The Incredible Hike In South Dakota That Leads To A Fascinating Abandoned Town
By Tori Jane|Published November 20, 2023
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Tori Jane
Author
Tori Jane is a storm chaser, writer, photographer, and the village idiot - in that order. When she's not out and about dancing with the meanest storms on planet Earth for funsies she can be found wandering, shooting landscapes, writing, editing photos, and otherwise up to no good. Legend has it that she can also be occasionally spotted typing up short bios in the third person, but those rumors are unsubstantiated.
South Dakota is an amazingly exciting place to be, whether you live here, you’re visiting, you’re hoping to live here, or anything else. There’s always something to explore thanks to countless parks, campgrounds, and trails… not to mention ghost towns. So how about a trail that leads to something truly beautiful (and eerie) – like a ghost town? I’m for it. In this case, you’re going to want to hike the old Spokane Ghost Town Trail, which is two miles of fun leading to a stunning, preserved ghost town in South Dakota.
This hike is short and sweet, but it can be tough to follow at times.
To remedy this, I strongly suggest paying attention with a sharp eagle eye... or downloading an offline map (thanks to the spotty cell service in the area) from a provider like AllTrails Plus.
This is one of my favorite hidden gem hikes in South Dakota.
I definitely suggest bug spray and good hiking shoes; the ghost town on this trail hasn't been maintained in many, many years - so you never know what you'll step on. Be aware!
It's the town of Spokane, which was at one time a vibrant mining town. (Weren't they all?) It's located about 16 miles from Custer and was founded in 1890.
Things went well for a while, but like many mining towns of the era, it was not to last.
The town had its biggest year in 1927, when it extracted an incredible $144,742 in profits. This is equivalent to $2.5 million today. Things were good... until they weren't.
By 1940, the town was done for. Everyone had moved on - or died - and the entire place was left to memory. Honestly, the only thing that could make this place even spookier is a...
There is, it turns out, at least one person laid to rest here who didn't get to move on with the rest of the town's residents. The grave of James Fernando Shepard is a sad one. It reads: In loving memory of his grandchildren. Yikes. Does this mean he was never able to have them thanks to his life being cut short? We'll never know; anyone who would remember is long gone.
Once when their heart stops beating, and again when nobody remembers their name; at least Mr. Shepard is remembered and lives on through us... the brave souls who dared venture to the town where he's laid to rest.
For more information (and lots more photos!) about the trail to this ghost town in South Dakota, be sure to visit the listing by our friends at AllTrails. What would you say are your favorite hiking trails in South Dakota? Do any of them get a lil’ spooky at the end? Let me know!
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