List of ghost towns in South Dakota facts for kids

A ghost town is a place where almost everyone has left, usually because the main reason people lived there, like a mine or a railroad, stopped being important. South Dakota has many ghost towns, especially in the Black Hills, where people once rushed to find gold and other valuable minerals. These towns tell stories of boom and bust, showing how quickly places can grow and then disappear.

What Makes a Town a Ghost Town?

Ghost towns can look very different from each other. Some might have no buildings left at all, while others still have empty houses and stores standing. Here's how we can think about them:

Nothing Left

These are places where all signs of the town have vanished.

• The buildings might have been destroyed or covered by water.
• The land might have turned back into fields or pastures.
• Sometimes, you can only find a few old foundations or footings.

Falling Apart

In these towns, some buildings are still standing, but they are often crumbling.

• You might see piles of rubble.
• Many buildings might not have roofs anymore.

Empty Buildings

These towns still have buildings, but no one lives in them.

• All the houses and businesses are empty.
• Sometimes, there might be a caretaker, but no real population.
• Only one or two buildings might remain from the original town.

South Dakota's Ghost Towns

Towns Starting with A and B

Name	County	Dates	Status	Notes	Media
Addie Camp	Pennington	1892-1917	Neglected	This small mining settlement was also known as Kennedyville.
Albany	Lawrence	January 27, 1838	Barren	Albany was a very small place, with only one house even on early maps.
Allerton	Lawrence		Barren	This town was near a lumber mill. A terrible fire in 1883 killed many workers there.
Alta	Pennington	1870s-?	Neglected	Alta was a small mining settlement with a population of 20 in 1878. It had a large stamp mill for processing ore.
American City	Lawrence		Barren	Repeated floods in the area washed away all traces of this town. Its exact location is now unknown.
Anchor City	Lawrence			This was an early mining camp near Deadwood. In 1881, it had 291 people.
Ardmore	Fall River	1889-2004	Abandoned	Ardmore was a town that slowly lost its people over many years.	The Volunteer Fire Department in Ardmore in 2010
Argonne	Miner	1886-1970s	Barren	Argonne disappeared by the 1970s.
Argyle	Custer		Barren	Argyle was named after an early settler. No buildings remain, but the site is next to the Mickelson Trail.
Athboy	Corson		Abandoned	This small village had a post office, a blacksmith shop, and a grocery store. Its population was 12 in 1940.
Atlantic City	Custer		Barren	The exact location of this town and its mine is a mystery. It was home to the Atlantic Mine.
Bakerville	Custer		Barren	Located in Custer State Park. In 1900, it had 27 people and a post office.
Ball	Butte		Barren	Ball was named after the maiden name of the first postmaster's wife. It had a general store in 1916.
Balmoral	Lawrence	c. 1897-1910s	Neglected	This town was also known as "Ragged Top" and is now called Preston.
Bangor	Walworth		Barren	Bangor is now just an empty site.
Bear Butte	Lawrence			This mining town was located on Bear Butte Creek, near where Galena is today.
Bear Gulch	Pennington		Barren (submerged)	This town is now underwater, submerged by Pactola Lake. It was a stop on the Black Hills & Western Railroad.
Bear Rock	Custer			This was an early gold mining camp. It had the first post office in the Black Hills, which was just a cave!
Beaver City	Lawrence	01/1878-?	Barren	This was a gold mining camp started in January 1878.
Bernardsville	Lawrence	c. 1877-?	Barren	Its exact location is unknown, but it was near the Wyoming state line.
Besant	Lawrence		Neglected	This town was also known as Besant Flats or Besant Park.
Big Bottom	Meade	1878-1887	Neglected	Big Bottom was active for about nine years.
Bismuth	Custer		Neglected	Bismuth is now a neglected site.
Black Fox	Pennington		Barren	Today, a campground is located where Black Fox once stood.
Bloomington	Brown	?-1877	Barren	This town was destroyed by outlaws.
Bluevale	Pennington	?-c. 1900	Barren	Bluevale had a population of 18 in 1890.
Bon Homme	Clay		Abandoned	Bon Homme was a busy town in the early days of the territory. It was supposed to be the capital and later get the prison, but it declined when the railroad bypassed it.
Boughton	Lawrence		Barren	Boughton had a post office from 1880 to 1882. In 1891, it had 151 people.
Boulder	Lawrence	?-1880s	Barren	Boulder was shown on some early maps but had no population by 1890.
Brashville	Lawrence	February 2, 1881-June 1882		This town existed only for the short time its post office was open.
Buena Vista	Fall River		Neglected	Buena Vista provided grindstones, some of which are still there today.
Bugtown	Custer	?-1880s	Barren	Bugtown was once a wealthy gold mining town located north of Custer.
Burdock	Fall River		Neglected	Burdock was also known as Argentine.	A sign for Burdock

Towns Starting with C and D

Name	County	Dates	Status	Notes	Media
Calcite	Meade		Barren	Calcite was named for the mineral treated there to make lime for the Homestake Mining Company. When lime production stopped, the town disappeared.
Canyon City	Pennington		Barren	This booming mining camp once had 400 people. When the mines failed, the town vanished, and no evidence remains today.
Carbonate	Lawrence	c. 1881-1939	Neglected	Carbonate was mostly abandoned by 1891, but its last resident lived there until 1939.	Carbonate, South Dakota, around 1890
Cartersville	Lawrence		Barren	In 1879, Cartersville had about twenty cabins and a restaurant. Today, the townsite is the entrance to a trail.
Carwye	Meade		Barren	Carwye was a busy railroad and lumber town that disappeared overnight when the railroad tracks were removed.
Cascade	Fall River	1888-?	Abandoned	Founded as a resort town with a warm mineral spring and a large hotel. It declined when the railroad chose a different route.
Castleton	Pennington	1876–1880, 1890s	Neglected	This town was abandoned twice after its mines failed.
Castleville	Custer	1877-1879	Barren	Castleville had a post office for about two years.
Centennial City	Lawrence		Barren	This town existed around 1876 and had a grocery store and restaurant.
Centennial Park	Lawrence		Barren	Centennial Park had 52 people in 1900 and a post office. Only early maps show it as a town.
Channing	Lawrence		Barren	Channing was a very small town, shown on only one map.
Cheyenne Falls	Fall River		Barren	A very small community that had a post office in 1900.
Cold Springs	Custer		Abandoned	This mining town once had a school and a cemetery.
Copper Camp	Pennington	c. 1900-?		This community grew around the Black Hills Copper Company's mines.
Creston	Pennington		Neglected	Creston is now a neglected site.
Cyanide	Lawrence		Neglected	Cyanide was named after a large mill built in 1902. It had a school and a post office.
Dacy	Lawrence	1897? -. 1915	Barren	Dacy was near the Dacy Mine. By 1915, only three scattered houses remained.
Dansby	Custer	?-1886	Barren	Dansby had a maximum population of 50-75 people but closed down by 1886.
Deerfield	Pennington		Barren (submerged)	The entire town site of Deerfield is now underwater.
Diamond City	Lawrence		Barren	This town existed around 1880. Its remaining ruins were torn down in 1967.
Dumont	Lawrence	1890-?	Barren	Dumont was a lumbering camp and cattle shipping point. When lumbering faded, the town disappeared.
Dyce	Moody		Barren	Dyce was once the site of a historic post office.

Towns Starting with E and H

Name	County	Dates	Status	Notes	Media
East Sioux Falls	Minnehaha				The former site of East Sioux Falls in 2009.
Elizabethtown	Lawrence			This town was later added into Deadwood. In 1880, it had 316 people.
Elmore	Lawrence	?-1933 or 1934	Abandoned	Elmore was named for a railroad contractor. It was abandoned when the railroad line washed out.
Emmet	Union	1871-?	Neglected	Emmet has been a neglected site since at least 1871.
Etta	Pennington		Barren	Etta, also called Etta Camp, is now a barren site.
Evans Place	Lawrence		Barren	This town was near Deadwood, but its exact location is unknown.
Everts	Walworth	1900 -	Barren	Founded when a railroad came through, Everts became an important cattle shipping point. When a bridge reduced business, the town faded away.
Fair View	Pennington		Barren	Fair View existed around 1887 and had a sawmill and a few houses.
Farmingdale	Pennington		Abandoned	Farmingdale is named for the surrounding farmland. An abandoned railroad and highway cut through the town.
Firesteel	Dewey	1910-?	Abandoned	Firesteel was a prominent coal mining community in the early 1900s.
Flatiron	Lawrence	1890s-?	Neglected	This was a successful mining town from the 1890s until the 1930s.
Flora	Custer	1890s	Barren	Flora was a tin mining town, but its exact location is unknown.
Floral	Pennington		Neglected	Floral was also called "Florence."
Folsom	Custer			Folsom was a gold mining town.
Forest City			Barren (submerged)	This town is now underwater, submerged by Lake Oahe.
Fountain City	Lawrence			Fountain City was later included into Deadwood.
Gayville	Lawrence			This early gold mining camp was later absorbed into Deadwood.
Gibralter	Meade	1877-?	Barren	Gibralter is now a barren site.
Glendale	Pennington	1880s-?		Glendale was also known as Otho.
Golden Centre	Lawrence			This town was near Rochford and was once rumored to become the central trade point.
Golden Summit	Pennington			Golden Summit was also called "Summit."
Golden West	Pennington	c. 1900-c. 1920	Barren	Golden West existed for about 20 years.
Gold Hill	Lawrence			Gold Hill was laid out in 1877 on Whitewood Creek.
Gopher	Corson	1918-1940s?	Barren	Gopher was named after the common native rodent. In 1940, its remaining buildings were sold for taxes.
Gothland	Union			Gothland's post office was open from 1873 to 1891.
Grandview	Pennington		Barren	Grandview was located northwest of Pactola.
Greenwood	Lawrence	1885-1912	Barren	The last house in Greenwood was torn down in 1971.
Gregory	Lawrence	1879-?	Barren	Gregory was also called "Montana City" and is now a barren site.
Griggs	Lawrence		Barren	Griggs was a silver mining camp north of Galena.
Hammer	Roberts	?-1930s	Neglected	Hammer has been a neglected site since the 1930s.
Harney	Pennington	1876-1900	Abandoned	Harney was a mining town with a school and post office. Gold ran out by 1878, and it was mostly deserted by 1900.
Hayward	Pennington	11/1876-?	Abandoned	Gold was found here in 1876. Hayward became a temporary county seat and had a post office and school.
Hillhead	Marshall	1915-1970s	Neglected	Hillhead was also known as "Hilltop" or "Airmont."
Hillside	Butte		Neglected	Hillside is now a neglected site.
Hooker	Turner		Abandoned	Hooker is an abandoned town.
Hornblende Camp	Pennington	1899-1915	Barren	This camp was also called "Horneblende."
Huseboe	Corson		Neglected	Huseboe was also called "Lightcap."

Towns Starting with I and L

Name	County	Dates	Status	Notes	Media
Igloo	Fall River	c. 1942-after 1970	Abandoned	Igloo was a community near a military munitions storage facility.	A storage building in Igloo, photographed in 2008.
Imlay	Jackson	1907-?	Neglected	Imlay has been a neglected site since at least 1907.
Ivanhoe	Custer		Barren	Ivanhoe once had a half dozen houses. It was sometimes confusingly called "Yamboya."
Junction City	Custer	c. 09/1879-c. 1881	Neglected	Named for the Grand Junction mine, this town existed for only a few years.
Kiddville	Custer	before September 20, 1879-?	Neglected	Kiddville was an early gold mining camp.
Lakeview	Todd		Neglected	Only the school and church are still used by the local farming community; the town itself is gone.
Lancaster City	Lawrence		Barren	Lancaster City is now a barren site.
Lauzon	Custer		Neglected	Lauzon once had a store and a post office.
LeBeau	Walworth		Barren (submerged)	LeBeau is now underwater, submerged beneath Lake Oahe.
Lentz	Lawrence			Lentz was a small mining town with a population of 25.
Lexington	Lawrence	1903-?	Barren	Lexington was likely named after a mine that started in 1903.
Lily	Day	1883-2017	Dissolved	Lily was officially dissolved in 2017 because its population reached zero.
Lithia	Fall River		Barren	Lithia was a small town with a population of 6 in 1909. It is likely submerged under Angostura Lake.
Lone Camp	Lawrence		Barren	This was an early mining camp, but its exact location is unknown.
Lookout	Pennington	c. 1884-c. 1890	Neglected	Lookout was an early mining camp with a sawmill.
Lost Camp	Lawrence		Neglected	This may have been a large settlement once, but even old maps don't show houses.
Luffman	Marshall		Barren	Luffman moved to Lake City when the railroad didn't come to town.

Towns Starting with M and O

Name	County	Dates	Status	Notes	Media
Macy	Butte	c.1893-c.1907		Macy appeared on maps between 1893 and 1907.
Maitland	Lawrence	1877-c. 1915	Neglected	Maitland was also known as Midland, Garden City, or Sherman.
Maitland	Fall River		Barren	This Maitland was a crossroads with a post office.
Manchester	Kingsbury	June 29, 1881-June 24, 2003	Barren	Manchester was already declining when a tornado completely destroyed it in 2003. Only foundations remain.	Aerial view of Manchester after the 2003 tornado.
Marietta	Fall River		Barren	Marietta is now the site of the Tubbs Gravel Pit.
Martin Valley	Custer			This valley was once the center of a community with a school and post office, named after the Martin Family.
Maurice	Lawrence			This site is now home to the power plant for the famous Homestake Mine.
Maverick	Pennington		Neglected	Maverick was a small village with a post office in 1891, but the post office later closed.
Mayo	Custer		Neglected	In its early days, Mayo was a center with several groups of houses.
Merritt	Lawrence		Barren	Merritt is now a barren site.
Middle Boxelder	Lawrence		Barren	This town's existence is known from old photos, but its exact location is unknown.
Minneapolis	Pennington		Barren	Minneapolis was the site of several shallow mines and a mill.
Minnelusa	Pennington		Barren	Minnelusa was the site of a granite crushing operation that provided gravel for Rapid City's streets.
Minnesela	Butte	1882-1901	Barren	Minnesela was the first county seat of Butte County and had a rivalry with Belle Fourche.
Mogul	Lawrence			The Mogul-Horseshoe Company was located here and produced over $7,000,000 in gold.
Montana City	Lawrence	1879-?		Montana City later became part of Deadwood.
Montezuma	Lawrence	1879-		Montezuma was laid out in 1879 and named for a nearby mine.
Moon	Pennington		Neglected	Moon is now a neglected site.
Moss City	Custer			This town had a post office during the Black Hills Gold Rush, but its exact location and population are unknown.
Myers City	Pennington		Neglected	Myers City was also known as Myersville.
Mystic	Pennington		Abandoned	Mystic was also called Sitting Bull.
Nahant	Lawrence	1890-?	Barren	Nahant has been a barren site since at least 1890.
Nasby	Lawrence		Barren	Nasby was a booming logging camp around 1910.
Nerve City	Lawrence	1896		Nerve City was located north of Balmoral.
New Berlin	Lawrence	1878-?	Barren	New Berlin has been a barren site since at least 1878.
New Chicago	Lawrence	c. 1875-1877	Barren	This camp was later absorbed into Maitland, South Dakota.
Newton City	Pennington	c. 1878-?	Barren	Nothing remains of Newton City today.
North Galena	Lawrence		Barren	Also called Carter City, its exact location is unknown but likely near Galena.
Novak	Lawrence		Neglected	Novak was also known as Cindell Spur.
Nugget City	Lawrence	c.1898-?	Barren	Nugget City existed around 1898.
Oak Flat	Lawrence		Barren	Oak Flat was the site of a lumber mill and a hotel.
Ochre City	Pennington		Barren	Ochre City was a booming mining community around 1879.
Okobojo	Sully		Neglected	Okobojo is now a neglected site.
Old Ashton	Spink		Neglected	Old Ashton is a neglected site.
Ordway	Brown			Ordway is a ghost town in Brown County.
Oro	Lawrence			Oro was also known as North Lead.
Oreville	Pennington	1890		Oreville was a tin mining town in 1890, but only one house was shown on early maps.
Otis	Custer		Barren	The Custer State Game Lodge was built on the site of this town's mill.

Towns Starting with P and R

Name	County	Dates	Status	Notes	Media
Pactola	Pennington		Barren (submerged)	Pactola is now underwater, submerged beneath Pactola Lake.
Pearl City	Beadle		Barren	Pearl City was visible on maps in 1893, but nothing is left today.
Pedro	Pennington			Pedro is a ghost town in Pennington County.
Perry	Lawrence			Perry was also called "Lewisville." Its name was changed to Roubaix to avoid confusion with Terry.
Pine Grove	Lawrence		Barren	The only information about Pine Grove is that it was within 20 miles of Deadwood.
Pinkerton	Pennington		Barren	Pinkerton was a small village on Boxelder Creek.
Placerville	Pennington		Barren	Originally a gold mining camp, Placerville was named for its gold deposits.
Pluma	Lawrence		Abandoned	Pluma was a gold mining mill town located on the main road between Deadwood and Lead.
Poorman's Gulch	Lawrence		Barren	This early mining camp was near Central City, but its exact location is unknown.
Postville	Meade		Barren	Postville existed around 1891.
Potato Town	Lawrence		Barren	Potato Town was also called "Potato Creek," named after the creek it was on.
Preston	Lawrence	c. 1897-?	Neglected	Preston was in the same area as Balmoral, Dacy, and Cyanide.
Purewater	Todd		Neglected	Purewater is located north of the Nebraska state line and is only accessible by dirt roads.
Quartz City	Lawrence	01/1878-?	Barren	Its exact location is unknown due to inaccurate early maps.
Queen Bee	Pennington	1880s-1930s	Barren	A large fire destroyed all remains of Queen Bee in the 1930s.
Ragged Top	Lawrence	1880s-c. 1915	Neglected	Ragged Top was also the name of the school and mining district.
Reausaw	Lawrence		Abandoned	Reausaw is an abandoned town.
Red Fern	Lawrence		Barren	Named for a railroad man, Red Fern was a section house on the Burlington Railroad.
Redwater	Butte		Barren	Redwater existed around 1921.
Reed	Butte	1905-1910	Neglected	Only the school house remains of Reed.
Richmond	Lawrence	c. 1880-c. 1945	Neglected	Richmond was the end of a railroad line and named after a mine.
Rockerville	Pennington	1870s-1930s	Historic	The site of Rockerville has been rebuilt and is now a tourist attraction.	Rebuilt buildings at the Rockerville site
Rosedale	Pennington			Rosedale existed around 1935.
Rossville	Pennington			Rossville was in existence around 1883.
Runkel	Meade	c. 1900-?	Barren	The only real sign of Runkel today is an apple orchard.

Towns Starting with S and T

Name	County	Dates	Status	Notes	Media
Sacora	Meade		Barren	Sacora existed around 1891, located between Postville and Blackhawk.
Safe Investment	Lawrence			This small community was home to the Safe Investment Gold Mining Company.
Sampont	Butte			Sampont once had a post office.
Saratoga	Lawrence		Barren	An 1883 map shows Saratoga southwest of Sturgis.
Sheridan	Pennington	fall 1875-after 1930	Barren (submerged)	Sheridan is now underwater, submerged beneath Sheridan Lake.
Silver City	Lawrence			This was an early mining town on Bald Mountain.
Slabtown	Lawrence			Slabtown only lasted for two years. Its post office moved to Novak.
Snoma	Butte	1885-?	Barren	Snoma was once home to the Snoma Finnish Cemetery.
South Bend	Lawrence			South Bend had 116 people in 1880. When it was abandoned, residents moved to Central City.
Sparta City	Lawrence	1878-?	Barren	Its exact location is unknown.
Spokane	Custer	c. 1890	Neglected	A few homes still stand in Spokane, but the mine was filled in.
Spring-On-The-Hill	Custer		Barren	This was a famous stop on the trail to Custer and the site of an Indian fight.
Squaw Creek	Lawrence		Barren	Its exact location is unknown.
Stamford	Jackson	1909-1934		Stamford burned down three times before it closed.
String Town Logging Camp	Lawrence	1899-1908		This camp supplied wood for locomotives and was near Nemo.
Summit	Custer			This Summit was on the Fremont, Elkhorn and Missouri Valley Railroad.
Summit	Lawrence			This Summit was on a branch of the Burlington Railroad.
Summit	Pennington			This Summit was on the Chicago and North Western railroad.
Sylvan City	Custer		Barren	Sylvan City housed a factory that made axle grease using ground mica.
Teddy Bear	Pennington		Neglected	Teddy Bear is now a neglected site.
Teepee	Lawrence		Barren	Early maps show Teepee as a town, and a postmaster was there in 1918.
Tenderfoot	Custer		Neglected	Tenderfoot was named after a group of tin mines.
Terraville	Lawrence	1877-1982	Barren	Terraville existed for over 100 years before becoming a barren site.
Terry	Lawrence	1876-?	Barren	Terry was a gold rush town.
Texana	Lawrence			Texana consisted of a house or two along the Fremont, Elkhorn and Missouri Railroad.
Texas Town	Union		Barren	All that remains of Texas Town is a cemetery.
Tigerville	Pennington	1878-1885	Neglected	Tigerville was also known as Tiger City.
Tinton	Lawrence	?-1950s	Neglected	Tinton has been a neglected site since the 1950s.	Tinton, South Dakota, in 2008
Tepee	Pennington		Neglected	This is the same town as Teepee, just with a different spelling and slightly different location on maps.
Travare	Roberts		Neglected	Travare was the original county seat of Roberts County.
Trojan	Lawrence	?-1959	Neglected	Trojan was also known as Portland.
Twilight	Butte	1917-?	Barren	Twilight was named by the post office department from a list of suggested names.
Two-Bit	Lawrence	1876-1900s	Barren	Two-Bit started during the 1876 gold rush and boomed when mining companies developed there.

Towns Starting with V and Z

Images for kids

• 

  The founders of the town of Minnesela standing on the balcony of the Minnesela Hotel in 1889.

• 

  Rockerville in 2006.