Scenic, South Dakota facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Scenic, South Dakota
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 Scenic, South Dakota
Location in South Dakota
Scenic, South Dakota
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | South Dakota |
| County | Pennington |
| Area | |
| • Total | 134.2 sq mi (347.6 km2) |
| • Land | 133.9 sq mi (346.9 km2) |
| • Water | 0.3 sq mi (0.7 km2) |
| Elevation | 2,900 ft (884 m) |
| Population
(2011)
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| • Total | 10 |
| • Density | 0.6/sq mi (0.3/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-7 (Mountain (MST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-6 (MDT) |
| ZIP code |
57780
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| Area code(s) | 605 |
| FIPS code | 46-57820 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1268730 |
Scenic is a very small place in Pennington County, South Dakota, United States. It's called an unincorporated community, which means it doesn't have its own local government like a city or town. In 2010, the area around Scenic had only 58 people living there.
Scenic is right next to the Badlands National Park. It's about 50 miles (80 km) southeast of Rapid City, which is about an hour's drive along Highway 44.
History of Scenic
The community got its name because of the beautiful "scenic" views around the town site.
In the 2000s, Scenic faced an economic decline, meaning businesses and jobs became harder to find. A local businesswoman named Twila Merrill slowly bought more and more of the town's properties until she owned most of it.
In July 2011, the entire town and the land around it were put up for sale. This included about 12 acres (4.9 hectares) of the town itself and a total of 46 acres (19 hectares) of land. The price was $799,000. The sale included many important buildings:
- The post office (which has its own ZIP code, 57780)
- The Longhorn Saloon
- A dance hall
- A bunkhouse (a building with beds for many people)
- A museum
- Two stores
The sale also included an old train depot. This depot was part of a railway line that is no longer used. There are plans to turn 104 miles (167 km) of this old railway into a rails-to-trail project. This trail would connect Rapid City and Kadoka.
New Owners and Changes
In August 2011, a Christian church called the Iglesia ni Cristo (INC), which means "Church of Christ" in English, bought the property for almost $800,000. This church is based in the Philippines. The church never said publicly why they bought the town. In 2014, a newspaper reported that the INC hadn't done much with the town since buying it.
However, in April 2015, an INC minister moved to the area. Soon after, he started leading church services for about 10 to 15 people who live near Scenic.
See also
In Spanish: Municipio de Scenic para niños
