Entry No. 8 — the Missoula file — filed under: roadside-oddity
Anaconda Smelter Stack (The Big Stack)
Rising 585 feet over the hills east of Anaconda, this 1919 copper-smelter chimney is the tallest free-standing brick structure on earth, big enough to swallow the Washington Monument. The smelter is long gone and the ground around the base is too contaminated to approach, so the state park is a viewing overlook only, leaving a single colossal brick column standing absurdly alone on a poisoned hillside. It is an unforgettable industrial monolith on the day-trip route past Drummond.
The story
Standing 585 feet above the hills east of Anaconda, this giant brick chimney completed in 1919 remains the tallest free-standing masonry structure on Earth. The Anaconda Copper Mining Company built it to discharge heavy smelter fumes high above the valley floor, serving an industrial complex that processed a massive fraction of the world's copper and silver. The smelter complex itself was demolished decades ago during Superfund cleanups, leaving this single colossal chimney standing alone on a cleared, poisoned hillside.
What makes the Big Stack bizarre isn't just its sheer scale—it was built wide enough to swallow the Washington Monument whole—but its total isolation. You are looking at a 585-foot industrial monolith anchored to soil so contaminated with heavy metals that humans aren't allowed near it. Fences keep everyone at a distance, turning what could have been a standard historic site into an eerie, off-limits monument rising absurdly out of the dirt.
What it's like
Do not pull up expecting a trail to the base; fencing and contamination warnings prevent anyone from approaching the stack itself. You will pull off at the designated Anaconda Smoke Stack State Park overlook across the valley, which gives you an unblocked view of the chimney standing on the bare hill. Bring a telephoto lens or binoculars if you want to eyeball the brickwork, then drive down into historic Anaconda's main street once you've taken in the sight.
The move: Make the I-90 day trip and pull off at the overlook to take in a 585-foot brick chimney standing alone on a bare hill, then explore historic Anaconda's main street.
📍 Before you go You cannot walk up to the stack; the base is contaminated and fenced. Visit the roadside overlook for the view and photos.
- 📍 Anaconda
- 💸 Free
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Outdoors
Where: Anaconda Smoke Stack State Park overlook, Anaconda, MT
Hours: Added 2026-06-24 — confirm current hours before you go.
Pair it with
- Daly Mansion — Pair the industrial monolith with the 24,000-square-foot Hamilton estate of Marcus Daly, the copper baron whose company built the stack.
- Old Montana Prison Ghost Tours — Drive 20 miles north to Deer Lodge to shift from toxic copper ruins to stone cellblocks and historic gallows.
- Granite Ghost Town State Park — Head west toward Philipsburg to contrast Anaconda's copper endurance with the weathered remains of an 1870s silver boomtown.
Good to know
Can you walk up to the base of the Anaconda Smelter Stack?
No. The ground around the base remains contaminated from smelter operations and is strictly fenced off. Public access is limited to the roadside viewing overlook.
How tall is the Big Stack?
It reaches 585 feet (178.3 meters), making it the tallest free-standing brick and masonry structure in the world.
When was the stack constructed?
It was completed in 1919 by the Anaconda Copper Mining Company.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: fwp.mt.gov · Wikipedia · visitmt.com · Reddit
last checked: 2026-06-24