Entry No. 22 — the Butte file — filed under: history
Elkhorn Ghost Town (Elkhorn State Park)
Montana's smallest state park is just two preserved 1890s buildings, Fraternity Hall and Gilliam Hall, standing amid the scattered remains of a silver boomtown that once held around 2,500 people before the 1893 silver crash gutted it. Roughly ten people still live among the weathered wooden structures, so it is a working hamlet wrapped around a ghost town rather than a polished tourist set. You wander the dirt main street past leaning cabins and read interpretive signs, with private homes mixed in that you are asked to respect.
The story
Most Montana mining towns either faded into completely empty timber piles or got tidied up into museum pieces with velvet ropes and ticket booths. Elkhorn did neither. Swiss miner Peter Wys struck silver in these mountains in 1868, and by the early 1890s the canyon was crammed with 2,500 people, a Northern Pacific rail line, schoolhouses, and dozens of saloons. Then the Silver Crash of 1893 gutted the market—75 percent of the town left in two months—and a diphtheria epidemic in 1889 killed scores of children. The mines ground down, the tracks were pulled in 1931, but the town never actually went empty.
What remains today is Montana's smallest state park, covering less than a single acre. That tiny footprint protects just two surviving 1890s structures: Fraternity Hall, a wooden Greek Revival lodge with a distinctive neoclassical balcony where the Masons, Oddfellows, and Knights of Pythias shared the second floor above a downstairs dance floor, and Gilliam Hall next door, which housed a store and saloon.
The rest of the street doesn't belong to the state. Roughly ten residents still live in the weathered cabins tucked between the old mining ruins, making this a functioning high-mountain hamlet wrapped around a ghost town. You didn't hear it from us, but if you don't keep to the dirt road and respect the private land signs, the local dogs and residents will remind you fast. Close the doors tight behind you when you leave Fraternity Hall so the weather stays out.
What it's like
The drive up from MT-69 outside Boulder transitions onto a narrow, rutted gravel-and-dirt road through the Elkhorn Mountains before dumping you directly onto the dirt main street. It is silent except for the wind and mountain air. You can push open the door to Fraternity Hall, climb the timber stairs to the second-floor hall, and look out over the valley through original glass windows. Three-quarters of a mile up the road, a walk through the historic cemetery reveals headstones from the silver rush, including those from the 1889 diphtheria tragedy. Bring water, pack out your trash, go during dry weather, and don't count on cell signal or open services once you turn off the highway.
The move: Drive the scenic back road up to Elkhorn, walk the quiet main street peering into the two old halls, and picnic among the silver-rush ruins.
📍 Before you go About an hour-plus from Butte; final stretch is dirt road, best in dry weather, and largely inaccessible in winter snow. Respect private property and current residents.
- 📍 Elkhorn, near Boulder, MT
- 💸 Free
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Outdoors
Where: Elkhorn Rd, Elkhorn, MT (off MT-69 via Boulder)
Hours: Added 2026-06-24 — confirm current hours before you go.
Pair it with
- Boulder Hot Springs — Head under nine miles down the road to Boulder to soak off the dirt-road dust in geothermal mineral plunges built during the same mining boom era.
- Ringing Rocks — Pair one remote mountain outdoor curiosity with another by driving south to strike a field of boulders that chime like metal bells.
- Under the Gallus Frame Antique Mall & Mercantile — Drive into Butte after touring the ruins to sift through real 19th-century mining-era glassware and oddities inside a multi-vendor antique mall.
Good to know
Is there an entry fee for Elkhorn State Park?
No, entry is free. There are no admission fees or pay booths to view the historic state park buildings.
Which buildings can you go inside?
You can go inside Fraternity Hall and Gilliam Hall, the two state-preserved buildings. Every other structure in town is privately owned and strictly off-limits.
Can you drive to Elkhorn Ghost Town in the winter?
It is not recommended. The final stretch is a dirt mountain road that receives heavy snow and ice, making winter access largely impassable without specialized equipment.
Are there food, gas, or restrooms at the ghost town?
There are no stores, gas stations, or food vendors in Elkhorn. Seasonal vault toilets and picnic tables sit near the site, but you should fill your gas tank and buy supplies in Boulder before heading up.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: fwp.mt.gov · Wikipedia · southwestmt.com · Atlas Obscura · historicmontana.org
last checked: 2026-06-24