Belle Fourche River

History and catchment area of ​​the Belle Fourche River

Overlooking the upper reaches of the Belle Fourche River in Devils Tower National Monument

Template: Infobox River / Obsolete

The Belle Fourche River is a left tributary of the Cheyenne River. It has a length of 470 km and runs in the U.S. states of Wyoming and South Dakota. He belongs to the basin of the Mississippi River.

The Belle Fourche River has its origin in northeastern Wyoming, in southern Campbell County, about 24 km north of Wright. It flows past in a northeasterly direction to Moorcroft and at Devils Tower.

Near the border with Montana, he turns abruptly southeast and flows in western South Dakota past Belle Fourche and on the north side of the Black Hills. In the southern Meade County near Hereford he changes his direction east-northeast and empties into the Cheyenne River about 80 km east-northeast of Rapid City.

The Belle Fourche River leaves the state of Wyoming to the lowest point at an altitude of 945 m asl. This is also the second highest point, which represents the lowest point of a U.S. state.

The river is used for various recreational activities. Furthermore, a portion of its water for irrigation in agriculture is used in western South Dakota. The irrigated area is about 230 km ².