Monte Cristo

Monte Cristo is an abandoned mountain town near Granite Falls that grew during the gold and silver mining boom of the 1890s. The remains include scattered wooden buildings, old mining equipment, and railway ruins perched on steep slopes where workers once extracted ore from the ground.

The town grew after gold and silver were discovered in 1889, drawing thousands of prospectors to the area. Decline began around 1907 when floods, avalanches, and dwindling ore reserves made mining unprofitable, and the population slowly abandoned the settlement.

The name Monte Cristo comes from a novel by Alexandre Dumas, reflecting miners' hopes for sudden fortune. Walking through the overgrown streets today, you can see how people from different backgrounds gathered here with the shared dream of finding riches in the mountains.

The hike starts at Barlow Pass and follows a 4 mile old closed road beside the Sauk River on mostly level terrain. Bring your own water, wear sturdy shoes, and be ready for fallen logs crossing the creek and possible washouts along the path.

Friedrich Trump, grandfather of former U.S. President Donald Trump, once ran a hotel here that also operated as a brothel. This detail connects this small mountain town to a larger family story that reflects America's expansion into the frontier.