Entry No. 48 — the Butte file — filed under: mine
Mountain Consolidated Mine
The Mountain Consolidated Mine, or 'The Con,' was one of Butte's most productive copper mines, operating from 1886 until 1974. Reaching a depth of 5,291 feet, it was famously known as 'A Mile High and a Mile Deep.' Today, the site has been remediated into Foreman's Park, where the towering 130-foot steel headframe and the concrete foundations of the superintendent's house still stand as silent monuments to the city's mining era.
The story
You are standing on top of 5,291 feet of plugged darkness. From 1886 until the works went cold in 1974, the Mountain Consolidated Mine—simply known as "The Con"—was the deepest operation on Butte Hill, earning the literal tag "A Mile High and a Mile Deep." Beneath your boots lie thousands of vertical feet of timbered stopes and subterranean haulageways, documented in stark black-and-white during the late 19th century by pioneering photographer Carleton Watkins.
The industrial violence of the site has since been smoothed over into Foreman's Park, but the sheer scale of the place refuses to be scrubbed out. The site is anchored by a massive 130-foot steel headframe erected in 1928, sitting alongside the crumbling concrete foundations of the old superintendent’s house. Where massive steam hoists once rattled flywheels and cables to drag raw copper ore from the deep, you now find silence, historical markers, and an unblocked view across Uptown Butte and the surrounding peaks.
What it's like
A walk up the paved Mountain Con Trail brings you straight into Foreman's Park, where the massive skeletal headframe dominates the skyline. The atmosphere is a strange hybrid of manicured green space and heavy industrial graveyard. Keep your expectations grounded when it comes to close-up exploration: the 1928 steel frame is fenced off to keep people off the ironwork, and the 5,291-foot main shaft is capped in concrete beneath the turf. It's a prime spot to examine the concrete footings of the superintendent's house, read through the historical markers, and look down over the town.
The move: Take a scenic stroll along the paved Mountain Con Trail to Foreman's Park, where you can admire the massive 'Mile High, Mile Deep' headframe, read the interpretive historical markers, and enjoy panoramic views of Uptown Butte and the surrounding Rocky Mountains.
📍 Before you go The mine yard has been converted into a public park (Foreman's Park) with walking trails, but the historic 1928 headframe itself is fenced off and the mine shaft is sealed for safety.
- 📍 Butte
- 💸 Free
- ⚡ Low-key
- 🌗 Outdoors
Where: Butte, MT 59701, USA
Hours: Added 2026-07-20 — confirm current access before you go.
Pair it with
- Bell-Diamond Mine — Head less than half a mile down the hill to check out the Diamond Mine headframe, erected in 1898 as the oldest steel gallows frame still standing on Butte Hill.
- Granite Mountain / Speculator Mine Memorial — Walk a half-mile across the upper hill to contrast this remediated park with the memorial site dedicated to the tragic 1917 disaster.
- Steward Mine — Pair this with another monster copper producer just 0.4 miles away that carved its way down past 3,600 feet underground.
- Helsinki Bar (Helsinki Yacht Club) — Head down into town after your walk to grab a drink at the 1911 Finnish bathhouse where miners washed off the underground grime.
Good to know
Can you go inside the mine shaft or climb the headframe?
No. The historic 130-foot steel headframe is behind chain-link safety fencing, and the mine shaft itself has been completely sealed shut.
What remains to see at the site today?
You'll find the 1928 steel headframe, the concrete foundation ruins of the superintendent's house, interpretive historical plaques, and connected walking trails.
How do you access the site?
You can reach Foreman's Park and the headframe by following the paved Mountain Con Trail up from the lower neighborhoods.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: storyofbutte.org · themetropole.blog · hmdb.org
last checked: 2026-07-20