Philipsburg

History Silver was found in the hills above Flint Creek in the mid-1860s, and the Hope Mine, established in 1866, is described as Montana's first silver mine. The camp that grew beside it was named Philipsburg after Philip Deidesheimer, the mining engineer who managed the early works. Up the mountain, a prospector found the Granite mine in 1872; it later became one of the richest silver mines of its era, and the camp of Granite reached about 3,000 miners. When the silver panic of 1893 hit, the Granite mine shut down and the camp emptied. Philipsburg survived on mining and later booms, including manganese during the First World War, and is now the seat of Granite County.

What to See The downtown is compact and walkable, with restored 19th-century commercial buildings. The Granite County Museum covers early town history and holds the Ghost Town Hall of Fame, with photographs and short histories of the area's ghost towns, plus a Granite Mountain mining exhibit. Several sapphire galleries on the main street let visitors screen gravel for sapphires, and at least one runs an indoor facility year-round. Granite Ghost Town State Park, reached by a narrow, steep road that climbs about 1,280 feet from town, preserves the mine superintendent's house and the ruins of the miners' Union Hall. It is open from Memorial Day to 30 September during daylight hours, a high-clearance vehicle is required, and RVs and buses cannot make the road; snow sometimes blocks it into late May.

Outdoors Georgetown Lake, about 10 miles from town, is the summer focus for fishing, boating and camping, and the surrounding Flint Creek and Anaconda ranges have trails and forest roads. The highway past the lake forms part of the Pintler Scenic Loop, which continues through Anaconda and on to Drummond.

Skiing Discovery ski area sits on the south-western side of the Flint Creek Range between Philipsburg and Anaconda. It has about 2,400 feet of vertical and is one of the town's largest employers. Sources list seven or eight lifts. It is a no-frills local mountain rather than a resort, and Philipsburg is the nearest town to stay in, with Anaconda on the other side.

Getting There Philipsburg is on Montana Highway 1. The nearest airports with scheduled flights are Bert Mooney in Butte (BTM), about 58 miles by road, and Missoula (MSO), about 82 miles. Riddick Field, one mile south of town, is a small public-use airstrip. There is no rail service; a car is essential.

When to Go Late May to September is best: the ghost town road is open, Georgetown Lake is ice-free and the main street shops keep full hours. Granite Ghost Town State Park closes after 30 September. December to March suits skiers using Discovery, but winter nights at this elevation are very cold and mountain driving needs winter tyres.