Explore Montana: Garnet Ghost Town
SCHOOL IS OUT FOR THE SUMMER, AND WE ARE READY FOR ADVENTURE. WE’LL BE FEATURING OUR LOCAL TIPS AND GUIDES TO SOME OF THE GREAT Things to do and places to visit FOR KIDS AND FAMILIES.
One hundred years ago, Garnet was a bustling town, home to one thousand residents, including families. Today Garnet Ghost Town is Montana’s best preserved ghost town, attracting thousands of families who want a glimpse of a bygone era. The abandoned buildings, some of them still furnished, play on the imagination as visitors try to picture life before modern conveniences like motorized vehicles, washing machines, and wifi.
About the Town
It took three adults and nine (9!) kids between the ages of 1 and 13 about two hours to explore during our visit. We weaved in and out of the town jail, which admittedly didn’t get a lot of use except to give drunk gold miners a place to sober up before they could cause some real trouble, the post office, and the saloon. We peeked in the windows of the locked one-room schoolhouse, and explored the wealthiest residents’ homes, which were primitive by today’s standards.
The town, named for the red-colored jewel, was home to miners who explored under the earth for gold, quartz, and precious stones. In its heyday (the late 1800s), Garnet was a thriving home to individuals and families who catered to the influx of miners. There were stores, hotels, restaurants, a stable, and even a candy shop. In the early 1900s, the mines produced fewer and fewer treasures, and then a fire destroyed the town in 1912. The population shrank, but the last resident didn’t leave until the 1960s.
The only disappointment was not being able to step foot inside the town’s largest and best furnished buildings: The Mercantile and the Hotel. Garnet Ghost Town is maintained by the Bureau of Land Management, an agency within the U.S. Department of the Interior. A ranger explained the buildings were undergoing some preservation and maintenance when Covid-19 hit. Suddenly the federal government had bigger problems. This is an understandable problem, and we were assured the town would be back to full functionality in 2021.
Getting There
From Missoula, you can actually get to Garnet two ways via the Bearmouth Exit, which takes an hour and 15 minutes, or via Highway 200, which takes one hour. We opted for the slightly shorter route and headed east on I-90. Take exit 109 towards Milltown/Bonner and you’ll stay on MT-200 and then turn south on Garnet Range Road located between mile markers 22 and 23. Follow the Range Road for approximately 11 miles to Garnet where the parking area is located. Follow signs. Don’t do what Tiffany did and pass the Garnet Ghost Town sign (if you’ve gotten to Lubrecht Experimental Forest you’ve gone too far), or trick yourself into thinking we weren’t on the right road like Laci did. You’ll be driving for about 25 minutes on Range Road before you reach the ghost town.
Once you’re there, you will park in a large parking lot before walking about half a mile to the town. For those with accessibility needs, there is a small parking lot located a little further.
Packing List
Sack lunch: We left Bonner at 10:15, arrived at our destination at 11:15. By the time we explored a couple of hours, we were hungry. Thankfully, picnic tables abound in and around the ghost town.
Good shoes. You’re going to be walking. There are about 20 buildings connected by a web of dirt trails. You’ll want good walking shoes to be comfortable.
Sunscreen, water bottle, and bug spray. The town is a ghost town, but the bugs are very much alive. Charity had to double back for bug spray. Although Tiffany felt like a Disney princess when a butterfly perched on her hand.
Educational tools. Just like the families who occupied Garnet, education is important to everyone who works at the ghost town. They host school tours and offer a scavenger hunt at the Visitor’s Center when it’s open. Extra credit: Explore the town’s education webpage and view their archaeology resources.
Baby Carrier vs Stroller: Although a heavy duty stroller like Laci’s BOB can traverse the area just fine, an umbrella would be a nightmare. Charity toted her youngest in a hiking backpack and it worked great!
