The South Dakota Mountain Towns With Ski Slopes, Wild West Legends, And Haunted Opera Houses

Gunslingers, gold mining, and ghosts are the three G's of any great small American town. Thankfully for those visiting South Dakota, this beautiful state has two towns with all three, just a short 3 miles from one another.  It's a lot of threes, but hey, all the best things come in this number, right? Lead and Deadwood (yes, from the award-winning series on HBO) are two charming American towns that send visitors on a wild ride back to the West. 

Settled in the Black Hills of South Dakota, both locations offer a unique blend of history, adventure, and natural beauty. As if this wasn't enough to get your spurs spinning, there are also mountain adventures! Whether your vice is biking, skiing, snowboarding, or simply enjoying the fresh mountain air, both towns provide easy access to the Mickelson Trail and the slopes of Terry Peak. Each location offers year-round adventures, no matter your desired activity. 

For all you paranormal hunters out there, some say that Deadwood is South Dakota's most haunted city, and neighboring Lead has a few ghosts walking its bricked streets as well. Each town brings its own adventure and story (some more lawless than others) and offers visitors a deep dive into the American Mid-West. 

Lead was once home to the Homestake Mining Company, which operated for 126 years and brought in 41 million ounces of gold. Since 2006, this historic site has functioned as the Sanford Underground Research Facility, where scientists have been working to uncover more information about the Earth. The Visitor Center offers tourists the chance to learn more about the science behind one of the deepest underground research facilities in the world. Visitors can also take a step back in time and learn about the history of what was once the planet's "richest 100 square miles" at the Black Hills Mining Museum. The museum offers guided tours of a recreated underground mine, fascinating visitors with stories of a rich past. 

Speaking of the name Homestake, in 1914, Phoebe Hearst (the wife of the Homestake Mining Company developer) decided to build the town its very own opera house. Built as a cultural escape for the miners and their families, the Homestake Opera House also included a library, bowling alley, billiards hall, social hall, and a heated indoor pool. Until a fire in 1984, the Opera House remained the center of community life in Lead. After many years vacant, the town gathered together in 1995 to raise money to refurbish this once-great cultural host. Some say it's haunted (and what old building isn't at this point), but whatever the case, ghosts and patrons alike walk (or float) down these halls, enjoying different theatrical performances throughout the year.

Both cities were developed in the 1870s following the discovery of gold, but Deadwood remained the more lawless of the two. As with Lead, Deadwood attracted miners from around the country looking to strike it rich. However, unlike Lead, whose main focus remained mining, Deadwood became a town filled with outlaws, gamblers, and gunslingers. The most notorious members of the Deadwood squad were Wild Bill Hickok, Calamity Jane, and Sheriff Seth Bullock. 

Head on down to Wild Bill Bar, the famous location where Wild Bill Hickok was shot in the back while playing poker, holding what is now called the "Dead Man's Hand."  Alternatively, pay a visit to the Bullock Hotel, Deadwood's first hotel where Seth Bullock — the fabulously mustachioed former sheriff of Deadwood — is said to haunt the halls, keeping an eye on the staff.  During the summer months, visitors can attend daily re-enactments of shootouts and the "Trial of Jack McCall," a play based on the trial of Wild Bill's murderer. Live out a day in the Wild West and spend your time in Deadwood exploring its casinos, historical guided tours, and haunted attractions.