Montana’s gold rush trail: Virginia City, Bannack and Big Hole
Caverns, gold-rush towns, a ghost town that was once a territorial capital and a Nez Perce battlefield on the back roads of southwest Montana.
- Distance
- 433 km (269 mi)
- Driving
- 4 h 48 min
- Suggested days
- 4
- Stops
- 8
- States
- MT
- Updated
- May 13, 2026
At a glance: 4-day road trip of about 433 km (269 mi) with 8 stops, from Bozeman to Hamilton. About 4 h 48 min of driving in total.
More road trips in Montana
Route description
Leave Bozeman west on I-90 to Three Forks, where Missouri Headwaters State Park marks the start of the Missouri River. Then take MT-2 west to Lewis and Clark Caverns State Park, about 75 km from Bozeman. Guided cave tours run from May to September and involve many steps; the park has a campground and cabins. Book ahead in summer.
From the caverns, take MT-359 south to US-287 and drive through Harrison and Ennis. MT-287 then climbs over the hills to Virginia City, a gold-rush town founded in 1863 that still has its original wooden storefronts. In summer, a narrow-gauge train runs to Nevada City, 2 km west, an outdoor museum of old buildings brought from all over Montana.
MT-287 continues west through the Ruby Valley to Twin Bridges, where MT-41 heads south to Dillon, passing Beaverhead Rock, a landmark recognized by Sacagawea on the Lewis and Clark expedition. Dillon is a ranching town with a university. From there, take I-15 south and MT-278 west to Bannack, one of the best-preserved ghost towns in Montana, reached by a short gravel road.
MT-278 continues west over Badger Pass and Big Hole Pass into the Big Hole Valley, a wide basin of hay meadows, to Wisdom. From here, MT-43 runs west to Big Hole National Battlefield, where a trail leads through the site of the 1877 battle. Continue over Chief Joseph Pass to US-93 at Lost Trail Pass, then north down the Bitterroot Valley to Hamilton.
Stop-by-stop itinerary
In driving order. Distances are estimates between consecutive stops.
- 1Start
Bozeman
MT - 278 km
Lewis and Clark Caverns State Park
NatureWhitehall, MTMontana’s first state park, with limestone caverns full of stalactites and columns, and a summer nursery colony of bats. The guided tour takes about two hours with many steps; the park also has a campground and cabins.
- 371 km
Virginia City
MT - 43 km
Nevada City
HistoryVirginia City, MTAn open-air museum of relocated gold-rush buildings 2 km west of Virginia City, with a hotel, shops and a music hall collection. A narrow-gauge train links the two towns in summer; most buildings close in winter.
- 564 km
Dillon
MT - 634 km
Bannack State Park
HistoryDillon, MTThe ghost town of Montana’s first territorial capital, founded in the 1862 gold strike, with more than 50 buildings you can walk into. It is reached by a gravel road southwest of Dillon and has a campground.
- 789 km
Big Hole National Battlefield
HistoryWisdom, MTThe site of the 1877 battle between Nez Perce families and the US Army, in a quiet mountain valley on MT-43. A visitor center explains the flight of the Nez Perce, and trails lead to the camp site.
- 893 km
Hamilton
MT
FAQs
How long is Montana’s gold rush trail: Virginia City, Bannack and Big Hole?
4-day road trip of about 433 km (269 mi) with 8 stops, from Bozeman to Hamilton. About 4 h 48 min of driving in total.
How many days do you need for Montana’s gold rush trail: Virginia City, Bannack and Big Hole?
We suggest 4 days: about 4 h 48 min of driving, which leaves time for the stops.
Where does Montana’s gold rush trail: Virginia City, Bannack and Big Hole start and end?
It starts in Bozeman and ends in Hamilton.
Which states does Montana’s gold rush trail: Virginia City, Bannack and Big Hole pass through?
Montana.
