Old Homestead | interesting place

 homestead, interesting place

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This site was an old homestead in the Buffalo Gap National Grasslands, north of the Badland National Park. The main cabin dug into a mound has collapsed as of about 2005, but the remnants in the cabin are an interesting view into early settlement. It's hard to believe anyone could weather a harsh winter out here in such a primitive structure.

According to rangers, this area of South Dakota was opened for homesteading at the end of the 1800's and that this site was probably built in the early 1900's. There are sites like this all over, each homestead was 160 acres. Rangers say someone lived on the site until the late 1960's and the land became part of the Buffalo Gap grassland only a couple of years ago. You can see a tire trough used by cattle ranchers still.


***Please take only pictures, and leave only footprints.