Bear Gulch Ghost Town

Bear Gulch was one of the earliest settlements of the placer gold camps, reaching a population of around 1,000 by 1880. The boom was short-lived. By 1887 the population had shrunk to 200, most employed in tin mines, quartz mills, a tin smelter, and two sawmills. By 1900 it was down to 100, and the decline continued until there were none. Bear Gulch sits half a mile northeast of Tinton and is reached by a 5-mile drive east from Spearfish Canyon on the Iron Creek Road. No formal parking or visitor facilities exist at the site. Published detail on current remains is limited — the site may be on private property, so observe posted signs and view from the road. A visit pairs naturally with Tinton, the best-preserved ghost town in the northern Black Hills, just down the road. The coordinates provided are approximate.