8/29/14

Comet Montana

Comet Montana

Comet is a ghost town about half way between Butte and Helena Montana. Comet developed around the Comet mine which was active from 1870s to the 1940s. The mine produced silver, lead, zinc, gold and copper. Comet had several hundreds of residents at its peak in the 1880s and experienced a revival in the 1920s. The town was largely abandoned after WWII. Today it has one occupied home.

It is one of the most authentic ghost towns I've visited in Montana in that it is completely undeveloped for tourism and almost completely abandoned. It's also not being preserved in anyway and is rapidly deteriorating. The single occupied home is on a hill over looking the rest of the town. The other structures notably lack the profusion of no trespassing signs I usually see in such situations. I'm not sure how the remaining residents feel about people exploring what's left of Comet. No one approached me or seemed to care about my presence when I visited. Comet can be reached from either Jefferson City from the north via Wikes Road or I-15 from the south via High Ore Road. Both roads are unpaved. Wikes Road from a little passed Finn Gulch to Comet is rough and seldom used. High Ore Road from I-15 is in good condition to Comet (about 5 miles). There are no signs or historical markers in or around Comet that I saw. Basin which is one exit south of High Ore road on I-15 is a really interesting town and has the remnants of a large smelter. There is a well preserved charcoal kiln and an active mine on Wikes Road north of Comet.

A short article about Comet from the Helena newspaper.

 

Comet Montana

Comet Montana

Comet Montana

Comet Montana

Comet Montana

Comet Montana

 

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