Mason Ghost Town

Butte County, South Dakota44.8149, -103.8191

Can you visit?

Likely private land

Private or unlisted land · Ask the owner first

Nearest town
11 miBelle Fourche, SD
Mild months
Apr–Oct7 of 12
Next ghost town
8.5 miArpan
Illustration of a plains landscape
Illustration of the landscape type, not a picture of Mason. No free-licensed photo yet.

Mason, in Butte County, South Dakota, is a ghost town.

On the map

20 mi40 miSpearfishSturgisBelle FourcheLeadNorth SpearfishDeadwoodSundanceMason
  • BLM
  • National Forest
  • Private or unlisted

Star: Mason. 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 Belle Fourche, SD, about 11 miles south in a straight line. The nearest city over 50,000 is Rapid City, SD, 59 miles away.

Ghost towns nearby

  1. Arpan8.5 mi east
  2. Minnesela12 mi south
  3. Big Bottom22 mi southeast
  4. Castle Rock22 mi northeast
  5. Crown Hill26 mi south
  6. Carbonate29 mi south
  7. Maitland29 mi south
  8. Lancaster City30 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. Another parcel starts within a quarter mile: South Dakota Field Office. Ruins often spread across more than one owner.

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°3613Jan3915Feb5024Mar5933Apr6844May7954Jun8760Jul8757Aug7846Sep6235Oct4824Nov3715DecJan: 0.4 inFeb: 0.5 inMar: 1.2 inApr: 2.1 inMay: 3.0 inJun: 3.0 inJul: 2.0 inAug: 1.5 inSep: 1.3 inOct: 1.7 inNov: 0.7 inDec: 0.6 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 Belle Fourche. 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 Belle Fourche station (USC00390559), 10 miles away. About 18.0 inches of precipitation a year.

Facts

LocationButte County, South Dakota
Coordinates44.81486, -103.81907
SourcesWikidata Q24061540 · Wikipedia article

Questions

Where is Mason ghost town?

In Butte County, South Dakota, at 44.8149, -103.8191. The closest town with more than 1,000 people is Belle Fourche, SD, about 11 miles south in a straight line. The nearest city over 50,000 is Rapid City, SD, 59 miles away.

Can you visit Mason?

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. Another parcel starts within a quarter mile: South Dakota Field Office. Ruins often spread across more than one owner.

When is the best time to visit Mason?

Mild months here run April to October, judging by NOAA normals from Belle Fourche. 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 Mason?

Yes. Arpan (8.5 mi), Minnesela (12 mi), Big Bottom (22 mi), Castle Rock (22 mi).

More ghost towns in South Dakota

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