Montana State Parks :: Granite Ghost Town

Granite Ghost Town

STATE PARK

Bring your camera and your courage to travel the steep, winding road to capture the remnants of this once thriving 1890s silver boomtown.

HOURS & LOCATION

SEASON AND HOURS
Park
Open 5/1 - 9/30
Daylight Hours Only

LOCATION
347 Granite Road
Phillipsburg, MT 59858
Latitude/Longitude: (46.31689 / -113.24644)

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MEET THE PARK MANAGER
Photo of Rhea Armstrong, park manager.

Rhea Armstrong began working for Montana State Parks as a seasonal tour guide at Lewis & Clark Caverns State Park in 1986 while attending Western Montana College in Dillon majoring in Elementary Education. She continued working summers at the park throughout her teaching career, and in 2005, became the assistant manager. Rhea progressed to Park Manager of Lost Creek, Anaconda Smoke Stack, and Granite Ghost Town State Parks in 2013.

CONTACT

CONTACT INFO
Mailing Address:
Granite Ghost Town State Park
Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks
PO Box 489
Whitehall, MT 59759

Phone: (406) 287-3541
Email: rarmstrong@mt.gov

Granite Ghost Town

STATE PARK

Granite Ghost Town State Park showcases remnants of this once thriving 1890s silver boomtown that bears stark witness to Montana's boom-and-bust mining history. Hector Horton first discovered silver in the general area in 1865. In the autumn of 1872 the Granite mine was discovered by a prospector named Holland. The mine was relocated in 1875. This was the richest silver mine on the earth, and it might never have been discovered if a telegram from the east hadn't been delayed. The miner's backers thought the venture was hopeless and ordered an end to its operation, but since that message was delayed the miners worked on and the last blast on the last shift uncovered a bonanza, which yielded $40,000,000.

In the silver panic of 1893, word came to shut the mine down. The mine was deserted for three years, never again would it reach the population it once had of 3,000 miners.

Today there is no one living in the camp. The state park preserves the Granite Mine Superintendent's house and ruins of the old miners' Union Hall which have been included in the Historic American Buildings Survey.

The road from Philipsburg to Granite gains 1,280 feet in elevation. The road is narrow, steep and winding. Be prepared to pull over for oncoming traffic and enjoy the vistas.

Activities Available

History
Photography
Wildlife Viewing

Services and Amenities Available

Pack-in/Pack-out

Granite Ghost Town State Park

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