Last Updated on: 30th April 2024, 04:13 pm
Nearly everyone enjoys a good ghost town, though exploring abandoned places often comes with potential risks. But not Montana’s Garnet Ghost Town, a former mining town located near the city of Missoula. Managed by the Bureau of Land Management, Garnet could be thought of as a large outdoor museum that offers a fascinating glimpse into the region’s recent past.
In the following guide, we’ll be covering what it’s like to explore Garnet Ghost Town and its numerous abandoned structures. For more information on reaching the site and where to stay in Missoula, be sure to check the end of the article.
Garnet Ghost Town: A Brief History
The discovery of gold in the general area in the 1860s suddenly brought an influx of prospectors. After a brief focus on silver, gold mining became popular again in the 1890s, and numerous towns sprung up as a result. Garnet was just one of many.
And once a rich vein of ore was discovered in one of the local mines, the population soon exploded. Shops, hotels and schools sprung up, not to mention thirteen saloons! And a road was soon constructed to connect Garnet with the Northern Pacific Railroad.
But already by 1900, the mines had largely dried up, and many of them were abandoned by 1905. This left only about 150 residents remaining – down from its peak of around a thousand in 1898. Garnet was dealt another blow in 1912 when many commercial buildings were destroyed in a fire.
Even more people left town when World War I broke out, with many not even bothering to take their belongings. Nevertheless, general store owner Frank A. Davey kept his shop open, while the main hotel remained in operation as well.
Then a few decades later, things would briefly turn around. Not only had new mining technology developed, but President Roosevelt had raised the gold price per ounce from $16 to $35 (for reference, gold goes for over $2000 per ounce at the time of writing).
The abandoned lodgings were reoccupied and refurbished by new miners, and brand-new structures were built. About 250 inhabitants called Garnet home in 1936.
But when World War II broke out a few years later, restrictions were placed on the use of dynamite, making mining nearly impossible. The town was largely abandoned once again, except for Frank Davey, who remained until his death in 1947.
Looters gradually began coming to the ghost town to take what they could, until the Bureau of Management eventually took over to preserve what was left. Garnet is now considered one of the best-preserved ghost towns in the region.
Exploring the Garnet Ghost Town
Coming from Missoula (learn more below), a visit to the Garnet Ghost Town begins with a drive along an 11-mile byway, nicknamed the ‘Ghost Town Byway.’ While Garnet is easily the best-preserved town here, it was far from being the only in the region.
And throughout the drive, you’ll pass by the former locations of neighboring towns. While there’s not much left to see, you’ll occasionally pass by informational placards throughout the journey.
(Be sure to pay close attention to your route, as numerous smaller roads branch off of the Ghost Town Byway, many of which are unpaved.)
Eventually, you’ll reach the main parking lot. Garnet Ghost Town is largely unstaffed, so it’s here that you’re supposed to put the entry fee – a very reasonable $3 – into the Pay Station box.
Past the parking lot, it’s a fairly steep downhill walk to reach the ghost town. And along the way, you can enjoy an excellent panorama of the entire site.
It would make most sense to start your journey by making a right and heading straight to the Visitor Center. There, you can pick up a map of the town with handy descriptions of each landmark.
But if it’s your first visit, it’s not exactly clear where you’re supposed to begin. And so I decided to start my journey with the first abandoned house I saw straight ahead of me.
Located on the western edge of town, some of these houses were actually among the last built in Garnet, constructed in 1937 during the town’s brief revitalization period.
One of the most exciting aspects of visiting Garnet Ghost Town is the fact that nearly every structure can be entered. Stepping inside these abandoned buildings can be equally fascinating and eerie.
I next proceeded toward a structure known as the Adams House, built at the tail end of the 19th century. The family lived here until 1927 and at the time, it was considered one of Garnet’s nicest homes.
The presence of various pieces of furniture allows one to picture what life would’ve been like in those times – at least with a bit of imagination.
Without a map in hand, I continued toward some cabins in the distance that caught my eye. Located in the northern part of the town, this collection of cabins, it turned out, belonged to various miners.
They were hastily built, as many miners wanted to get to work as soon as possible. As a result, many of these cabins suffered from leaking and numerous other problems.
One of them may have even served as a jail – or perhaps just a place to temporarily hold unruly drunks!
More recently, a tree stump was found to be threatening the structural integrity of one of the cabins. And it ultimately had to be stabilized by a crew from Glacier National Park.
This reveals how the preservation of Garnet Ghost Town is a constant work in progress – one that will long outlast the lifespan of the original town itself.
Somewhat isolated from the rest of the town, the far northeastern corner of the site is home to one of its most remarkable structures: the former schoolhouse.
A schoolhouse was a rare thing to have in a mining town from this era. But Garnet was a lot more family-oriented than most other such towns.
Inside, you’ll find a recreation of the single-room schoolhouse’s interior, complete with desks and old textbooks from the era. What we see today was built in 1938, though it replaced an earlier school constructed in 1897.
According to an on-site placard, teachers in Garnet earned roughly $80 per month at the time – around $3000 in today’s money.
After exploring the interior, also be sure to walk around the outside where you’ll even find the school’s outhouse.
Heading back toward the center of the town, I passed by Billy Liberty’s Blacksmith Shop. Not only did he play an important role in Garnet as the blacksmith, but he also worked as a stagecoach driver.
Not far away is another collection of smaller cabins. Interestingly, one of these structures, originally built as a basic miner’s cabin in the late 19th century, was later used as the town post office.
Proceeding south, I passed by a log barn and stable built at the end of the 19th century. I then finally reached Main Street – probably the place that most people will begin their explorations.
While the center of town is home to numerous highlights, arguably the most remarkable among them is the former J.K. Wells Hotel.
Built in 1897, it was based on a design of a hotel that the owner, Mrs. Wells, owned in Bearmouth. It originally featured stained glass windows, along with two heaters to keep guests warm.
There’s a lot to explore here, with your visit beginning in the kitchen area. Notably, Frank Davey (more below) took up residence here until his death in 1947.
Walking upstairs, you can explore numerous rooms. While they were surely luxurious a century ago, one can’t help but notice the absence of bathrooms. No matter how nice a room was in those days, guests would still have to walk out back to use the outhouse.
Just to the west of the hotel is what was Garnet’s general store. One of the town’s earliest buildings, it was eventually purchased by Frank A. Davey in 1901. And today, one can’t talk about Garnet’s history without mentioning Davey.
Here he sold various food products and cooking goods in addition to mining tools. Amazingly, Davey operated the store up until 1947 – well past the town’s boom period.
It was Davey’s death, in fact, that officially turned Garnet into a ghost town. It must’ve difficult to witness the town’s decline, as Davey had been a big proponent of getting young families to move to Garnet.
For example, during boom periods, he even offered newlyweds free lodging in a miner’s cabin until they could build their own homes.
Also nearby is Kelly’s Saloon. It changed hands multiple times throughout Garnet’s history, and it was actually just one of thirteen bars that operated here during the town’s heyday.
The center of town wasn’t purely commercial, and you’ll also encounter several former residences throughout the area. Among them is the Hanifen House: Built in the early 20th century, it was considered one of Garnet’s nice homes and was known for its high kitchen ceiling.
The Sierra Mine Loop Trail
Back up at the parking lot, there’s still one more attraction to see before heading home. The Sierra Mine Loop Trail is a self-guided interpretive trail that takes about 15-20 minutes to complete.
Near the entrance, you can grab a brochure that details the various objects and landmarks you’ll pass by.
As mentioned above, Garnet Ghost Town was where miners lived, while it’s the area along the trail that they actually mined.
Along the way, you’ll pass by a prospecting pit, the Sierra Mine workings, and hand-stacked rock walls. Notably, the mines here were in operation from as early as the 1860s, remaining in use until the 1930s.
Additional Info
Garnet Ghost Town is only reachable by car, with the closest major city being Missoula, from which it takes about an hour. You’ll want to drive east along Highway 200 before eventually turning right onto the 11-mile ‘Ghost Town Byway.’
It’s also possible to get to Garnet Ghost Town from the Montana state capital of Helena. This route involves heading west down Highway 12, then onto 90 and then right onto Bear Gulch Road.
Bear Gulch Road, however, is said to be very rough. So unless you’re driving a special vehicle, you should try to enter from the north instead (turning onto 141, then 200, and then left onto the Ghost Town Byway.) The longer route should still just take you a little over two hours.
In my case, I visited Garnet Ghost Town following my trip to Glacier National Park. After leaving Columbia Falls (about a half-hour west of West Glacier) in the morning, I stopped at the ghost town on the way to Missoula before spending a night in the city.
If you’re following the same route, you’ll start by driving along the scenic Flathead Lake, while you should also be sure to make a quick stop at the Garden of One Thousand Buddhas. The CSKT Bison Range is another interesting attraction along the way, though you may not have enough time.
Missoula is a city of less than 100,000 but is fast growing in popularity. It makes for a nice stopover either before or after your visit to Glacier National Park, and you have plenty of accommodation options to choose from.
One of the best deals in town is the Bel Aire Motel which is located close to the center. One of the highest-rated options is The Wren, which is also centrally located. And those looking to splurge a bit more should consider the Homewood Suites.