The Pit
There is something decidingly odd about Butte. While it is nestled in a very pretty corner of Montana along the Continental Divide, most of the folks I've met and talked with never mention the largest and most obvious feature -- the enormous open pit mine known as the Berkeley Pit. It is not the largest mine in the US, the widest, or even the deepest. It is, however, the most poisonous. My point isn't to relay all the science, if you are really interested, I've found this site has a very honest and detailed review: Pitwatch.
I think I will adopt what appears to be the more common practice in the area. I will go about my recreation in the areas surrounding The Pit. You don't really have to go far in any direction to become distracted. If you drive more than an hour however, what you'll quickly notice is that mining is not just a Butte thing. It is all over the West, in Montana, Wyoming, Nevada, Utah (location of the deepest mine), and Minnesota (location of the largest).
I don't think people are ignoring the obvious. And recently, the former mine owners, and local & Federal governments have agreed to clean up some aspects of the Pit and surrounding waterways. Everyone is watching and hoping for the best.
All you need to do near Butte is look the other way. In this image, I am only turned about 1/4 of the way. And all you see is green mountains with snow-covered peaks.
The Maud S Canyon Trailhead is easy to get to and offers a nice 4+ mile loop up the Rockies on the Western slope of the Continental Divide. At the top of the loop is a spur that goes another few miles to link up with the CDT. And link up, as in uphill in a very steep, set of switchbacks. Regardless of whether you only do the loop or proceed higher, can can look across the valley and see most of Butte, and also down into The Pit.