Anaconda Smoke Stack State Park
🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆 Montana — The tallest free-standing masonry structure in the world — the Anaconda Smelter Stack rises 585 feet! Built in 1919 by the Anaconda Copper Mining Company, this chimney processed copper ore from Butte’s “Richest Hill on Earth.” Taller than the Washington Monument!
Visitor Information
| Detail | Info |
|---|---|
| Location | Montana |
About Anaconda
Anaconda Smoke Stack State Park preserves the 585-foot Anaconda Smelter Stack — the tallest surviving masonry structure in the world. Built in 1918 by the Anaconda Copper Mining Company, the stack was designed to disperse sulfur dioxide from the world’s largest copper smelter. The smelter processed ore from the “Richest Hill on Earth” in nearby Butte. The stack stands 6 feet taller than the Washington Monument.
Things to Do
Viewing the 585-foot stack (taller than the Washington Monument), learning about Montana’s copper mining heritage, photographing the world’s tallest masonry structure, and connecting to the Butte-Anaconda mining story.
Plan Your Visit
The stack is visible from Highway 1 but the park provides close-up viewing and interpretive panels. The Anaconda Smelter Superfund site (adjacent) has been extensively cleaned up. Washoe Park and the Jack Nicklaus-designed Old Works Golf Course (built on the former smelter site) are nearby. Butte (25 miles east) offers the World Museum of Mining and the Berkeley Pit — a mile-wide, 1,800-foot-deep toxic lake. Free admission year-round.
Nature & Wildlife
The smelter site’s environmental remediation has allowed native grasses and wildflowers to return to the formerly toxic landscape. The surrounding mountains support elk, moose, and black bears. The Clark Fork River — severely impacted by 100 years of mining waste — has been restored through the largest Superfund cleanup in US history. Osprey and bald eagles now fish the recovering river. Mount Haggin Wildlife Management Area (adjacent) protects 55,000 acres.
Insider Tips
Tallest masonry structure: The Anaconda Smelter Stack (585 feet) is the tallest freestanding masonry structure in the world — built in 1918 to disperse toxic smelter fumes. Pro tip: The Anaconda Copper Mining Company was so powerful it was called “The Company” — it controlled Montana’s politics, newspapers, and economy for decades. Superfund: The surrounding area is one of the largest Superfund sites in the US.
Frequently Asked Questions
How powerful was Anaconda Copper?
The Anaconda Copper Mining Company controlled Montana from the 1880s-1970s — owning the state’s largest newspapers, influencing governors, buying legislators, and employing tens of thousands. Montana was essentially a “company state.” The “War of the Copper Kings” (Marcus Daly vs. William Clark) was one of the most corrupt political battles in American history — Clark literally bought a US Senate seat. Anaconda’s environmental legacy — the Berkeley Pit, Superfund cleanup — will take centuries to resolve.
