My First Time at Newton Hills State Park

I've lived in the Sioux Falls area for about 12 years now and I'm still finding things to do for the first time.

Newton Hills State Park is in Lincoln County, South of Canton, SD.

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The park is open year-round and has trails for hiking, camping, swimming, fishing, and boating.

Woodland Indian Culture inhabited the area between 300 B.C. and 900 A.D.

Newton Hills State Park is named after William Newton, an early settler. His wife was one of the first midwives in the area.

Newton Hills boasts a dark forest among open prairie, which would be a great place to hide treasure! There are many legends and stories about the area. The stories include buried gold, robbers hiding out, and horse thieves.

According to Wikipedia, "Frank and Jesse James used the forests of what is now the park as a temporary hideout after their famous robbery of a bank in Northfield, Minnesota^[4] The robbery in Northfield was not successful and after this robbery and a manhunt, only Frank and Jesse James were left alive and uncaptured."

When we were hiking around, we didn't find any hidden treasures or dead bodies, but we did enjoy the scenery.

The Sioux River Folk Festival and 'FestiFall' are held at Newton Hills State Park.