About Hart Ranch Resort
His name was John Harrison Hart, and he settled the ranch in the 1880s. It is only fitting that this land bears his name today.
Hart was straight from the pages of Old West history, and he carved out his ranching empire while Wild Bill Hickok and Calamity Jane roamed the streets of Lead and Deadwood.
There is much about him which is legend, but far more which is fact. This bull driver, Civil War fighter, scout, pioneer, and frontiersman blazed a reputation remembered even today by those who live around the ranch. The legend says he arrived in the Black Hills with only $15 in his pocket and survived the first winter by chopping wood for 75¢ a cord. The facts show his hard work, entrepreneurial skill, and innovative mind parlayed what little he had into a successful freight line from Pierre to Rapid City and Cheyenne, Wyoming.
The legend says he never learned to drive a car, even though he lived to see World War II. The fact is that you still can find people who remember driving him around his ranch when – too old to ride a horse or wagon anymore – he just couldn’t stand being away from the land he loved.
The final chapter of our story is the purchase of the 13,000 acre Hart Ranch in 1983 and the construction of the Camping Resort. In 1984 the membership was deeded the 195 acre resort. There are several companies associated with the Hart Ranch name – Hart Ranch Arena, Hart Ranch Golf Course, and Hart Ranch Development Company. The Hart Ranch Camping Resort Club is an independent and separate corporation.
Hart Ranch Camping Resort