The Belle Fourche River flows 290 miles from Gillette, Wyoming, and heads eastward to the Cheyenne River in western South Dakota. Belle Fourche, meaning Beautiful Forks, was named by French trappers. This particular section of the river lies just outside Devils Tower National Monument.
The first non-natives that arrived here were fur trappers. They worked along the river and traded with local Indians Natives during the mid 1850s. The Black Hills gold rush of 1876 lured more and more settlers into this area. When the gold rush era ended, cattle became the area's chief industry. As the railways moved west, Belle Fourche became one of the largest shipping points for livestock.
Today, the Belle Fourche River Project provides flood control, recreation opportunities and irrigation for 57,000 acres in South Dakota.