Bismuth Ghost Town

Custer County, South Dakota43.8500, -103.3980

Can you visit?

Public land, open access

Black Hills National Forest · Open to visitors

Nearest town
12 miCuster, SD
Mild months
May–Oct6 of 12
Elevation
4,470 ft1,363 m
Illustration of a plains landscape
Illustration of the landscape type, not a picture of Bismuth. No free-licensed photo yet.

Bismuth, in Custer County, South Dakota, is a ghost town. It lies at about 4,470 feet above sea level.

On the map

20 mi40 miRapid CityBox ElderSturgisHot SpringsSummersetBlackhawkBismuth
  • BLM
  • National Forest
  • State
  • Private or unlisted

Star: Bismuth. 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 Custer, SD, about 12 miles southwest in a straight line. The nearest city over 50,000 is Rapid City, SD, 18 miles away.

Ghost towns nearby

  1. Spokane1.1 mi southeast
  2. Etta2.4 mi northwest
  3. Rockerville7.7 mi north
  4. Addie Camp8.1 mi northwest
  5. Teddy Bear8.8 mi northwest
  6. Sheridan9.5 mi north
  7. Tigerville15 mi northwest
  8. Melvin15 mi south

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

Who owns the land

National Forest: Black Hills National Forest

PAD-US places this spot on Black Hills National Forest, land managed by the U.S. Forest Service. PAD-US marks it as open to the public. Park rules, fees and seasonal closures can still apply.

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°3719Jan3618Feb4425Mar5032Apr6042May7152Jun7959Jul7858Aug6950Sep5537Oct4427Nov3720DecJan: 0.5 inFeb: 0.8 inMar: 1.4 inApr: 2.6 inMay: 4.8 inJun: 3.6 inJul: 3.6 inAug: 2.3 inSep: 1.8 inOct: 1.8 inNov: 0.6 inDec: 0.5 inrain
Mild month (average high 55–88°F, low above 28°F) 32°F, freezing Rain and snow water, inches

Mild months here run May to October, judging by NOAA normals from Mt Rushmore Nmem. Snow is normal from October to May.

NOAA 1991–2020 normals from the Mt Rushmore Nmem station (USC00395870), 3.5 miles away. The town sits about 800 feet lower than the station, so expect it to run warmer. About 24.3 inches of precipitation a year.

Facts

LocationCuster County, South Dakota
Coordinates43.85000, -103.39800
Elevation4,470 ft (1,363 m)
Also known asBismuth, South Dakota
SourcesWikidata Q14709696 · Wikipedia article

Questions

Where is Bismuth ghost town?

In Custer County, South Dakota, at 43.8500, -103.3980. The closest town with more than 1,000 people is Custer, SD, about 12 miles southwest in a straight line. The nearest city over 50,000 is Rapid City, SD, 18 miles away.

Can you visit Bismuth?

Public land, open access. PAD-US places this spot on Black Hills National Forest, land managed by the U.S. Forest Service. PAD-US marks it as open to the public. Park rules, fees and seasonal closures can still apply.

When is the best time to visit Bismuth?

Mild months here run May to October, judging by NOAA normals from Mt Rushmore Nmem. Snow is normal from October to May.

Are there other ghost towns near Bismuth?

Yes. Spokane (1.1 mi), Etta (2.4 mi), Rockerville (7.7 mi), Addie Camp (8.1 mi).

More ghost towns in South Dakota

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