Montana is full of abandoned places, haunted spots, and eerie ghost towns, all of which come from having such a rich mining culture. Located in Jefferson County near the Corbin townsite, Wickes is an often overlooked ghost town with a lot of local history. And part of that history includes a creepy abandoned tunnel.
Wickes can be reached from the I-15 Jefferson City intersection, following Corbin Road until it intersects into Wickes Road at the old Corbin townsite.
The community of Wickes was a booming mining camp around 1880, but in 1882, a fire destroyed the Alta Company mill. It was sold to Sam Hauser, a stockholder who rebuilt the mill and added new charcoal kilns.
The beehive-shaped charcoal kilns became a symbol for the town, and one of them is still in good condition.
But it's the tunnel that makes the ghost town so notorious.
The Wickes Tunnel is an abandoned railroad tunnel that can be tricky to find. It is also the deepest of three tunnels from the Alta Mine, the centerpiece of the community.
Even if you do find it, it's dark, wet, eerie, and unkempt. But people do occasionally access it, like this YouTuber, Tyler Allen, who coasted through it like a professional. As you can see, water levels in the tunnel could do some serious damage to your vehicle, so proceed with caution.
https://youtu.be/triZfkd7wkc
Would you dare to navigate your way through this tunnel? How about exploring some of Montana's most abandoned places?
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