Greycliff Mill: This is the view when driving onto the Greycliff Mill property in Greycliff, Mont. The main building on the grounds is the mill itself, which also houses a coffee shop and seating where visitors are encouraged to stay awhile. In the background are the grey cliffs, for which the town and mill are named. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com
Water Wheel: The water wheel is located on the side of the Greycliff Mill. Water flows through a wooden trough from the water tank in the back of the building to power the wheel. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com
By GARY WARREN
Photographer
Formerly of Los Alamos
When visiting a grist mill, one would think that they are entering a relic from the past. In the case of Greycliff Mill in Greycliff, Montana, which may be partially true. The tiny village of Greycliff is located just east of Big Timber, Mont. near the Crazy Mountain range, a beautiful area of the state between Billings and Bozeman, Mont.
Upon arriving at Greycliff Mill, one of the first things you see is a beautiful barn structure with the name and logo on the face of the building as expected. However, a closer view reveals the date of the mill as 2021.
The Greycliff Mill is more than a mill, a work in progress, and a building that will wow you as you enter the front door. This mill is a coffee shop that also serves locally made bagels and pastries, sandwiches and other delicacies that make for a great break or lunch in a unique setting.
Another thing that is obvious when you enter is the building itself. The Greycliff Mill was established and opened in 2021 but the timber framework of the building is much older.
The timbers used to frame and support this beautiful building were rescued from a barn in upstate New York that dates back to 1760. The barn was dismantled and transported across the country to Montana and reconstructed in Greycliff. Visitors are encouraged to mingle through the building and admire the historical past of the building’s framework.
While relaxing and enjoying the warm atmosphere at the mill, visitors can see the water wheel rotating outside the side window and freshly milled flour falling into a container from the mill inside the building. The flour mill which dates back to 1874 was found in South Carolina and moved to Montana. The grain is locally grown and the flour is used to make the bagels and pastries.
As you exit the building to a deck overlooking a pond in the back, the working structure of the flour mill and the beautiful grounds of Greycliff Mill capture you attention. Around to the side of the building is the large water wheel portion of the mill and a short distance to the south are the grey cliffs, which are the name’s sake of the town and the mill.
Big plans are in the future for the grounds as other structures are still under construction. There are even plans for Air B&Bs on the grounds for guest to rent. The Greycliff Mill is truly a destination attraction in this region of Montana.
The Greycliff Mill also offers evening meals on a scheduled basis about once or twice per month. The food served is all locally grown and fresh and I can only imagine how delicious they must be. There were no scheduled evening meals during our time in the area but we did enjoy a tasty lunch while visiting the mill.
The visit to the Greycliff Mill far exceeded our expectations and we hope to return next year. We attend a RV Rally every June in this area of Montana and hope to visit the Greycliff Mill again and enjoy an evening meal on our next visit.
Editor’s note: Longtime Los Alamos photographer Gary Warren and his wife Marilyn are traveling around the country, and he shares his photographs, which appear in the “Posts from the Road” series published in the Sunday edition of the Los Alamos Daily Post.
Greycliff Interior: An interior view of the Greycliff Mill interior shows off the character of the timbers which were transported from a barn in New York to be reconstructed in Montana. The coffee bar and some gift items are just inside the front door to the left of this photo. The stairs lead to a sitting area upstairs where guests are encouraged to sit and stay awhile. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com
Flour Mill: The flour mill is at work all day at the Greycliff Mill. Shown is flour milled from wheat as it flows into a container below. The mill, which is dated from the 1870s was found in South Carolina and moved to Montana. The mill is the interior center piece in the Greycliff Mill. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com
Character and Decor: A view of the interior from the upstairs sitting area shows features and character of the old barn timbers which are the bones of this mill structure. Also seen are some of the interior decor, which adds to the warm and welcoming mill. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com
Mill Exterior: Shown is the deck in the back of the Greycliff Mill and the outdoor portion of the grist mill. The wooden water tank feeds water through a wooden trough to the water wheel on the side of the building. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com
