Besant Park is located in the northern Black Hills, southwest of Lead, SD and due west of Rochford. It is completely surrounded by U.S. Forest Service land. This is a 160 acre tract of land owned by two brothers. It is a unique bottom meadow, with enough live water to have two small areas with wetland plant species. This is very uncommon in the Black Hills.
Elk use the area heavily in the winter for feeding.
Eighty acres have been sold to the RMEF, and will be conveyed to the Black Hills National Forest in January of 2001. This property has been for sale for all these years, and the potential for subdivision was great. At last we were able to make the purchase. This area, which is used by elk and other wildlife during calving season and all summer, will be named in memory of Art Richardson. Art was one of the founding members of the Southern Hills Chapter of the RMEF in Custer.