The Dead Towns of South Dakota, Explained

What is, isn't always what once was. For example, at one point, South Dakota was home to several bustling, up-and-coming communities that, for one reason or another, vanished from the face of the earth. But if you look closely, you can still find the remnants of these hidden gems throughout the state.

Here's a look at five legendary South Dakota towns that no longer exist, along with the stories behind them.

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East Sioux Falls - While Sioux Falls may be the bustling and most populous city in the state today, many locals have no idea that a rival town once stood just a few miles to the east. Founded in 1887, East Sioux Falls was a booming company town built entirely on the strength of the area's famous pink quartzite. During the late 1800s, this "pink gold" was in high demand all across the U.S. and was used in everything from paving the city streets of Chicago to building the impressive courthouses throughout the Midwest we still see today.

At its peak, East Sioux Falls was a rowdy and industrious town, filled with hundreds of skilled stonecutters who immigrated from Europe. Things were booming... Until they weren't. The main issue was that East Sioux Falls' only real commodity was the quartzite. Once the demand for that went away, so did the town itself.

During a national depression, after the panic of 1893, the demand for quartzite cratered, and modern concrete began to replace it as a cheaper alternative for construction. By 1913, the town officially dissolved, leaving behind a few abandoned buildings and some very deep quarry pits.

In the time since, nature has reclaimed the area that once was East Sioux Falls. In fact, much of where the town once existed is now part of the Mary Jo Wegner Arboretum, where hikers can still find the ghosts of the pink stone industry hidden among the trees and quartzite.

The Underwater Ghost Town of Pactola - Most of the abandoned places in the state are found along dusty backroads or off abandoned highways that no longer exist, but the town of Pactola can only be visited by those who are well-versed in scuba diving.

Originally known as "Camp Crook," Pactola was a vibrant mining camp established in the 1870s during the Black Hills Gold Rush. It was one of the main stops on the way to the "Custer to Deadwood" trail, but eventually, it became a peaceful and radiant mountain meadow, home to a post office, a school, and a popular forest service station. For nearly a decade, it was a picturesque community tucked in a valley that seemed to have a bright future of growth and prosperity.

The end of Pactola came not from a lack of gold, but from a need for water. In the 1950s, the Bureau of Reclamation (Water Management) began construction on a colossal dam to provide a stable water supply for the growing city of Rapid City. The valley was flooded, and the town of Pactola was submerged under more than a hundred feet of water. Today, the Pactola Reservoir is one of the go-to hot spots for recreation in the state, but beneath the surface of the shimmering blue water, the foundations of the old town remain hundreds of feet below the surface. The dam itself stands 245 feet tall and covers roughly 825 acres.

The Bizarre Fate of Scenic, South Dakota - If there is one ghost town that every traveler on Highway 44 remembers, it is Scenic, South Dakota, and it's the newest "Dead Town" in the entire state. Located on the edge of the Badlands, Scenic was founded in 1907 as a shipping point for the Burlington & Quincy Railroad. For decades, it was an iconic stop for cowboys and travelers, famous for its "Longhorn Saloon" and enhanced with hundreds of pairs of cattle horns. Unlike other towns that slowly crumbled into the prairie, Scenic remained a functional (but tiny) community well into the 2000s. It served as a gateway to the rugged beauty of the nearby Badlands National Park, offering a glimpse into the old-school spirit of the American West.

The story of Scenic took a strange turn in 2011 when the entire town - including the saloon, the dance hall, and several homes - was put up for sale. It was eventually purchased by a religious group based in the Philippines, leading to national headlines and intense curiosity about the town's future. Today, the town feels frozen in a state of transition. Many of the iconic buildings are boarded up, and the once-rowdy streets are silent. It remains one of the most photographed spots in the state because it looks exactly like a movie set. For anyone exploring the "dead" history of the state, Scenic is a haunting reminder that even a town with a world-famous reputation can eventually fall silent.

The Sudden Downfall of Spokane - Nestled away in the rugged landscape of the Black Hills, the town of Spokane, South Dakota, stands as one of the state's most hauntingly beautiful ghost towns. Unlike many of the old mining camps that thrived for only a few months during the initial gold rush, Spokane boosted its local economy for decades. Founded in 1890, the town was built around the Spokane Mine, which produced a wide variety of minerals, including silver, lead, zinc, and even some gold. Because the mine remained intermittently active well into the 20th century, the town felt more permanent than its neighbors, boasting a schoolhouse, a post office, and several multi-story homes.

The downfall of Spokane wasn't a sudden disaster, but rather a slow fade. As the market for its specific minerals shifted and the cost of deep-vein mining rose, the town began to bleed residents. By the 1940s, the post office finally shuttered its doors, and the remaining families moved toward larger hubs like Custer or Hermosa. Today, Spokane is a favorite for hikers and history buffs because of how much remains. The shell of the old schoolhouse still stands, and the nearby "Spokane Manager’s House" remains an eerie reminder of the town’s former hierarchy. Visiting Spokane today feels like stepping into a time machine that takes you back to the wilderness the area once was before people arrived.

The Prairie Ghost Town of Okaton - If you’ve ever driven West River on Interstate 90, you’ve likely seen the lonely grain elevator of Okaton, South Dakota, looking like a shadow against the big-sky horizon. Okaton is the perfect example of a "railroad death." Founded in 1906, the town was a vital water and coaling station for the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad. In the early 1900s, Okaton was a thriving hub for Jones County homesteaders, featuring a bank, a hotel, a busy general store, and a school that served the children of the surrounding ranches. It was a community built on the promise of the tracks, where the arrival of the train was the heartbeat of the town.

The downfall of Okaton mirrors the story of many prairie towns across the Midwest. As diesel engines replaced steam engines, the need for frequent water stops vanished. Then, as automobiles became more reliable and highways were paved, local farmers could bypass the small-town general store for larger markets. When the railroad finally pulled its tracks in the 1980s, the town lost its last tether to the outside world. Today, Okaton is famous for its "stopped in time" appearance, with its abandoned gas station and crumbling buildings right next to the interstate. But to this day, residents and tourists still make a pit stop near the grain elevator for a selfie and to absorb the history of one of the state's most famous "Ghost Towns".