People Can Stay In This Ghost Town Free Of Charge, But There’s One Catch

It sounds almost too good to be true: a beautiful mountain town littered with rustic cabins has offered people the chance to live there without paying a dime. But if you’re thinking of applying to move, you might want to consider one of the possible reasons why bedding down there is free of charge...

Welcome to Garnet

A small town sits tucked away in the mountains of Granite County, around 20 miles east of Missoula, Montana. Accessed by 11 miles of dirt track, Garnet enjoys a picturesque location surrounded by forest, 6,000 feet up from sea level. Yet not a soul lives there.

Ghost town

You’d be right in thinking there’s something amiss about this small town. Behind bare windows and open doors, the rooms are empty and show signs of decay. Once-proud establishments and homes are replete with a strange, haunted quality. The only people are curious passers-by.

Abandoned

Kelley’s Saloon, a bar that once hummed with laughter and music, sits quietly gathering dust, while the Wells Hotel still stands but hasn’t seen a guest for many years. And although you can still pay a visit to Davey’s Store, you might be waiting a while for service.

America's ghost town

There’s a name for places like these: ghost towns. Garnet is the best-preserved ghost town in Montana — and one of the most intriguing in the whole country. Abandoned for some 70 years, it offers a fascinating insight into an important era of America’s past.