canton off County 135 Location map (Requires Adobe Acrobat Reader.) DOT Road Report Open year-round Park entrance license required: $5/day/vehicle or $23 for an annual pass Camping & Fees: $12non-electrical, $16/electrical site. 118 sites (108 electrical). One wheelchair accessible site. Eight tent-only sites. Showers. Water. Dump station. Horse camp: $16/site. 10 sites (all electrical). Camping Cabins: Seven cabins, two accessible. Each sleeps four people. $35/night. Lodge: Up to12 people, $200/night. $15 each additional person. Reservations: (800) 710-2267 or www.CampSD.com. Up to 90 days prior to arrival. Campsites and horse camp May to Oct. Cabins year-round. Group reservations available, open Nov. 1 for upcoming season. Recreation: Camping. Cabins. Basketball. Biking. Boating. Canoeing on the Big Sioux River. Cross-country skiing. Fishing. Game/equipment checkout. Hiking. Horse trails and camp. Horseshoes. Warming shelter. Five picnic shelters. Playground. Swimming. Volleyball. Nature Observation: Arboretum trail. Look-out tower. Bird watching area. Swimming/Beaches: Swimming beach at Lake Lakota, southeast corner of the park. No lifeguard on duty. Swim at your own risk. Fishing/Boating: Boat ramp on Lake Lakota, southeast corner of the park. Boating restriction: no wake. Bass, catfish, panfish, perch. License required. Park maps: PDF files. Require Adobe Acrobat Reader. - Campground map. (3 pages, 150KB) - Trail map and guide. (6 pages, 282KB) - Walking map (1 page, 300KB) Newton Hills State Park 28767 482nd Avenue Canton, SD 57013 (605) 987-2263 Email: NewtonHills@state.sd.us
A quiet, shady campground draws thousands of campers each year to Newton Hills. Campers can stay in the campground, in one of seven camping cabins or the group lodge. The four-bedroom lodge is a favorite of large groups, particularly of families and groups of hunters or anglers. The lodge features two full baths, a full kitchen, an upper deck and lower walk-out patio. The lodge is furnished. Guests need to bring bedding, bath towels, personal items and food. Contact the park for more information. Click here for photos of the lodge. After a day on the trail, horseback riders can head for the park's equestrian camp. The trail camp provides facilities for both day and overnight park users, which include vault toilets, water, large parking areas and day and overnight horse corrals. If you are planning a family get-together, the park has 20' x 20' and 20' x 40' canopy tents available for rent. Please contact the park office for price/details.
Nature Observation
If you're interested in bird-watching, Newton Hills is definitely the place to be. More than 200 species of birds visit the area each year. White-tailed deer, marmots, rabbits, red and gray fox and squirrels are also found within the park. Wild Merriam turkeys have been transplanted into the park and are often seen during walks or drives. Archery deer and turkey hunting are allowed within the park during designated seasons, but uncased bows and firearms are not allowed within the park's campgrounds and picnic areas. Please refer to the hunting handbook for more information. State parks are closed to hunting from May 1 through Sept. 30 of each year A six-mile multi-use trail leads through dense oak and basswood forest. Woodland Trail is listed in the registry of National Recreation Trails.
Special Events
Sioux River Folk Festival Newton Hills hosts numerous folk music concerts in conjunction with the Friends of Traditional Music. One of the most popular concerts, the Sioux River Folk Festival, is held annually on the first weekend in August. Learn more about the Sioux River Folk Fest and the Friends of Traditional Music at the website, www.fotm.org. FestiFALL/CandleLight Walk Held each year on the first Saturday in October. The popular FestiFALL event is attended annually by people of all ages, and features many family activities including arts and crafts booths, kid’s games and bluegrass music. Visitors are encouraged to bring in their own decorated or carved pumpkins for judging. The Candlelight Walk will lead visitors along 2.2 miles of candle-lit trail through the deep woods of Newton Hills. The trail will be solely lit by candles and carved pumpkins. Throughout the weekend, campers are encouraged to decorate their campsites with a fall theme. For more information 2008 FestiFALL brochure.
Nearby Attractions
Union Grove State Park, Beaver Creek Nature Area Lake Alvin Recreation Area for swimming, boating and fishing Spirit Mound Historic Prairie More attractions and events can be found at www.TravelSD.com