Entry No. 22 — the Butte file — filed under: history

Elkhorn Ghost Town (Elkhorn State Park)

Montana's smallest state park is just two preserved 1890s buildings, Fraternity Hall and Gilliam Hall, standing amid the scattered remains of a silver boomtown that once held around 2,500 people before the 1893 silver crash gutted it. Roughly ten people still live among the weathered wooden structures, so it is a working hamlet wrapped around a ghost town rather than a polished tourist set. You wander the dirt main street past leaning cabins and read interpretive signs, with private homes mixed in that you are asked to respect.

The move: Drive the scenic back road up to Elkhorn, walk the quiet main street peering into the two old halls, and picnic among the silver-rush ruins.

📍 Before you go About an hour-plus from Butte; final stretch is dirt road, best in dry weather, and largely inaccessible in winter snow. Respect private property and current residents.

• 📍 Elkhorn, near Boulder, MT
• 💸 Free
• ⚡ Up for anything
• 🌗 Outdoors

Where: Elkhorn Rd, Elkhorn, MT (off MT-69 via Boulder)

Hours: Added 2026-06-24 — confirm current hours before you go.

Plan a visit & invite your people →

Proof: source 1 · source 2 · source 3 · source 4

last checked: 2026-06-24