Scenic is an unincorporated community in Pennington County, South Dakota, United States. It is located within Scenic Township, which had a 2010 census population of 58 inhabitants. The community is located adjacent to the Badlands National Park, about southeast of Rapid City, along Highway 44.
History
thumb|left|350px|A view of the now defunct Longhorn Store in 2017.
The community was so named for the "scenic" setting of the town site.
As an economic decline hit the town in the 21st century, local businesswoman Twila Merrill acquired more and more of the town property until she owned most of it. It also included a train depot
In August 2011, the Iglesia ni Cristo (INC, ), an independent, nontrinitarian Christian denomination based in the Philippines, bought the property for nearly $800,000, Pennington County records show. The church never disclosed why it acquired the property. In 2014, Daniel Simmons-Ritchie of the Rapid City Journal wrote that the INC "has done little with the town since its purchase."
See also
- Swett, South Dakota, another town put up for sale
- Johnsonville Village, Connecticut, an abandoned community also purchased by the Iglesia ni Cristo