Among the family attractions and popular hiking trails lie off-the-beaten gems of the Black Hills and Badlands.
Along the forest trails, deep into the pines and hills are stories of the Black Hills and mining towns past, which boast a rich history of striking it rich to Wild West outlaws and the haunting spirits of yesteryear.
A ghost town is an abandoned or semi-abandoned community from a boom in the mining industry. The towns were typically abandoned due to a decline in the mining industry or economic challenges. The Black Hills Gold Rush of 1874 brought with it booming mining towns filled with excitement, hopefulness, and a bygone history that visitors and locals still revel in today. While many mining towns in the region have been extinct and others reinvented themselves, visitors to the Black Hills can explore the past learn more about the impact of these legends and ghost towns of the Black Hills.
Mining Towns of the Past
In the late 1800s mining towns popped up as gold miners and their families that flocked the region in the hopes of striking it rich. Spokane, 16 miles from Custer, offers the perfect opportunity to explore an abandoned mining town. In 1927, the town was booming and was even funded a school. The fragile structure is still standing and makes for great photos.
The town was abandoned in 1940, with the last known residence vacated in the 1970s.
But its story lives on with the framework of buildings and the stories shared among locals of the once thriving community.
As you wander, watch your step and do not climb in or on any structure. Aside from your safety, we strive to preserve the town and historic structures for future visitors.
Galena
Located in Vanocker Canyon, Galena was a booming mining town during the 1876 Black Hills Gold Rush. Visitors can walk along Galena Road and find remnants of the mining community paralleled with current, modern homes. The town went through a few ups and downs dependent on the railroad line and mining company that operated. The town was most abandoned in the 1940s. However, the Galena schoolhouse is still intact to photograph.
Quick Directions: Take I-90 West to Exit 32, the follow Vanocker Canyon to Galena Road.
Mystic & Rochford
Mystic and Rochford are both historic mining towns in the Black Hills. Mystic, located along the railroad line, is where miners could restock supplies. Several of Mystic’s original buildings are intact, including the restored schoolhouse, which is picture-worthy stop.
Quick Directions: Take Highway 44 west and US-385 north to Rochford Road. Continue on Rochford Road to George Frink Road.
Rochford, small in structure, but large in history, is a great place to stop and enjoy a cold drink or snack surrounded by a pine-clad forest The small town was established in 1878 after miners starting staking claims along Little Rapid Creek. As the town grew, it added a theatre, drugstore, restaurants and hotels, blacksmiths, and a school. Several facilities like Moonshine Gulch Saloon and the Irish Gulch Dance Hall, among other still stand. Visitors can enjoy a cold drink and shop in the quaint structures from the mining past.
Quick Directions: From Rapid City, take Highway 44 West to Highway 385. Travel north along Highway 385 to Rochford Road.
Lake Pactola
Hidden below the depths of Lake Pactola is a long lost mining community of the same name. Like other mining towns in the area, it boomed in the late 1870s, originally called Camp Crook after the general that chased away prospective miners searching for gold. Eventually, the town was renamed Pactola. During its prime, the town housed more than 300 miners and included businesses, a dance hall, and one of the first post offices in the Black Hills. As the gold rush died out, so did the town. By 1950, the town was abandoned and soon was flooded, leaving its structures and history submerged in 150 feet of water. A lone cabin still stands, marking the history of Pactola, as you wander through the pines that surround the lake.
Quick Directions: From Rapid City, take Highway 44 West to Highway 385. Drive south for 1.3 miles along Highway 385 to Lake Pactola.
Outlaws and Lawmen
With the increase in mining operations also came the fight for property and other greedy endeavors. With no established government, lawlessness ruled the land and many disputes were held man to man. The Wild West is alive with such rich history in Deadwood, founded in the late 1800s during the gold rush days. Deadwood was a rugged, lawless town, with legends of outlaws and the battling lawmen, that are still very much alive within the walls of the historic buildings, storytelling, and reenactments along the cobblestoned Main Street. Home of Wild Bill Hickock, Calamity Jane, Jack McCall, Seth Bullock, and other western legends, visitors to Deadwood can see historical sites, watch Wild West reenactments, and visit Mount Moriah Cemetery where local legends are laid to rest.
With the mining towns speckled across the Black Hills and men prospecting to end it rich, it wasn’t uncommon for disputes over land and other property to be handled with gunfight.
Quick Directions: Head west on I-90 to Exit 30. Take the scenic Boulder Canyon into Deadwood.
Local Haunts
With such a rich history, there have been alleged encounters with hauntings and unworldly sights. From whispers among the pines to faint footsteps and shadowy figures, the abandoned mines and historic sites are said to be haunted with local legends, mining widows, and more. Take a ghost tour and hear the fascinating tales of those long ago and their presence in the historic buildings in Deadwood and their impact on the booming mining town of the 1800s.