Montreal – Mining History and Ski Trails

Montreal brings together a mining history, historic buildings, ski trails, and the Pines & Mines Trail 13. This lets you choose a destination based on themes that genuinely define the place.

Mining History and Architecture

In 1921, the Olgebay-Norton Mining Company designed the City of Montreal as a place to live for 700 miners and their families. The miners were to work at the new shaft of the Montreal Mine. Shaped by the mining company, the town is characterized by white-trimmed houses, curving streets, and well-kept green spaces. The City of Montreal is also listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Individual buildings also give the town’s history a tangible setting. Built in 1940, the New City Hall is a contributing building in the Modernist Art Deco style within the Montreal Company Location Historic District. The Hamilton Club was designed as a recreational and social center for the community. Historically, it housed a library, an auditorium, film projectors, and four bowling lanes. These facilities reflect its former use and do not indicate whether they are accessible today.

The Montreal Mine closed in 1962 after approximately 100 years of operation. The Montreal Iron Mine is described as the deepest iron ore mine in the world. Large tailings piles across from Gile Falls consist of waste rock from historic mining at shaft No. 5 of the Montreal Mine. Together, the buildings, mining history, and tailings piles offer different insights into Montreal’s connection to iron ore mining.

Ski Trails and Routes

The Montreal Ski Trails are an 11 km trail system in Montreal and Pence. Access to the main trail is behind the Rose Wreath building on Highway 77 in Montreal. Along the way, cross-country skiers pass remnants of the old Montreal iron ore mine; the trails also run through the Montreal River Watergap. This route brings cross-country skiing together with remnants of local history, so the scenic route and mining history can be considered together.

The Pines & Mines Trail 13 offers a different perspective. It begins at Montreal City Hall, heads south from there, and passes Gile Flowage. The trail offers a view of the 3,400-acre body of water. Hogsback Road can also be traveled on Trail 13. Compared with the Montreal Ski Trails, this route emphasizes its start at City Hall, its path along the water, and Hogsback Road; the ski trails, in contrast, highlight the ski routes, the Watergap, and the mine remnants.

Boat Launch and Fees

Gile Park in Montreal has a boat launch. A city notice dated April 30, 2026, lists fees of US$5 per day or US$25 per year. If you plan to use the launch, check in advance which fee currently applies. This lets you account for both the listed daily rate and annual fee without treating the dated notice as a guarantee of today’s fees.

Discover more destinations: Iron Belt, Hurley.

Return to the main travel overview: Iron County.