Novak Ghost Town

Lawrence County, South Dakota44.2164, -103.5519

Can you visit?

Public land, open access

Black Hills National Forest · Open to visitors

Nearest town
8.7 miPiedmont, SD
Mild months
May–Oct6 of 12
Elevation
4,900 ft1,493 m
Illustration of a plains landscape
Illustration of the landscape type, not a picture of Novak. No free-licensed photo yet.

Novak is a former settlement in Lawrence County, South Dakota, listed among the ghost towns of South Dakota. It lies at about 4,900 feet above sea level.

On the map

20 mi40 miRapid CitySpearfishBox ElderSturgisLeadSummersetNovak
  • BLM
  • National Forest
  • State
  • Private or unlisted

Star: Novak. 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 Piedmont, SD, about 8.7 miles east in a straight line. The nearest city over 50,000 is Rapid City, SD, 19 miles away.

Ghost towns nearby

  1. Greenwood0.6 mi northwest
  2. Merritt5.3 mi south
  3. Brownsville8.1 mi northwest
  4. Silver City9.1 mi south
  5. Galena9.2 mi northwest
  6. Pactola10 mi south
  7. Nahant10 mi west
  8. Rochford10 mi southwest

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°3611Jan3611Feb4419Mar5026Apr6036May7145Jun7851Jul7849Aug6940Sep5529Oct4520Nov3713DecJan: 0.3 inFeb: 0.6 inMar: 1.1 inApr: 2.3 inMay: 4.3 inJun: 3.5 inJul: 3.1 inAug: 2.4 inSep: 1.6 inOct: 1.6 inNov: 0.5 inDec: 0.4 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 Pactola Dam. Snow is normal from October to May.

NOAA 1991–2020 normals from the Pactola Dam station (USC00396427), 11 miles away. About 21.7 inches of precipitation a year.

Facts

LocationLawrence County, South Dakota
Coordinates44.21637, -103.55186
Elevation4,900 ft (1,493 m)
Also known asNovak, South Dakota
SourcesWikidata Q15262632 · Wikipedia article

Questions

Where is Novak ghost town?

In Lawrence County, South Dakota, at 44.2164, -103.5519. The closest town with more than 1,000 people is Piedmont, SD, about 8.7 miles east in a straight line. The nearest city over 50,000 is Rapid City, SD, 19 miles away.

Can you visit Novak?

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 Novak?

Mild months here run May to October, judging by NOAA normals from Pactola Dam. Snow is normal from October to May.

Are there other ghost towns near Novak?

Yes. Greenwood (0.6 mi), Merritt (5.3 mi), Brownsville (8.1 mi), Silver City (9.1 mi).

More ghost towns in South Dakota

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