# 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.

Source: https://camping-spirit.com/guides/b18-montana-gold-rush/

**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. 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 |
| Route | Bozeman → Hamilton |
| States | MT |
| Updated | May 13, 2026 |

## 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

1. **Bozeman** (MT)
2. **Lewis and Clark Caverns State Park** (Whitehall, MT): Montana’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.
3. **Virginia City** (MT)
4. **Nevada City** (Virginia City, MT): An 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.
5. **Dillon** (MT)
6. **Bannack State Park** (Dillon, MT): The 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.
7. **Big Hole National Battlefield** (Wisdom, MT): The 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.
8. **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.