Abandoned Record
About Firesteel
Firesteel (Lakota: Čhaȟlíok'e Otȟúŋwahe) is an unincorporated community on the Cheyenne River Indian Reservation, in Dewey County, South Dakota, United States. It was known for being a prominent coal mining community in the early 1900s.
This is a site record: what public sources say about Firesteel, 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 Firesteel is
Historic maps
4 historic USGS maps cover Firesteel
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.
- 1953 McIntosh sheet, 1:250,000 · GeoTIFF download
- 1958 McIntosh sheet, 1:250,000 · GeoTIFF download
- 1978 Firesteel sheet, 1:24,000 · GeoTIFF download
- 1986 Timber Lake sheet, 1:100,000 · GeoTIFF download
Directions
Getting there
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 Firesteel
Straight-line distance to other mapped sites in our South Dakota index.
- Athboy32.6 mi W · Corson
- Maple Leaf39.5 mi NE · Corson
- Coal Springs39.9 mi W · Perkins
Sources
Sources
- ghosttowns.com, "Firesteel": county, roads, climate, best time to visit, remains.
- Wikipedia, "Firesteel, South Dakota": coordinates and summary.
- Wikidata Q15217738.
- USGS GNIS 1255047.
- USGS 3D Elevation Program, elevation at the coordinates.
- USGS The National Map and Historical Topographic Map Collection (public domain).