Mainly due to its deep, historical mining roots and culture, Southwest Montana these days is the region where you’ll find a surprising number of ghost towns. Visiting one of these ghost towns is literally like stepping back in time.
The towns are largely in various states of disrepair and ruin but still linger as a testament to Montana’s boom era of gold, saloons, and everything else that went with that. To step foot in one of these places is to experience the quiet, if not eerie solitude, the mystery, and the history of the ghost towns.
Some of these former thriving communities are completely deserted and desolate places that serve only as a historic reminder of the former times in the region. Others, however, remain partially inhabited by various communities based around activities other than mining – although even some of that does still go on in a few of the towns.
Here are our picks for the best 10 ghost towns to visit in Montana, and the top 3 in our list are among the most well-preserved and most popular.
10 Best Ghost Towns in Montana to Visit
From the living ghost towns of Virginia and Nevada City, which offers tours and an insight into the mining days, to the reportedly haunted Granite ghost town, there are many ghost towns in Montana that you can visit. Some have a few remaining landmarks, while others are completely lost to time.
- Bannack State Park
- Virginia City
- Nevada City
- Granite
- Elkhorn State Park
- Marysville
- Garnet
- Comet
- Castle Town
- Kendall
Montana Ghost Towns Map
1. Bannack State Park
Bannack is a registered historic landmark and marks the region where the first significant discovery of gold occurred. In fact, John White discovered gold on Grasshopper Creek in 1862, and this event triggered the boom that came into full swing a couple of years later.
This spot is 25 miles to the west of Dillon and is also notable for Montana history buffs as the place where the notorious Montana Vigilante group of the time took it upon themselves to combat some of the region’s ensuing lawlessness, and hanged Sheriff Henry Plummer along with a fair few others.
The park today covers around 1500 acres, and over 60 original buildings and other structures still stand in this state park, which hosts ‘Ghost Walks’ around October time. There are also camping facilities and other amenities available in the park, which get busy during peak tourists season.
2. Virginia City
Virginia City ghost town is a unique local treasure that was registered as a National Historic Landmark in 1961. It first came to be in 1863 in the midst of another of the region’s western gold rushes, with the appearance of a few thousand fortune hunters. It became the territorial capital until around the mid-1870s when the boomers moved on to different locations in search of new treasures.
The city gained a reputation for its ‘lawless’ way of excessive living that the inhabitants seemed to grasp along with their burgeoning wealth. This can be seen from some of the remaining structures today which are the remnants of former saloons, brothels, and gambling dens rather than churches or schools.
The Virginia City of the past still survives today through a small community of around 150 that resides in the formerly gold-laden hills and gulches of Alder Gulch. The town has an authenticity to it that modern visitors seem to love, and the more historic buildings and structures provide many activities for tourists. These include theaters, steam train rides, stagecoach rides, and gold-panning, to name a few.
3. Nevada City
Nevada City ghost town was a properly derelict former mining ghost town until undergoing restoration between 1945 and 1978. The entire town is today a historical museum with over 100 original buildings and is a famous tourist attraction.
Many of the original log buildings still exist, as does an impressive collection of artifacts from the period by way of old-time music boxes, player pianos, and such. You can ride the railroad to closely-located Virginia City from this Montana ghost town, as well as pan for gold or witness a live historical re-enactment on one of the summer ‘Ghost Walks’.
4. Granite Ghost Town
