As those of you that regularly follow this blog, our favorite places to explore are old and forgotten places off the beaten path. I prefer to experience history where it happened,not in a distant museum. Such is the case with Comet, Montana.
I had first learned about Comet years ago in one of my ghost town books long before the advent of the internet. The book provided the history of Comet, showed many picturesque ruins (taken from the road) and also clearly stated that Comet was on private property and visitors were not welcome as vandals had taken a toll on the town. Therefore, Comet stayed off the “to do” list on several RV trips through the area in the 1990’s. Our recent (August, 2015) RV jaunt through Montana once again brought us into the vicinity of Comet. More recent information I had obtained on Comet stated that while still located on private property visitation was permitted. Reading between the lines I surmised the gun toting hermit that lived on the property had passed and more tolerant owners were in control. However, all the pictures I had seen since the advent of the internet were still taken from the road showing the buildings located behind barbed wire. Since it was only a few miles off I-15 and there was no longer any fear of being shot, I put it on the “to do” list figuring an hour would be sufficient time to drive to the site, take a few pictures from our vehicle and return.
Arriving at the site, we were greeted by scores of buildings, including: a hotel, processing mill, ore loading facility, miners bunkhouse, retail businesses and more. There were zero “No Trespassing” signs and the fence I had seen in pictures was there to control cattle, not limit public access from the road. We spent HOURS exploring the old town and while there is a single occupied residence in town, no one asked us to leave and no shots were fired!
Discovering so much more than expected, just another adventure in RVing.
If you go:
– Comet is located a little over five miles northwest of Boulder, Montana at: N46 18.625 W112 10.195 Easiest access is via High Ore Road off I-15
– A few of the buildings along the north side of town are located behind a fence. Please respect the fence line and the privacy of the occupied residence.
– Visit at your own risk. Hazards include: open mine shafts, collapsing buildings, sharp objects, uneven walking surfaces, to name a few.
– To view a great video on Comet, click here.
Next week, I will tell you where to camp for free while visiting Comet.
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