Conata Water Tower footings, 2022
Conata Township’s story
118 years in pictures
The archive holds 5 old photos and papers going back to 2022 and a map from 1981 on.
- 1908Conata Township is settled
Conata TownshipSD
With 9 residents, this town was settled in 1908.
4 bordering townsMap →
Photo: Jared Winkler · CC BY-SA 4.0
Is Conata Township a good place to live?
Among 36 South Dakota towns, just one has a higher typical July afternoon high than Conata Township. 83% of the land in Conata Township is conserved, where South Dakota’s towns sit at 3.3% and U.S. towns at 4.3%. Buffalo Gap National Grassland, at 30,212 acres with 21.5 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve. Conata Township has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
9 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Imlay TownshipCastle Butte TownshipFairview TownshipFlat Butte TownshipConata Township
Nearby attractions
All 9 attractions →Badlands National Park and 1 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Conata Township. Close and well known come first.
Big draw3 mi National ParkBadlands National Park1.1M visitors a year
14 mi National Historic SiteMinuteman Missile National Historic Site102K visitors a yearSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Badlands National Park: Martin Kraft, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Minuteman Missile National Historic Site: Spencer, CC BY-SA 3.0
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Conata Township: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Conata Township, and how to reach them.
PowerBlack Hills Energy15.1¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
Internet1 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Conata Township’s trash rules yet
Register to voteIn personSouth Dakota has no online registration; you can register in person until 15 days before Election Day or by mail (received 15 days before).vote.govWho runs elections herePennington County AuditorPennington County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Sep 2025
ZIP codes57780, 5779057780 86% · 57790 14%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Aug 3, 2026.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Conata Township.
Outdoors
Conata Township keeps nearly a third of its land conserved
Across 3 parks and preserves: 42 miles of trail. Parks and preserves in Conata Township: 3, covering 51,758 acres.
82.9%conserved
82.9%
conserved · 47,280 of 57,007 acres
42 mi
of trails · 0.5 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Buffalo Gap National Grassland | 21.5 mi | 30,212 |
| 2. Badlands Wilderness | 6.8 mi | 6,887 |
| 3. Badlands National Park | 4.1 mi | 14,659 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Natural hazards
Conata Township faces a high natural-hazard risk, led by inland flooding
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 74% of U.S. communities. Of the losses FEMA expects in Conata Township, 52% come from inland flooding and 15% from wildfires.
74risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingWildfireCold waves
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
38″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter14–37°
Spring34–59°
Summer58–85°
Fall36–63°
Oct 7
typical first frost
May 5
typical last frost
+1.3°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Health
How healthy Conata Township is
21% of adults have been diagnosed with depression in Conata Township. Among 36 South Dakota towns, just 2 have a higher share of adults who have high blood pressure than Conata Township.
| Conata Township | South Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 14% | 14% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 10% | 12% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 37% | 31% | 35% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 32% | 30% | 36% |
26 measures vs. South Dakota
0 better21 too close to call5 worse
| What stands out | Conata Township | SD |
|---|---|---|
| More adults with heart disease | 8% | 6.8% |
| More adults who have had a stroke | 4% | 3.5% |
| More adults with arthritis | 28.7% | 25.8% |
Hans P Peterson Memorial Hospital - Cah
32.6 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Conata Township
15pages on Conata Township
The big questions
Out and about
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Conata Township; the nearest are
Get outside
42 miles of trails in Conata Township
82.9% of the town is conserved land, across 3 parks and preserves.
Trails © OpenStreetMap contributors · USGS PAD-US
About Conata Township
American ghost town
Conata is a ghost town in Pennington County, in the U.S. state of South Dakota. The GNIS classifies it as a populated place.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Questions about Conata Township
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Conata Township, SD a good place to live?
Conata Township has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.