Abandoned Towns

Ghost town record · Meade County, South Dakota

Big Bottom

Ghost town in South Dakota, United States of America.

Record

About Big Bottom

Big Bottom (1878–1887) is a ghost town in Meade County. When it was listed as a town, 1876-abt 1900, it was located about 9 miles north of the town of Whitewood.

This is a site record: what public sources say about Big Bottom, gathered in one place. We haven't written a full guide yet, so history, current access and photos are still to come. Treat the status as unknown until a guide confirms it.

Map

Where Big Bottom is

USGS topographic map around Big Bottom
USGS topographic map, The National Map (public domain). The pin marks the coordinates in the record; old townsites are often a little off.

Historic maps

7 historic USGS maps cover Big Bottom

Topographic sheets from the USGS Historical Topographic Map Collection (public domain), oldest first. Older sheets often show the camp, mines and roads while the place was alive. The downloads are large map scans; USGS topoView shows them in the browser.

Directions

Getting there

Google Maps directionsApple MapsOpenStreetMap

Before you go

  • Many ghost town sites are on private land, active mining claims or tribal land. Check land status and ask permission.
  • Roads to old townsites are often unmaintained dirt. Map apps may route over closed or impassable tracks.
  • Removing artifacts from public land is illegal under federal and most state laws.

Nearby

Other sites near Big Bottom

Straight-line distance to other mapped sites in our South Dakota index.

Sources

Sources

  1. Wikipedia, "Big Bottom, South Dakota": coordinates and summary.
  2. Wikidata Q14709694.
  3. USGS 3D Elevation Program, elevation at the coordinates.
  4. USGS The National Map and Historical Topographic Map Collection (public domain).