Big Bottom Ghost Town

Meade County, South Dakota44.5855, -103.5230

Can you visit?

Likely private land

Private or unlisted land · Ask the owner first

Nearest town
12 miSturgis, SD
Mild months
Apr–Oct7 of 12
Elevation
3,000 ft913 m
Illustration of a plains landscape
Illustration of the landscape type, not a picture of Big Bottom. No free-licensed photo yet.

Big Bottom is a ghost town in Meade County, South Dakota. It lies at about 3,000 feet above sea level.

On the map

20 mi40 miRapid CitySpearfishBox ElderSturgisBelle FourcheLeadSummersetBig Bottom
  • BLM
  • National Forest
  • Private or unlisted

Star: Big Bottom. Dots: other ghost towns within 40 miles, colored by land manager. Squares: towns over 1,000 people. Rings are straight-line distance. Live map: © OpenFreeMap, OpenMapTiles, OpenStreetMap contributors.

The closest town with more than 1,000 people is Sturgis, SD, about 12 miles south in a straight line. The nearest city over 50,000 is Rapid City, SD, 39 miles away.

Ghost towns nearby

  1. Minnesela15 mi west
  2. Arpan15 mi northwest
  3. Galena18 mi south
  4. Lancaster City19 mi southwest
  5. Gayville19 mi southwest
  6. Maitland19 mi southwest
  7. Blacktail19 mi southwest
  8. Terraville20 mi southwest

Distances are straight lines. Roads to ruins are often dirt, and a 20-mile hop can take an hour.

Who owns the land

Private or unlisted land

The point we have for this town is not on any public or protected parcel in PAD-US, the national map of public land. That usually means private land. Ruins on private land are off limits without the owner's permission, even when no fence or sign is visible. Look from the public road.

The point is the town location from Wikidata, and the land record is from PAD-US 3.0 (USGS). Ruins can spread past that point, and land changes hands faster than the database. How we read PAD-US.

Weather by month

0°20°40°60°80°100°3210Jan3513Feb4622Mar5632Apr6643May7753Jun8659Jul8557Aug7546Sep6033Oct4521Nov3412DecJan: 0.4 inFeb: 0.5 inMar: 0.8 inApr: 1.8 inMay: 3.2 inJun: 3.3 inJul: 2.1 inAug: 1.3 inSep: 1.0 inOct: 1.4 inNov: 0.5 inDec: 0.4 inrain
Mild month (average high 55–88°F, low above 28°F) 32°F, freezing Rain and snow water, inches

Mild months here run April to October, judging by NOAA normals from Newell. July to August bring 10 or more days at 90°F and up; snow is normal from October to May.

NOAA 1991–2020 normals from the Newell station (USC00396054), 10 miles away. About 16.7 inches of precipitation a year.

Facts

LocationMeade County, South Dakota
Coordinates44.58550, -103.52300
Elevation3,000 ft (913 m)
Also known asBig Bottom, South Dakota, Big Bottom, SD
SourcesWikidata Q14709694 · Wikipedia article

Questions

Where is Big Bottom ghost town?

In Meade County, South Dakota, at 44.5855, -103.5230. The closest town with more than 1,000 people is Sturgis, SD, about 12 miles south in a straight line. The nearest city over 50,000 is Rapid City, SD, 39 miles away.

Can you visit Big Bottom?

Likely private land. The point we have for this town is not on any public or protected parcel in PAD-US, the national map of public land. That usually means private land. Ruins on private land are off limits without the owner's permission, even when no fence or sign is visible. Look from the public road.

When is the best time to visit Big Bottom?

Mild months here run April to October, judging by NOAA normals from Newell. July to August bring 10 or more days at 90°F and up; snow is normal from October to May.

Are there other ghost towns near Big Bottom?

Yes. Minnesela (15 mi), Arpan (15 mi), Galena (18 mi), Lancaster City (19 mi).

More ghost towns in South Dakota

All 70 ghost towns in South Dakota · Ghost towns near Rapid City