Didn't Expect To Find This While Exploring In The Montana Wilderness!

In today's episode, we explore the Smuggler Mine. Discovered in 1897 by a group of prospectors, the mine quickly became a cornerstone of the local mining community.

By the late 1920s, the Smuggler Mine expanded to include 13 claims, primarily producing gold. The site was bustling with activity, featuring 25 buildings, including an assay office, workshop, mill operation, and numerous cabins and bunkhouses. At its peak, the population was approximately 45.

The mine continued production until 1942 and saw a brief revival in the 1950s. In 2010, a new adit opened with renewed hopes of finding gold, but the efforts yielded little success, and the site was once again abandoned.

I hope you enjoyed the video! I'm Dave; I set out on a life of adventure, exploring abandoned mines, ghost towns, unusual places, and everything that lurks in the middle of nowhere!

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[PinInTheAtlas]

Great explore Dave. Really enjoyed it and it was a surprise being so close to where we camped.
Great editing too

[solanaceae]

Root cellars are how food was stored prior to refrigeration. We had one under our home and another partially buried one outside our home when I was a boy.

[gloommoon]

Awesome see the other couple there, thank you for sharing your adventure ❤

[AlanZabriskie-truj]

My paternal grandparents house had a massive coal stove in the kitchen with a water jacket and tank like that but the tank was vertical. They passed away in the late 1970s.

[casedoumasr]

Well Dave out exploring in the back country it is safe to say one never knows what will be found and you found a great one Steve and Andrea nice to see the 3 of you exploring this mining camp ⛏️🏆🇺🇸🤔

[thinman]

Mining people lived hard lives back in the day.

[robwhitby]

That was a root cellar. Food storage before refrigerators.

[mobiltec]

At 13:45 that's the black smith shop.

[fredschlecht]

If it is not a cellar and made of stone, it was to store explosives.

[phylxguy]

Just wanted to let you know any mine that has this much stuff left standing almost guarantees that it's privately owned aka a patent mine doesn't necessarily mean that you aren't allowed just means good chance you should aquire permission to explore. This one is owned by Goldstream mining co. making it private property on National Forrest land.

[daveallmon]

All the cabins that had the wire and the mesh over the windows I can guarantee you were not allowed in.

[tdropper]

You forgot to say where this is. Makes video pointless.

[RonPhillips-yc]

Sounds like a robot narrator very off putting.