Elkhorn State Park

Elkhorn State Park

Traveling along gravel secondary roads outside of Boulder, you’ll find the once thriving town of Elkhorn, now one of the smallest state parks in the state.

 

 

These roads take you through a 19th-century mining landscape before you reach historic Fraternity Hall and Gillian Hall nestled within the privately-owned town of Elkhorn. Bring your camera to record these two picturesque structures from the late 1800's silver-mining ghost town, preserved as outstanding examples of frontier architecture. Each has been recorded in the Historic American Buildings Survey.

Three-quarters of a mile up the main road that runs through town (just outside of the state park property) lies the town cemetery where visitors can see the tombstone of Swiss miner Peter Wys who originally discovered the silver veins in the Elkhorn Mine!

Rich with mineral deposits (including silver), the Boulder Batholith originally drew settlers to the area and led to the establishment of Elkhorn in 1868, now a silver-mining ghost town. The 1880s and 1890s were the most populous times for Elkhorn, drawing around 2,500 residents at its peak, but after the Silver Crash of 1893, the town saw a drop of 75 percent of its population in just two months. In total, the Elkhorn Mine yielded about $14 million in silver.

Did You Know

Curious what other visitors have had to say about the park?

"Beautiful Town! Really neat old ghost town and mining artifacts. There are only a few buildings you can go into, but lots of history around town! The wood water tower has be repaired. I highly recommend checking out the cemetery, pretty sad story. Plenty of parking all over."

"Ghost town with sad cemetary interesting ghost town with private homes located around the buildings. There are two buildings in restored condition and other buildings scattered throughout untouched. Went further afield to the cemetery located on the hillside. Sad, unkempt and scattered tombs and plaques tell the story of the deaths of children during an epidemic."

"Lots of interesting old Stone and wood buildings give you a taste of the town that must have been grand. Check out the historic and protected Fraternity Hall. Be sure to walk up the hill to the cemetery. Monuments range from grand to crumbling wooden markers. Especially poignant are the many, many graves of children who died in the 1888-9 diphtheria epidemic."

"It still remains as one of the most well-preserved buildings in the town. Later, Elkhorn's prosperity wanted as the demand for silver decreased. When railroad service to Elkhorn was halted, most of the inhabitants left. Today, Elkhorn is a Montana State Park."

 

Quick Facts
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    Park

    Open Year-Round, Pack-In/Pack-Out

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    Location

    812 Elkhorn Street Elkhorn, MT

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