Butte, MT Road Trips

The rock underneath and surrounding Butte is honeycombed with drifts, winzes and stopes that extend beneath the city. There are over 3000 miles of shafts that reach a depth of over a mile. These mines have produced billions of dollars worth of gold, silver, zinc, and above all else, copper. For decades, about one-quarter of global copper supply was extracted from here. It used to be Montana's largest city, but has dwindled in size and importance along with the state's mining industry. As of 2020, it has a population of under 35,000. The city is still trying to reinvent itself without intensive mining as its focal point, but it has a century of well-preserved heritage to build upon. As cities like Missoula and Bozeman become popular with out-of-staters and expensive for long-time residents, Butte is still a city for Montanans. Butte started as a mining camp during a 1864 Montana gold rush. There was enough gold and silver here to keep the town humming along until the electrification of the U.S. in the 1880s created a huge demand for copper, making Butte the world's largest copper boom town. Employment opportunities in the mines attracted surges of European and Asian immigrants, who helped to make Butte the largest city between Seattle and Minneapolis. Over the next hundred years, Butte's mining and smelting operations generated more than $48 billion worth of ore. Industrial magnates fought for control of Butte's mining wealth. These "Copper Kings" were William A. Clark, Marcus Daly, James Andrew Murray and F. Augustus Heinze.

1 Berkeley Pit ("Butte Hole"), 350 Shields Ave, ☏ +1 406-723-3177. May-Oct 10AM-5PM. The most interesting (horrifying?) feature of Butte is the 1,700-foot-deep site of a former copper mining operation that is now partially filled with toxic runoff and is listed as a Superfund site (a federal government program to clean up toxic problems). Despite the frightening description, The Pit is an interesting and instructive side trip and should not be passed up. The viewing stand offers a look at the toxic lake and surrounding mine workings. $6. (updated Jun 2026) 2 Granite Mountain Speculator Mine Memorial, [email protected]. A fire in a copper mine in 1917 lead to the death of 168 miners, the deadliest hard rock mining event in U.S. history. A memorial honoring these miners was erected at the site. Read the notes written by the miners while they waited to be rescued. (updated Jul 2026) 3 The Mineral Museum, 1300 W Park St (on the Montana Tech Campus), ☏ +1 406-496-4414. Jun 15-Sep 15: daily 9AM–5PM; Sep 16-Jun 14: M-F 9AM–4PM. 1,300 specimens of minerals from around the world. The Montana Bureau of Mines and Geology Earthquake Studies Office is also located in the Museum, offering the visitor an opportunity to see active seismographs recording real time data from Montana's seismic network. The Mineral Museum conducts tours, lectures and workshops. Free admission. 4 Our Lady of the Rockies. Our Lady of the Rockies is a 90-foot (27 m) statue, dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary, that sits atop the Continental Divide overlooking Butte, Montana.

1 Butte Irish, 1700 Wall St, ☏ +1 406-782-2901. See website for current season schedule. Enjoy an ice-hockey game at the Butte Community Ice Center. The Irish play in the North American Tier III hockey league. 2 Eagle's Nest Disc Golf (Thompson Park; take MT-2 E 10 miles south, in Sagebrush Flats on west side of road), ☏ +1 406-497-6200. 18-hole disc golf course in a forested area. Mining City Disc Golf Club continuing to make improvements making this a great destination. Free. (updated Aug 2023) The urban trail system is extensively developed. Use these for leisure strolls to see the scenery, go hiking, biking, or horseback riding. 3 Granite Mountain Memorial Trail (Wyoming Ave and Clear Grit St). This 1.2 mi (1.9 km) one-way trail winds its way up the hill from Uptown, through historic mineyards and along many of the remaining headframes, up to the Granite Mountain Memorial. Interpretive signs along the way provide details on each of the many relics along the way. (updated Jul 2026) 4 Maud S Canyon Trail, Saddle Rock Rd (I-90 exit to Continental Dr). This trail runs 2 mi (3.2 km) one-way and up 900 ft (270 m) through an old gold claim to an overlook of the city, and then a steeper 1.5 mi (2.4 km) miles to the Continental Divide Trail. The area boasts aspen groves, deer and other wildlife. (updated Jul 2026) 5 Thompson Park (take MT-2 E 10 miles south), ☏ +1 406-497-6200. May-Oct: daily. Park with 25 miles of trails, picnic areas. Multiple trail options with access to the Continental Divide Trail.

Butte is known for the food of its Irish-influenced mining heritage. Pasties (PAS-tees) are a semicircle of pastry dough, stuffed with a mix of meat, potato and onion, baked and served smothered with brown gravy. Miners took these hand pies down into the shafts in the morning, and used their helmet candles to heat the self-contained lunch. The distinctive crimped edge was used to handle the pastry with dirty hands, then discarded at the end of the meal. (Go ahead and eat it if you haven't been working in the mine.) Pasties are served locally at restaurants. 1 Joe's Pasties, 1641 Grand Ave, ☏ +1 406-723-9071. 7AM-7PM. The most classic pasty shop in town, since 1946. (updated Jul 2026) 2 Truzzolino Tamales, 1921 Harrison Ave, ☏ +1 406-782-0374. This takeout window sells several kinds of pasties as well as their generously filled version of cornmeal tamales, a recipe this Italian family learned as they migrated through Latin America before starting the business in 1896. (updated Jul 2026) 3 Pork Chop John, 8 W. Mercury (uptown), ☏ +1 406-782-0812. M-Sa 10:30AM–10:30PM. Fast food. Butte residents talk about the local variety of fried, breaded pork chop sandwich. Former Butte residents frequently wax nostalgic for Butte pasties and pork chops. (updated Jul 2026) 4 Muzz and Stan's Freeway Tavern, 2001 S Montana, ☏ +1 406-723-9083. Home of the Wop Chop. Family friendly for lunch. (updated Jul 2026) 5 Sparky's Garage, 222 E Park St, ☏ +1 406-782-2301. Large automotive-themed bar and grill with great food.

1 Hummingbird Cafe, 605 W Park St (Uptown), ☏ +1 406-723-2044. Serves good espresso drinks, loose leaf tea, breakfast and lunch. Possibly Butte's best selection of vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, and other specialty foods. (updated Jul 2026) 2 Butte Depot, 818 S Arizona Ave, ☏ +1 406-782-2102. A classic dive bar with frequent concerts. Housed in the former Great Northern Railway depot. (updated Jul 2026) 3 Silver Dollar Saloon, 133 S Main St. Offers a friendly place for a drink, with a youthful atmosphere. (updated Jul 2026) 4 Maloney's, 112 N Main St (Uptown). Where you will find exotic beers, including Guinness. (updated Jul 2026) 5 Cavalier Lounge, 100 E Broadway (in the Finlen Hotel). Offers a dark, more lounge-like feel—chairs, tables, smoking. (updated Jul 2026) 6 The Helsinki, 402 E Broadway St, ☏ +1 406-299-2959. W–Sa 1PM–2AM. (updated Jul 2026) 7 Hops, 2900 Harrison Ave (in the Butte Best Western Inn down on the Flats, next to the Perkin's Restaurant). They have one of the best bartenders in town and despite the shiny neon casino on one side, it has a pretty nice atmosphere. (updated Jul 2026) 8 The Vu Villa, 521 W Park St (Uptown, west of the main business district). It's one of the main student hangouts for Tech and has an attached pizza restaurant with decent pizza. (updated Jul 2026) 9 Metals Sports Bar and Grill, 8 W Park St (in the Metals Bank building). A sports bar with a bank vault. (updated Jul 2026) Quarry Brewing, 124 W Broadway (inside Grand Hotel), ☏ +1 406-723-0245. M-Sa 3PM-8PM, Su 3PM-6PM. Brewer: Chuck Schnabel.

1 Finlen Hotel, 100 E Broadway St, toll-free: +1-800-729-5461. An inexpensive and historic hotel, well-located to accommodate walking through the rest of Butte's downtown. Rooms are clean and well-maintained, but be aware that cheaper rooms may actually be located in the motel section, a not-as-historic add-on with much more spartan accommodations. (updated May 2017) 2 Hampton Inn Butte, 3499 Harrison Ave, ☏ +1 406-494-2250. (updated May 2017) 3 Toad Hall Manor Bed and Breakfast, 1 Green Ln, ☏ +1 406-494-2625. An elegant, charming bed & breakfast which takes its name from the British children's classic, "The Wind in the Willows". This is truly a wonderful place for a relaxing change of pace, celebration of a special occasion, or a romantic getaway. (updated May 2017) 4 Super 8 Butte, 2929 Harrison Ave (I-90 Exit 127 1 Blk. So), ☏ +1 406-494-6000. Charges extra for more than 2 adults even if it has 2 queen beds. Includes breakfast. (updated May 2017) Free RV parking is available downtown at the parking lots near Old Lexington Gardens Park (304 E Granite St). There is nothing to indicate that overnight parking is not allowed. Follow signs for "Visitor & R.V. Parking".

Butte is at the intersection of Interstate 90 (I-90) between Deer Lodge and Whitehall, and Interstate 15 (I-15) between Helena and Dillon. 1 Bert Mooney Airport (BTM IATA), 101 Airport Rd (3 mi (4.8 km) southeast of the CBD along Harrison Ave (Business 90 & MT-2)). The following airlines serve Butte: Skywest dba Delta Connection (Salt Lake City) Skywest dba United Express (Denver) There are car rentals available from the airport which is the preferred method for greater flexibility in getting around to the surrounding areas. If visibility is too low to land in poor weather, flights may divert to Gallatin Field Airport in Bozeman. Bus service into town is provided by Salt Lake Express and Jefferson Lines. Both stop at the bus station at 1324 Harrison Ave.

Butte is sprawling and businesses are spread out into several sections. You can walk once you get into a section, but a vehicle is needed to get around. The Bus (Butte-Silver Bow Transit Services), ☏ +1 406-497-6515. County-run bus system. Routes are only on the main city streets. Mining City Taxi, ☏ +1 406-723-6511. There is a developed bike trail system.