Entry No. 54 — the Helena file — filed under: history
Old Empire Mine
Located on the western slope of Mount Belmont in the Marysville Mining District, the Empire Mine was a major late-19th-century gold, silver, and lead producer. Established in the 1880s, the operation once featured a massive 60-stamp mill that processed rich ore from thousands of feet of underground workings. Today, the site is completely abandoned, leaving behind caved adits, hazardous tailings, and concrete foundations hidden in the forested hills.
The story
Back in the 1880s, the western slope of Mount Belmont wasn't a quiet forest—it was a heavy industrial war zone. The Old Empire Mine was one of the heavyweights of the Marysville Mining District, pulling serious gold, silver, and lead out of thousands of feet of underground workings. At the height of its run, a massive 60-stamp mill thundered continuously against the mountain, crushing tons of rich ore day and night.
When the ore dried up and the miners moved on, the timber and stone began to surrender. Today, the site is completely abandoned, leaving behind concrete foundations half-buried in needle-cast, caved-in adits, and tailings piles melting back into the hillside. It is a textbook specimen of late-19th-century gold rush debris being swallowed whole by the Montana woods.
What it's like
You aren't taking a guided tour into the dark here—and you shouldn't try. The site sits on private patented mining claims full of caved adits, rotten timbers, and unstable shafts that will give way underfoot without warning. The play is to take the scenic drive along Marysville Road, navigate the mountain contours around Mount Belmont, and scan the forested hillsides from the public right-of-way. Bring a long camera lens or binoculars to spot the decaying concrete footings tucked in the trees, stay behind the boundary lines, and keep your boots on solid ground.
The move: Take a scenic drive along Marysville Road to appreciate the rugged mountain scenery of the Marysville Mining District, and safely photograph the historic remnants of the area's gold rush from the public right-of-way.
📍 Before you go The mine is located on private patented mining claims and contains highly dangerous, unstable underground workings, caved adits, and hazardous open shafts.
- 📍 Old Empire Mine
- 💸 Free
- ⚡ Low-key
- 🌗 Outdoors
Where: Old Empire Mine, Montana 59640, USA
Hours: Added 2026-07-20 — confirm current access before you go.
Pair it with
- Marysville Pioneer Memorial Building Museum — Pair your roadside scan of the mine slopes with a quick trip into Marysville's local museum to see the artifacts left behind by the miners who worked these claims.
- Marysville House (in Marysville ghost town) — After spotting the stamp mill foundations through the pines, head down into the near-ghost town for a steak inside an 1800s railroad station.
- Broadwater Hot Springs night soak — Soak off the dirt on the west side of Helena after winding your way through the backcountry roads of the Marysville district.
- Devil's Kitchen Cave, Mount Helena City Park — Trade hazardous private mine shafts for a legitimate public hike into a natural limestone cave perched on Mount Helena.
Good to know
Can you explore the mine shafts or walk through the ruins?
No. The property is on private patented mining claims and contains severe ground hazards, including caved adits and open shafts. You should observe and photograph the ruins strictly from the public right-of-way.
Where exactly is the Old Empire Mine?
It sits in the forested terrain on the western slope of Mount Belmont inside the historic Marysville Mining District, northwest of Helena, Montana.
What did the mine produce back in its heyday?
Established during the 1880s gold rush, the operation was a major producer of gold, silver, and lead, processed on-site by a massive 60-stamp mill.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: westernmininghistory.com · mtmemory.org · digitalcommons.mtech.edu · archiveswest.orbiscascade.org
last checked: 2026-07-20