During the great gold rush, many parts of the United States were flourishing thanks to the presence of untouched gold in mines. Garnet, Montana is a prime example of what was a once thriving town that was driven by the gold deposits located in nearby mines. This, like many similar towns was not a permanent arrangement after the gold dried up, with the town being finally deserted in 1950.
Located amongst the woodlands and mountains, the town was once home to 1,000 residents, and feature all the amenities you could need including a doctor’s office, a butchers, a barbershop and of course, plenty of saloons. These buildings stand to this day, and cold now be the pace of work for any brave volunteers.
The government is paying for onsite volunteers who are free to stay in one of the many cabins and take in some of the great outdoors- there are rumours of some haunted building in the town too, so it may only be appealing to a small group of people. Your cabin has all the furnishings you need to survive out in the wilderness, with a stove, refrigerator and plenty of food.
#BLM_MTDKs Garnet Ghost Town is looking for some volunteers in #Montana. http://t.co/70eVw4mrVp pic.twitter.com/3jHXG3gHbJ
— BLMMontanaDakotas (@BLM_MTDKs) March 18, 2015
The work lasts for around a month at a time, and volunteers help around the town, giving tours and info to any tourists exploring the ghost town. Work only lasts until 4.30pm, and with that the town is all alone for the volunteers. They may want to avoid Kelly’s Saloon however, which is said to be the most haunted building in the town. Laughter and music can supposedly still be heard here, even when it is deserted. Not needing to pay a penny for your entire stay still seems like a bargain, even if it involves the odd jump and scare.
Garnet Preservation Association
3255 Fort Missoula Road
Missoula, Montana 59804
406-329-3883
