Entry No. 50 — the Butte file — filed under: history

Old Highland Mine Millsite

The Old Highland Mine Millsite, situated in the Highland Mountains south of Butte, was part of a historic gold mining district established in the late 1860s. While a major 2010 reclamation project by the Montana Department of Environmental Quality removed hazardous tailings and collapsed debris, historic log structures and capped waste repositories still remain. Today, the site sits quietly along the headwaters of Basin Creek, surrounded by the Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest.

The move: Hike a scenic section of the Continental Divide Trail to view the historic log structures and reclaimed mine landscape from a safe distance.

📍 Before you go The historic mine workings and millsite are located on private patented mining claims, but they can be legally viewed from the adjacent Continental Divide Trail on public Forest Service land.

• 📍 Butte
• 💸 Free
• ⚡ Low-key
• 🌗 Outdoors

Where: Divide, Butte, MT 59701, USA

Hours: Added 2026-07-20 — confirm current access before you go.

Plan a visit & invite your people →

Further reading: deq.mt.gov · fs.usda.gov · ghosttowns.com

last checked: 2026-07-20