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Big Bottom

Ghost town · Meade County, South Dakota

Saint Onge quadrangle, USGS topographic map (1905, 1:62,500)
Saint Onge quadrangle, USGS topographic map (1905, 1:62,500) · U.S. Geological Survey, Historical Topographic Map Collection · Public domain

Big Bottom is a ghost town in Meade County, South Dakota, recorded as human settlement in Meade County, South Dakota, United States of America. It is one of 5 former communities in Meade County on the federal names register. That ranks the county 5th among the 26 South Dakota counties with a vanished settlement on record.

The U.S. Geological Survey lists Big Bottom as a historical populated place: the name is no longer in official use for a community, whether the settlement was abandoned, absorbed into a neighbouring town or renamed. The recorded location is 44.5855° N, 103.5230° W.

Key facts

Elevation2,988 ft
Nearest living townNisland, SD
Distance to it6.2 miles
Coordinates44.58550, -103.52300

Open the location on a map

What's there now

Big Bottom is no longer a community in its own right. The nearest living town is Nisland, SD (population 167), about 6.2 miles away in a straight line, and the site sits at roughly 2,988 feet above sea level. Much of the land around former townsites is private; check access before you visit.

Nearby places

Questions

Where is Big Bottom?

Big Bottom is in Meade County, South Dakota, at 44.5855, -103.5230.

How many ghost towns are in Meade County?

Meade County, South Dakota has 5 ghost towns on record at Wayfarrow.

Sources and licences

Facts marked "approximately" carry an uncertain date in the source. Text on this page is generated from the sources above; no encyclopedia prose is copied. Last updated 2026-11-05.