Cooke City

Northeast of Yellowstone National Park, between precipitous mountains along Soda Butte Creek, lies the old mining town of Cooke City. Ramshackle buildings of yesteryear and scars of exploitation still remain, quietly telling stories about this quaint community. When Adam Horn Miller picked up a piece of rich galena ore in the vicinity of the Clark’s Fork drainage, it was destined to play an important part in the mining and development of the area. Early explorers, prospectors, and settlers were thwarted by Indians, rugged mountains without roads, and winters in the high country. Until 1877, most of the work was prospecting, then smelters were built. A railroad was expected but never materialized, so only marginal profits were made in mining. The area’s scenic wonders, however, are Cooke City’s true wealth.