This is entrance to the Berkeley Pit Strip Mine in Butte, Montana. The Berkeley Pit is a fully declared Superfund Site. While active strip mining operations no longer occur in the Berkeley Pitt, mining operations still occur in other strip mines near it. Up until the mid 1950's, most of the mining in Butte was done underground. But, advances in machinery and technology made it more economical to conduct strip mining for the ore that lied in the "hill" in Butte. Return to Montana Travel Guide |