Blacktail Ghost Town

Lawrence County, South Dakota44.3700, -103.7600

Can you visit?

Likely private land

Private or unlisted land · Ask the owner first

Nearest town
1.2 miLead, SD
Mild months
May–Oct6 of 12
Elevation
4,780 ft1,456 m
Illustration of a plains landscape
Illustration of the landscape type, not a picture of Blacktail. No free-licensed photo yet.

Blacktail is a ghost town in Lawrence County, South Dakota. It lies at about 4,780 feet above sea level.

On the map

20 mi40 miRapid CitySpearfishSturgisBelle FourcheSummersetBlackhawkBlacktail
  • BLM
  • National Forest
  • Private or unlisted

Star: Blacktail. 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 Lead, SD, about 1.2 miles south in a straight line. The nearest city over 50,000 is Rapid City, SD, 34 miles away.

Ghost towns nearby

  1. Gayville0.1 mi north
  2. Terraville0.6 mi southwest
  3. Lancaster City0.9 mi northwest
  4. Maitland2.8 mi northwest
  5. Flatiron3 mi south
  6. Terry3.8 mi southwest
  7. Trojan4.3 mi southwest
  8. Englewood5.2 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

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°3814Jan3914Feb4822Mar5530Apr6539May7549Jun8356Jul8254Aug7344Sep5831Oct4722Nov3814Dec
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 Deadwood.

NOAA 1991–2020 normals from the Deadwood station (USC00392207), 1.4 miles away.

Facts

LocationLawrence County, South Dakota
Coordinates44.37000, -103.76000
Elevation4,780 ft (1,456 m)
Also known asBlacktail, South Dakota, Blacktail, SD
SourcesWikidata Q4923449 · Wikipedia article

Questions

Where is Blacktail ghost town?

In Lawrence County, South Dakota, at 44.3700, -103.7600. The closest town with more than 1,000 people is Lead, SD, about 1.2 miles south in a straight line. The nearest city over 50,000 is Rapid City, SD, 34 miles away.

Can you visit Blacktail?

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 Blacktail?

Mild months here run May to October, judging by NOAA normals from Deadwood.

Are there other ghost towns near Blacktail?

Yes. Gayville (0.1 mi), Terraville (0.6 mi), Lancaster City (0.9 mi), Maitland (2.8 mi).

More ghost towns in South Dakota

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