Hot Springs National Cemetery

Hot Springs National Cemetery is a VA national cemetery in Hot Springs, South Dakota. VA lists it as closed to new burials. Burial is free for eligible veterans, their spouses and dependent children.

Source: National Cemetery Administration (cem.va.gov), retrieved May 2026

History of Hot Springs National Cemetery

Hot Springs National Cemetery is located in Fall River County, SD, on the northeast edge of Hot Springs, SD.

In 1902, a National Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers was approved for the Hot Springs area and construction was completed in 1907. The home was originally named the Battle Mountain Sanitarium after a nearby mountain peak. The cemetery was established for the interment of veterans who died while residing at the home. In 1930, the home became part of the Veterans Administration and, in 1973, the cemetery was one of 21 cemeteries transferred to what was then known as the National Cemetery System.

Hot Springs National Cemetery was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974.

Monuments and Memorials The Battle Mountain Monument is a 32-foot tall obelisk tower situated on the cemetery's highest point. The monument was dedicated in 1914 in memory of the men who gave their lives in defense of the country.

The Squire Monument is a granite block memorial erected in 1940 to honor Army Chaplain Guy P. Squire. He served in the Spanish-American War and World War I, and later served as chaplain at the Hot Springs VA Medical Facility. The monument was erected by the Veterans of Foreign Wars, District 10.

Bivouac of the Dead erected 2004.

Notable interments

The National Cemetery Administration lists these people of note buried at Hot Springs National Cemetery, with section and site where recorded.

Directions

From Rapid City Regional Airport, travel State Highway 44 West 9 miles to Rapid City. Then travel South on State Highway 79 for 52 miles to junction of 79 and 385. Turn right on Highway 385 and travel 5 miles to Hot Springs. Turn right on 5th Street and travel until you come to a T. Turn right at the T onto Veteran Administration Road, take the right to VA Cemetery Road and then turn left at the first intersection onto Cemetery Access Road.

Flowers and grounds rules

You can place fresh cut flowers on your loved one's grave throughout the year.

Floral items will be removed from graves when they become faded or unsightly. They may also be removed to allow mowing.

Education and visiting programs

More than half of VA's national cemeteries originated with the Civil War and many are closed to some burials. Other sites were established to serve World War veterans and they continue to expand. Historic themes related with NCA's cemeteries and soldiers' lots vary, but visitors should understand "Why is it here?" NCA began by installing interpretive signs, or waysides, at more than 100 properties to observe the Civil War Sesquicentennial (2011–2015). Please follow the links below to see the interpretive signs for Hot Springs National Cemetery.

A National Cemetery System Hot Springs National Cemetery

Who can be buried at Hot Springs National Cemetery?

VA national cemeteries accept a veteran who didn't receive a dishonorable discharge, a service member who died on active duty or in training, the veteran's spouse or surviving spouse (even if they remarried), and minor or, in some cases, unmarried adult dependent children. National Guard and Reserve members qualify under narrower rules. You can ask VA for a pre-need eligibility decision in advance; it does not reserve a gravesite.

What does burial here include at no cost?

• A gravesite in any VA national cemetery with available space
• Opening and closing of the grave
• A government-provided burial liner
• A government-provided headstone or marker
• Perpetual care of the gravesite

Veterans also receive a burial flag, a Presidential Memorial Certificate (presented to the next of kin at the burial) and military funeral honors, which include the playing of Taps and two uniformed service members who present the flag. The committal service is held at a committal shelter, not at the grave, and lasts about 20 minutes. National cemeteries have no viewing facilities, so the funeral itself is held elsewhere.

How do you schedule a burial at Hot Springs National Cemetery?

1. Gather the veteran's DD214 or other discharge papers, and the deceased's details (Social Security number, dates of birth and death, relationship to the veteran).
2. Fax the discharge papers to the National Cemetery Scheduling Office at 866-900-6417, or email them to [email protected] with the deceased's name in the subject line.
3. You or the funeral director call 800-535-1117 (Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. ET) to request Hot Springs National Cemetery and a date. National cemeteries hold burials Monday through Friday.

VA lists Hot Springs National Cemetery as closed. Ask the scheduling office what, if anything, can still be arranged here, and about open national cemeteries nearby.

Where is the Hot Springs National Cemetery burial schedule?

VA posts a daily burial schedule for every national cemetery. Search it for Hot Springs National Cemetery to see the committal services planned there. It only lists burials whose families agreed to publish them. To change or cancel a burial that's already scheduled, contact Hot Springs National Cemetery directly at 605-347-3830.

Headstone, flag and burial allowance

• Government headstone or marker: tell the scheduling office which headstone, marker, niche cover or medallion you want when you schedule the burial.
• Burial flag: VA Form 27-2008.
• Burial allowance: For a non-service-connected death on or after October 1, 2026, VA pays up to $1,032 toward burial and funeral costs and $1,032 for a plot; for a service-connected death on or after September 11, 2001, the burial allowance is up to $2,000. Claim it with VA Form 21P-530EZ. All benefits

After the funeral: survivor benefits and the estate

A surviving spouse, child or parent may qualify for Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC), a tax-free monthly VA benefit, for example when the death was service connected (VA Form 21P-534EZ). The veteran's estate is settled under South Dakota law; our sister site ProbateUS explains how probate works in South Dakota and lists each county's probate court. For the rest of the paperwork, from Social Security to bank accounts, DeathUS has a step-by-step checklist of what to do when someone dies.

Nearest cemeteries

The three veterans cemeteries closest to Hot Springs National Cemetery, by straight-line distance:

• Black Hills National Cemetery, Sturgis, SD: 63 mi, open for burials
• Akicita Owicahe Lakota Freedom Veterans Cemetery, Kyle, SD: 64 mi, open for burials
• Fort Meade National Cemetery, Sturgis, SD: 66 mi, closed to new in-ground burials