Ragged Top Ghost Town

Lawrence County, South Dakota44.3597, -103.8860

Can you visit?

Likely private land

Private or unlisted land · Ask the owner first

Nearest town
5.9 miLead, SD
Mild months
May–Oct6 of 12
Elevation
5,870 ft1,790 m
Illustration of a mountain landscape
Illustration of the landscape type, not a picture of Ragged Top. No free-licensed photo yet.

Ragged Top is a ghost town in Lawrence County, South Dakota. It lies at about 5,870 feet above sea level.

On the map

20 mi40 miSpearfishSturgisBelle FourcheNewcastleSummersetBlackhawkRagged Top
  • BLM
  • National Forest
  • Private or unlisted

Star: Ragged Top. 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 5.9 miles east in a straight line. The nearest city over 50,000 is Rapid City, SD, 39 miles away.

Ghost towns nearby

  1. Trojan2.7 mi southeast
  2. Carbonate2.9 mi north
  3. Terry3.9 mi southeast
  4. Maitland4.9 mi northeast
  5. Lancaster City5.7 mi east
  6. Crown Hill5.9 mi north
  7. Terraville6 mi east
  8. Flatiron6.2 mi east

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: Black Hills National Forest. 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°3818Jan3918Feb4725Mar5431Apr6341May7450Jun8257Jul8155Aug7247Sep5735Oct4625Nov3818DecJan: 1.5 inFeb: 1.8 inMar: 2.2 inApr: 3.5 inMay: 4.9 inJun: 3.8 inJul: 3.1 inAug: 2.3 inSep: 2.0 inOct: 3.3 inNov: 1.7 inDec: 1.5 inrain
Mild month (average high 55–88°F, low above 28°F) 32°F, freezing Rain and snow water, inches

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

NOAA 1991–2020 normals from the Lead station (USC00394834), 7.1 miles away. The town sits about 800 feet higher than the station, so expect it to run cooler. About 31.6 inches of precipitation a year.

Facts

LocationLawrence County, South Dakota
Coordinates44.35970, -103.88600
Elevation5,870 ft (1,790 m)
Also known asRagged Top, South Dakota, Balmoral, Ragged Top, SD
SourcesWikidata Q14709778 · Wikipedia article

Questions

Where is Ragged Top ghost town?

In Lawrence County, South Dakota, at 44.3597, -103.8860. The closest town with more than 1,000 people is Lead, SD, about 5.9 miles east in a straight line. The nearest city over 50,000 is Rapid City, SD, 39 miles away.

Can you visit Ragged Top?

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: Black Hills National Forest. Ruins often spread across more than one owner.

When is the best time to visit Ragged Top?

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

Are there other ghost towns near Ragged Top?

Yes. Trojan (2.7 mi), Carbonate (2.9 mi), Terry (3.9 mi), Maitland (4.9 mi).

More ghost towns in South Dakota

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