Heppner Ghost Town

Fall River County, South Dakota43.2469, -103.5499

Can you visit?

Likely private land

Private or unlisted land · Ask the owner first

Nearest town
13 miHot Springs, SD
Mild months
Apr–Oct6 of 12
Elevation
3,510 ft1,069 m
Illustration of a plains landscape
Illustration of the landscape type, not a picture of Heppner. No free-licensed photo yet.

Heppner, in Fall River County, South Dakota, is a ghost town. It lies at about 3,510 feet above sea level. It was founded in 1914.

On the map

20 mi40 miChadronHot SpringsCusterOglalaHeppner
  • National Forest
  • Private or unlisted

Star: Heppner. 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 Hot Springs, SD, about 13 miles north in a straight line. The nearest city over 50,000 is Rapid City, SD, 59 miles away.

Ghost towns nearby

  1. Ardmore17 mi south
  2. Black Hills Ordnance Depot20 mi west
  3. Wayside24 mi southeast
  4. Montrose24 mi south
  5. Burdock26 mi northwest
  6. Melvin31 mi northeast
  7. Spokane42 mi north
  8. Bismuth42 mi north

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°4014Jan4315Feb5424Mar6231Apr7041May8151Jun8857Jul8755Aug8045Sep6533Oct5023Nov4015DecJan: 0.4 inFeb: 0.6 inMar: 1.1 inApr: 2.1 inMay: 3.3 inJun: 3.0 inJul: 2.4 inAug: 2.0 inSep: 1.4 inOct: 1.4 inNov: 0.4 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 April to June, August to October, judging by NOAA normals from Hot Springs. July to August bring 10 or more days at 90°F and up; snow is normal from October to April.

NOAA 1991–2020 normals from the Hot Springs station (USC00394007), 14 miles away. About 18.6 inches of precipitation a year.

Facts

LocationFall River County, South Dakota
Coordinates43.24692, -103.54992
Elevation3,510 ft (1,069 m)
Founded1914
Also known asHeppner, SD, Heppner, South Dakota
SourcesWikidata Q22343641 · Wikipedia article

Questions

Where is Heppner ghost town?

In Fall River County, South Dakota, at 43.2469, -103.5499. The closest town with more than 1,000 people is Hot Springs, SD, about 13 miles north in a straight line. The nearest city over 50,000 is Rapid City, SD, 59 miles away.

Can you visit Heppner?

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 Heppner?

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

Are there other ghost towns near Heppner?

Yes. Ardmore (17 mi), Black Hills Ordnance Depot (20 mi), Wayside (24 mi), Montrose (24 mi).

More ghost towns in South Dakota

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