You Can Never Unsee The Horrors Of This Abandoned South Dakota Mine

Once upon a time, the biggest and most prosperous industry in South Dakota was mining, which brought in thousands of new families and helped shape the state into what it is now. Unfortunately, just as quickly as the mines grew, they dried up, leaving behind several abandoned mines in South Dakota, like this one that you can never un-see. Let's explore one of the creepy abandoned places in South Dakota.

Located in Pennington County is the ghost town of Etta; a once-successful mining town that is credited with uncovering the largest spodumene crystal ever found.

Situated just one-half mile south of the popular Keystone (pictured), the Etta Mine was in business from the early 1880s through the late 1950s, when everything seemed to be unearthed.

Because of the mine's closure, residents began to quickly move away, leaving behind both a deafeningly quiet mine and town.

Today, virtually every part of the original structure is still intact, including the entrances...

...strong rock walls...

...and narrow passages.

Can you believe that this quarry once produced millions of dollars worth of tin and crystals?

Please note: Etta Mill is located on private property, so do not go exploring without receiving proper permission. To get an even better look at Etta, check out this video from Clay Gibbs:

Ready to get up close and personal with more abandoned mines in South Dakota? It would be fun to take an abandoned mines road trip to see them all!  If you know of other examples of abandoned South Dakota, let us know about them in the comments.