Cooke City

On our recent trip to Yellowstone, we stayed in Cooke City, Montana, just outside the park.  Census records include the 10 square miles from Cooke City-Silvergate to the Yellowstone Park entrance.  The population density is 140, or 14 people per square mile!  Of course, that's year round population, not counting tourists. 

Originally, the community was called Shoo Fly, after the most properous mine in the area, and was later named Cooke City after a big mining investor.  Unfortunately, the mining bigwigs took all the profit and left the area polluted .... pretty much like what's happened all over the west in the last 100+ years.  An effort is underway to clean up the upper reaches of Soda Butte Creek, located just outside of the town.  That's a start, but a lot more work will be needed to restore the area to its pristine pre-mining condition. 

This is the office of the lodge we stayed in. 

Part of the main building is 100 years old.  A huge cable inside holds up one weight bearing wall.  That made me a little nervous, but an employee said it's been that way for years.

Our actual accommodation was this cabin.  It's 50's vintage all the way.

Someone appeared to be living in a caboose. 

Here's another old lodge, this one no longer in business.  In fact, the building itself appears to be on the verge of falling down. 

The Cooke City General Store, the oldest structure in town, is still in operation. 

Cooke City hosts Yellowstone auto tourists all summer, and provides food and lodging for snowmobilers that come from the east via the Chief Joseph Scenic Highway in winter.  The only winter auto access is through Yellowstone National Park from Gardiner, Montana. Judging by the several "for sale" signs on local establishments, it's not an easy life.   The winters are long, and crowds are slim in the fall/spring off-seasons.

I wonder about the distance accuracy, but the point might be that Cooke City is a long way from anywhere.  Notice the blue phone sign above the arrows.  Yes, they still have a pay phone in town.  Wi-fi is available, but for some reason it's a cell phone dead zone.