Stargaze at Spokane Ghost Town

Hermosa, South Dakota

Description

What better place to view the Milky Way than a small valley with old ghost town buildings including barns, houses, old cars, and a school?

Great all year long but, especially stunning when the galactic center of the Milky Way is visible from Spring to Fall, Spokane Ghost Town is a local favorite and a hidden gem. Set up your camera, and light paint some old buildings! The ghost town was originally a mine founded in the late 1800's which produced silver, lead, copper, and various other minerals.

Getting There:
Just before the intersection of Playhouse Road and Iron Mountain Road, there's a forest service gate on the east side of the road. Park at the secure Forest Service gate and then hike back about a half mile. You will see the first two buildings once you're in the valley. There's plenty more to see as you walk around the valley.

Download the Outbound mobile app

Find adventures and camping on the go, share photos, use GPX tracks, and download maps for offline use.

Get the app

Features

Photography

Chillin

Dog Friendly

Easy Parking

Forest

Scenic

Wildflowers

Wildlife

Stargaze at Spokane Ghost Town Reviews

Have you done this adventure? Be the first to leave a review!

Leave No Trace

Always practice Leave No Trace ethics on your adventures and follow local regulations. Please explore responsibly!

Nearby

Explore the Spokane Ghost Town

Spokane will always be one of my favorite locations in the hills. The town was founded in 1890 and features 3 intact structures from that time. The most intact structure is the manager's house which you can find up on a hill behind the other buildings. A few years ago the old school house finally gave in and collapsed but the remains are still around. You also can find remains of other building...

Hike Iron Creek Trail #15

The trail is accessible from 2 different spots, both give you the opportunity for a scenic drive to get there. The approach from the Northeast side is on Iron Mountain road a beautiful scenic Black Hills highway, and you will be very near Lakota Lake. The Southwest trail head is a more rugged drive on a gravel two track called Camp Remington road that goes through the Peter Norbeck Wildlife Pr...

Hippie Hole

While making your way to the parking area, you'll keep right for the most part. You'll also need a high clearance vehicle or the patience to drive very slowly. The dirt road to the trailhead is full of dips, holes, rocks, and essentially could be a close relative of off roading. If you do not have an SUV or pickup - that's fine, just do NOT and I repeat, do NOT, attempt to make it to the actual...

Presidential Trail at Mount Rushmore

The closest possible access to Mount Rushmore National Monument is achieved by walking the Presidential Trail, which takes you to the bottom of the rock pile below the carving. This loop trail is just shy of 1 mile and offers a unique perspective with a chance to view some wildlife. Expect there to be crowds as it is a very popular trail, but there are ample opportunities to grab a great phot...

Hike Grace Coolidge Walk-In Area

Grace Coolidge Walk-In area is a fantastic place to go for a hike and do some fly fishing! There are 6 dams built along the 3 mile trail. You can start on either from Center Lake off of Playhouse Rd. or you can start at the southern trailhead near Highway 16A, that is not too far west from the State Game Lodge. The trail is very easy to follow, it is broad and well worn. As you follow the tra...

Mt. Rushmore Profile View

Cool little pull off area to get a shot of Washington’s face from the side between the mountains. There is a pull off on both sides of the road and a popular spot to stop and photograph this unique perspective of Mt. Rushmore. For the loop trail to see more of the sites of Mt. Rushmore, check out The Presidential Trail, which is a less than one mile loop.