Gold mines in South Dakota

South Dakota has 25 gold mines in MSHA records: 1 not abandoned (1 active) and 24 abandoned. 5 have map coordinates. The largest by employees is Coeur Wharf (270). USGS adds 427 historic producers.

Gold mines in South Dakota that are not abandoned

MineCountyTypeMSHA statusEmployees
Coeur WharfLawrence CountysurfaceActive270

Historic gold producers in South Dakota (USGS)

USGS records 427 historic gold producers in South Dakota: 371 past producers and 56 listed as producers or plants. For 217 of them USGS gives an output size (1 large, 3 medium, 213 small). Production years are recorded for 43 sites, from 1876 to 1974.

Source: USGS Mineral Resources Data System (retrieved 2026-10-13), last updated around 2011. The county pages list the sites.

Counties

CountyMSHA, not abandonedMSHA, abandonedUSGS historic
Lawrence County114282
Pennington County05107
Custer County0537
Meade County001

Visit a gold mine in South Dakota

Working mines are closed to the public. 5 places in South Dakota offer tours, panning or mining history.

Big Thunder Gold Mine

Tourist attraction · South Dakota
★ 4.4 (1,789 reviews)
604 Blair St, Keystone, SD 57751
Hours on Google: Mon to Thu 9 AM to 5 PM; Fri to Sun 9 AM to 4 PM
Website(605) 666-4847Google Maps

Black Hills Mining Museum

Tourist attraction · South Dakota
★ 4.6 (343 reviews)
323 W Main St U.S. 85, Lead, SD 57754
Hours on Google: Mon to Sat 9 AM to 5 PM
Website(605) 584-1605Google Maps

All South Dakota gold mine tours and panning

Questions about gold mines in South Dakota

How many gold mines are in South Dakota?

MSHA lists 25 gold mines in South Dakota. 1 is not abandoned (1 active). 24 records are marked abandoned. USGS lists another 427 historic gold producers that are not in the MSHA records.

What is the largest gold mine in South Dakota?

By employees reported to MSHA, the largest is Coeur Wharf in Lawrence County, with 270 employees.

Can I visit an abandoned gold mine in South Dakota?

Old workings are dangerous and most are on private land or active claims, so the answer is almost always no. Do not enter them.

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