Which are the best ghost towns in Montana? There are plenty of them, scattered across the state, but which ones are the best? While you can’t go wrong with any of them, I’d like to open your eyes to some of the lesser-known Montana ghost towns. Some are spooky, and even spine-tingling. All of them are a fascinating way of stepping back in time to a unique place in history.
You may know Bannack and Garnet, considered by many the greatest examples of Montana ghost towns. These are indeed worth visiting. But there’re plenty of others to consider if you want to truly experience Montana’s ghost town culture.
In this article, I take a deep dive into the abandoned places of Montana. If you’re fond of mystery, haunting and eccentricity, then you’re in the right place. From the touristic Virgelle to the mine-like Granite, these are the best ghost towns in Montana.
10 Best Ghost Towns in Montana
What’s it like to explore some of the best abandoned places in Montana on late summer evenings? What about on cold winter mornings? Here’s a list of the 10 best ghost towns in Montana. Feel free to pick a town from this list, try it out, and let us know how it was!
1. Bannack – Best ghost towns in Montana
Bannack, located in Beaverhead county, is the first on our list of Montana ghost towns for a reason.
Founded in 1862, after the discovery of a gold mine here, it was finally abandoned in the 1970s. In 1863, something horrible started to happen, something that would soon ignite a cascade of stories for decades.
Henry Plummer, the town’s Sheriff, was apparently the head of a gang, known as the “Innocents”. During his intense, but brief, term it’s said that he and his associates robbed and killed what we can only call actual innocent people.
Might this be the reason why the city was abandoned? Among all the MT ghost towns, is this the most haunted?
2. Garnet
Garnet lies just an hour from the beautiful and touristic city of Missoula, one of the many great places to visit in Montana. But Garnet isn’t just one of the simple ghost towns of Montana. It’s recognized to this day as the most well-preserved ghost towns Montana offers.
The gold mine in the surrounding area was robbed of its resources long ago with unrivaled underground work. And for many years, the town faced a similar fate as the buildings started collapsing due to weak foundations.
However, locals found a great way to reclassify the town. They started offering food and accommodation to any tourist that would take care of the buildings and their grounds. The result is what you see today.
3. Comet – Best ghost towns in Montana
One of the absolute best Montana ghost towns is Comet, also known as one of the richest mines in the area of Helena. It came to life in full in 1883, after a large amount of silver, gold and copper ore and many other minerals were discovered.
This is one of the haunted ghost towns in Montana with a unique history. Once abandoned, then revived, abandoned, then revived again and again, until the early 1940s. By that time, the pollution caused by metal waste had reached toxic levels. A reclamation project began in 1997 and by 1998 it was completely cleared. Almost a decade later the Office of Surface Mining recognized this incredible work with a National Award.
Comet is one of the best Montana ghost towns. If you’re fond of frontier towns and cultural landmarks, it’s worth the visit.
4. Fort Assiniboine – Abandoned places in Montana
This Montana ghost town made it on our list because of its unique history. Fort Assiniboine was first built in 1897. It was operated by the military until 1911.
The sweeping fort occupied roughly 700,000 acres, contained over 104 buildings and garrisoned more than 750 officers, enlisted men, and their families. It was one of the largest forts ever built in the United States.
In the late 19th century served as a place of refuge for landless Cree and Chippewa natives By 1911, the military abandoned Fort Assiniboine, deeming it unnecessary. Today, it is one of the best ghost towns in Montana.
If you’re a history junkie, this “abandoned army fort” won’t disappoint.
5. Granite – Best ghost towns in Montana
Just two hours from the Montana Snowbowl Resort, Granite is known as a silver mining site that was abandoned in the early 20th century. It later became one of the many ghost towns of Montana to transform its ruins into a highly visited state park. Today, it sits in a convenient location, near some of the best ski resorts in Montana.
The most appreciated activities here are photography and wildlife viewing.
6. Elkhorn
Elkhorn is located in the beautiful Elkhorn Mountains of Montana. And today, this Montana ghost town is a Census-Designated Place (CDP).
The area is the location of a former silver mine. During its peak, Elkhorn had 2,500 residents, mostly families of married immigrants. While Elkhorn has a stillness and allure typical of all of the best ghost towns in Montana, part of the intrigue is in the sheer number of buildings here. A hotel, churches, stores, a school – everything you see here sends you back in time.
While this town is considered abandoned, and many believe it’s one of the more haunted places in Montana, several people have made a home out of the reclassified buildings still standing. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 18 – up from 10 a decade before. Though many houses may never touch the modern world.
7. Nevada City – Best ghost towns in Montana
The story behind the establishment of Nevada City and its inclusion in my ghost towns of Montana list isn’t as simple as the other towns on this list.
While authorities haven’t confirmed it, archaeological evidence suggests that Nevada City first emerged at a time when hunters and trappers based their economy on beaver harvesting. Historians believe that these hunters likely kept Nevada City a secret for several years, or even decades, to protect their economic base.
In the mid-1860s, it became a fully recognized city. That’s to say, it developed structures and institutions that have been essential for its present economic growth.
So, can we say it’s one of the haunted ghost towns in Montana? Sure. Its history is nothing short of mysterious. But also no, because there are a few businesses in town.
8. Castle Town – Abandoned places in Montana
From the early 1880s, a company called Cumberland Mine began employing miners in Castle Town. Before long, the small town had 2,000 residents. There was a school, merchants, fraternal organizations and a bustling community.
Troubles transporting the ore from the mine caused years of struggle that eventually led to closure and abandonment. The last resident left Castle Town in 1930, making it an official ghost town of Montana.
Today, many people see it as one of the best Montana ghost towns to visit, thanks to its incredible condition. However, it now sits on private land any visit requires permission. But if you’re eager to see Castle Town, there’s a public road that runs nearby offering nice views.
9. Kendall – Best ghost towns in Montana
Kendall is one of the best ghost towns in Montana. It’s completely isolated, abandoned and steeped in history.
When you approach the completely isolated but still beautiful surroundings of this former gold mine, you can relive history. From the early expansion of one of the most iconic Montana ghost towns until its complete abandonment, it thrived with a bank, an opera house and other businesses.
It became the house of the artist and the rejected. It faced both World War I and World War II, and still stands as people come and go where history was made. A proper example of a Montana ghost town.
10. Marysville
Marysville is a Montana ghost town, but it seems Montanans haven’t completely given up on it after all these years.
Marysville hit its peak as a gold mine in the 1880s and 90s. When visiting this Montana ghost town, it seems that nothing’s changed since the last miner left town. Several buildings are now on the National Registry of Historic Places.
In 2010, news reports emerged that explorations of the surrounding land were underway, to determine if it was possible to revive the gold extraction. That’s yet to happen. Today, it remains a still and alluring Montana ghost town, uninhabited except for the occasional explorer, who’s often traveling south from a stay in beautiful Cut Bank, Montana.
Marysville is located about 25 miles West of Helena.
How Many Ghost Towns are in Monana?
There are more than 70 ghost towns in Montana. They are located in all regions of the state. While most of them are completely abandoned, several of them are inhabited by a small number of residents. Some buildings in several towns are on the National Registry of Historic Places.
None of Them Dissapoint
If you’re looking for one best ghost towns in Montana, any of the ones on this list surely won’t disappoint. In the silence of these towns, you can absorb the natural beauty of Montana and reflect on the history of the state.
At the very least, they’re a wonderful way to remove yourself from the hustle and bustle of the city life and experience the state in a slower way.
Enjoy!
