Mystic

Mystic is a ghost town in Pennington County, South Dakota, with roots stretching back to 1876, when a placer gold mining encampment known as Sitting Bull took shape in the area. Over time the settlement attracted multiple railroads and grew into a recognized community before population began dropping in the early twentieth century. Today it has few to no permanent residents.

What remains is protected: the old townsite was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1986 as the Mystic Townsite Historic District. Visitors come to walk a piece of documented history and photograph the remnants of a once-active gold mining community. As with most ghost towns, the experience rewards curiosity and a tolerance for quiet, weathered landscapes rather than polished amenities.