Flightster
Visiting the Ghost Town of Fort Igloo South Dakota
- by Mark Lawrence
- on February 28th, 2011
- 14 Comments
A sprawling complex of ammunition’s depots, army barracks, housing, hospital remnants, church, police station, amongst many other buildings lies abandoned near Provo, South Dakota. The base was built in 1942 and abandoned in 1967. Looking at an aerial view you can see just how sprawling Fort Igloo (also known as Black Hills Army Depot) actually is. If you’re heading to the badlands or Mount Rushmore, some ghost town exploration lies about 70 miles to the south. The sheer monstrosity of the area is overwhelming. This is an urban exploration and ghost town aficionado’s dream. The roads leading around the base can be a bit confusing, as some roads are so overgrown, you can hardly tell they are there. One of my favorite parts is an overgrown airstrip with some decrepit hangers near some factory looking buildings. Watch out though, while we were there we saw some rattle snakes, so make sure to be on the lookout. That rattle sound is eerie. I’d heard it for the first time there in Fort Igloo.
It’s hard to recount the feelings of eeriness, awe and amazement looking at all the abandoned structures. The church was particularly eerie. The cross had fallen off and lay upside down next to a rotting cow carcass. Birds flew out of the front entrance as we approached and our stomachs jumped. It really made you think. Seeing all the building remnants, I tried to imagine the place full of life when it was an operational army base. So much had been built, and so much had been abandoned.
The abandoned buildings had items from another time. Old beer and pepsi cans, newpapers, toys, and debris. There were areas where bullet shells riddled the area, and a lone new satellite dish attached to a house there really was creepy. It didn’t seem like anyone was home. The 5 resident deer outnumbered us humans 5 to 3.
The ghost town of Fort Igloo is so close, yet so far away. You feel you’re on the edge of civilization (you kind of are), as the road goes from interstate, to highway, to county road, to ancillary road, to dirt road to overgrown almost no road. The towns get smaller and smaller as you enter a land of many buildings, but few people. Take some time to explore Fort Igloo and the surrounding area. It was one of the highlights of my South Dakota road trip. It was an eerie, yet cool feeling the entire time we were there. Even though it was abandoned we felt like we were trespassing. As the sun started to set, our instincts told us it was time to head home.
We’d heard of an ghost town called Ardmore, South Dakota that was further south we wanted to check out, but decided it was time to head home. If you’re up for some ghost town exploration, this seemingly boring area where South Dakota meets Nebraska, and Wyoming cradles some spectacular ghost town ruins.
I graduated high school at Igloo–never heard it called Fort Igloo. Was married in the Church you picture. My husband grew up in Ardmore and attended elementary school there before moving to Edgemont S.D. for high school.
Hi Mark,
I enjoyed your interpretation of your visit to Igloo. I was born and raised there and left in 1964, and was always sorry I never had the chance to attend and graduate high school there. We, (all Iglooites) were a close community, and a better example of small town America I could not imagine.
I have been all around the world,(courtesy of Uncle Sam) and I do not believe there was a better place to grow up.
Again, thanks for the positive comments on my home-town.
Michael Williams~
I was just looking at the pictures of Igloo and remembering when I tried to visit the area iin the 90′s but it was gated off. I was wondering what was in the area? I know many of my relatives worked there years ago. My mother was raised at Mission in Pine Ridge (Mesteth family), My uncle died on the road to Edgemont.
Anyone in the area have any pictures or know anything about what was actually made at Igloo?
Ronald Sabado
Hello Ron,
My family moved to Igloo in 1949 and we left in 1966, the year before it closed. As Barry has mentioned I have a web site, http://www.Igloo-SD.org, and have done a lot of research on that area. What was the names of your relatives? I have a database of about 1,000 people associated with Igloo/BHOD/Provo School.
Willie Mesteth was one of my best friends during the late 50′s. Jim Anderson
I grew up at Igloo and still visit the area every year. I have a friend who owns much of what was once restricted area and he lets me explore all I want. Obviously I am respectful of his land, gates, and all the rest of it. You should know the residence of Igloo meet in Rapid City every year, I believe its the third week in July. There is a website with tons of pictures, email address of hundreds of people, broken down by Class of Provo. The high school was called “the Rattlers”…..if you want to know more, feel free to email me.
Barry Rogers
Ron: If you’re still interested, I can guide you to all the information about Igloo you might ever want. I grew up there as well and visit it almost every year. My best friend lives on a ranch in Ardmore.
Hi Barry,
My Dad hired on in 1950, I was a year old. We left in 1966. Wish I could have graduated there. I took my wife to where the gate used to be to show her where I grew up. Wish I could of went into the town part, to show her, but it said no trespassing. I believe we went to school togather. Hope to here from u sometime. Take care. A fellow Iglooite.
Barry
I was born in Igloo in 1947. My father was in the Army Chemical Corp, my mother was an army nurse there. We left a year or so later when my father was transferred to Japan. I’ve never been back, although have been to South Dakota one additional time. We are planning a motorcycle trip next year and it would mean everything to me to be able to visit Igloo…..I just found this site and another, which gave me alot of history and photos. I have some old photos of when my parents lived there and it’s eerie to me to see it as it is now. However, I am extremely drawn to it. If you know of any way I would be able to visit, I would be most appreciative.
Hi Barry,
We would only be about an hour or so and would sign a waiver if that helps. Thank you!
I was happy to see your post. I live in Hot Springs( a single mom who works at the VA) and would like to know if your friend would allow my son and I too take a few photographs. I want to be very respectful of your friend and his property but am not sure how to go about asking permission. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated. There are forbidding signs everywhere and it was kinda spooky.
John: Yes we did go to school together. Believe it or not, I remember you. I will respond to Diddi at the same time, although I don’t know your name. Feel free to email me at barry.rogers@ameritech.net. I can answer any and all questions. John you should know Mrs. Hunter who was our 8th grade teacher is still alive. Jack Hunter lives in Crawford, still has the ranch in Ardmore. Jim Anderson has a web site and is actually a historian of Igloo with literally tons of information, pictures, names, everything you can imagine about Igloo. His email address is also available. I could arrange a visit for you diddi if you want to go out there. I ride a Harley and have visited many times. Send me an email address and we can start the conversation. I’m happy to answer any and all questions. Also happy to shoot you my cell number.
Barry
I worked on the site in 1996 and 1997. Contact me directly if you have questions about BLAD.
Greetings to all!
I am currently working on an article about the abandoned military base of Igloo, SD for Native Sun News, a weekly newspaper based in Rapid City, SD.
Any and all of you may call me at the office at (605) 721-1266 or on my cell at (307) 680-3946. However, I would like to finish this article by COB today, Friday, January 6.
I would appreciate any and all comments and information pertaining to Igloo for inclusion in the article.
And, Steve, I am wondering what work you did at Igloo in 1996 and 1997 and what BLAD is exactly.
Thank you, everyone.
Jesse Abernathy Filcaske
Editor
Native Sun News
Rapid City, SD
Office: (605) 721-1266
Cell: (307) 680-3946
staffwriter@nsweekly.com
http://www.nsweekly.com
I am close friends with one of the family members who purchased this proprty including all of barracks, school, basicly the whole base. I do not believe that you would want some passer by looky lou inviting people to go ahead and just snoop around your homes and lawn sheds, so Mark i think you should rewrite your first story and apologise for causing uneeded waste of time posting notresspassing signs and guarding there property to hope that tourist do not ransack their home!!!
So… is this fort all private land? I do not want to impeed on other’s property. My son (who is 7) would love to see this place. If it is private, no big deal. I just wanted to check before planning a 7 hour trip. Thank you!