Melvin Ghost Town

Custer County, South Dakota43.6486, -103.2867

Can you visit?

Likely private land

Private or unlisted land · Ask the owner first

Nearest town
18 miCuster, SD
Mild months
Apr–Oct7 of 12
Next ghost town
14 miSpokane
Illustration of a plains landscape
Illustration of the landscape type, not a picture of Melvin. No free-licensed photo yet.

Melvin is a former settlement in Custer County, South Dakota, listed among the ghost towns of South Dakota.

On the map

20 mi40 miRapid CityBox ElderHot SpringsSummersetBlackhawkColonial Pine HillsMelvin
  • National Forest
  • State
  • Private or unlisted

Star: Melvin. 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 18 miles northwest in a straight line. The nearest city over 50,000 is Rapid City, SD, 29 miles away.

Ghost towns nearby

  1. Spokane14 mi north
  2. Bismuth15 mi north
  3. Etta17 mi north
  4. Rockerville22 mi north
  5. Addie Camp22 mi northwest
  6. Teddy Bear24 mi northwest
  7. Folsom24 mi northeast
  8. Sheridan24 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°4015Jan4116Feb5024Mar5831Apr6641May7750Jun8557Jul8455Aug7646Sep6134Oct4823Nov3915DecJan: 0.5 inFeb: 0.7 inMar: 1.1 inApr: 2.3 inMay: 3.7 inJun: 3.3 inJul: 3.0 inAug: 2.3 inSep: 1.5 inOct: 1.6 inNov: 0.7 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 October, judging by NOAA normals from Wind Cave. Snow is normal from October to April.

NOAA 1991–2020 normals from the Wind Cave station (USC00399347), 12 miles away. About 21.2 inches of precipitation a year.

Facts

LocationCuster County, South Dakota
Coordinates43.64861, -103.28667
SourcesWikidata Q20711945 · Wikipedia article

Questions

Where is Melvin ghost town?

In Custer County, South Dakota, at 43.6486, -103.2867. The closest town with more than 1,000 people is Custer, SD, about 18 miles northwest in a straight line. The nearest city over 50,000 is Rapid City, SD, 29 miles away.

Can you visit Melvin?

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 Melvin?

Mild months here run April to October, judging by NOAA normals from Wind Cave. Snow is normal from October to April.

Are there other ghost towns near Melvin?

Yes. Spokane (14 mi), Bismuth (15 mi), Etta (17 mi), Rockerville (22 mi).

More ghost towns in South Dakota

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