The Newton Hills State Park TRACK Trail follows Trail D on the Blue Diamond Multi-Use Trail System. Trail D is 2.7 miles round-trip and features restrooms, a picnic shelter, and scenic views of Sargeant Creek.
Newton Hills State Park was named after William Newton who settled in the area in the 1850s. Newton's wife was a mid-wife; until the 1870s, she was the only European American north of Vermillion who could deliver babies and cure the sick.
History
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 buried gold, robbers' hideouts and horse thieves.
Nature Observation
Over 200 species of birds visit the area each year. White-tailed deer, wild turkeys, marmots, rabbits, red and gray fox and squirrels are also found within the park.
Location Details
Adventures for Newton Hills State Park
Animal Athletes
Difficulty:
Birds of South Dakota
Difficulty:
Nature's Hide & Seek
Difficulty:
The Need For Trees
Difficulty:Directions
Longitude: -96.569236700000
Southeastern South Dakota: 6 miles south of Canton off County Road 135
From I-29: Exit 56, 12 miles east on County Road 140, 1/4 mile north
Partners
The TRACK Trail program is sponsored by the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation, the Blue Ridge Parkway, and the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina Foundation.
The Newton Hills State Park TRACK Trail was made possible through partnerships formed between the Kids in Parks program and the South Dakota State Parks Department, with funds provided by South Dakota Department of Health, Healthy South Dakota Program.