Homestake Open Cut – Lead, South Dakota - Atlas Obscura
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Homestake Open Cut

Lead, South Dakota

Before its closure in 2002, this South Dakota mine was the largest and deepest gold mine in Western Hemisphere. 

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Homestake Mine Rachel Harris / CC BY 2.0
Homestake Mine Rachel Harris / CC BY 2.0
Aerial view of the Homestake Mine Schwerdf / CC BY-SA 4.0
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Nestled in the storied Black Hills of South Dakota, the Homestake Open Cut stands as a colossal testament to human ingenuity and determination. This gaping chasm, plunging 1,250 feet into the earth, is a remnant of the once-thriving Homestake Mine, where fortunes were forged from gold-laden rock.

Visitors can stand on the precipice of history, gazing into the vast expanse of the pit while imagining the clamor of miners and the hum of machinery that once filled this now eerily quiet void. The Open Cut is not just a geological wonder but a striking chronicle of the relentless quest for gold that shaped a region and captivated a nation.

metal gold mining mines
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Published
June 14, 2024
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