Bannack is a well-preserved ghost town near Dillon in Beaverhead County, Montana. ... Bannack is one of the many mining towns built in the 19th century in the United States because of the Gold Rush. News of the “golden rivers” expanded fast and prompted the greatest rush to the West since the California Gold Rush in 1848.
While living and working in Yellowstone I ventured to see this ghost town. I was very surprised by how well it was preserved. Bannack operates as a National Historic Landmark and is managed by the state of Montana as Bannack State Park. There is an area to camp as well as plenty of parking for tourists like myself. You pay a fee to get into the town and are free to roam around. When I picked up the literature of the town I was giving the warning that rattle snakes were around and liked to cool themselves in and by the town's many buildings. I was surprised at how many buildings were still standing and that the park personnel took great care of them. I walked around for a few hours and explored the area. The history of the town is very interesting and the violence that was also present is an interesting read too. You can even walk to where the gallows stood that saw some justice done to those who committed some crimes for the gold.
From their web site:
Even though Bannack was extremely remote and situated in a region where the winters are extremely cold, at its highest peak Bannack had approximately ten thousand people. There were three hotels, three bakeries, three blacksmith shops, two stables, a grocery store, a restaurant, a billiard hall and four saloons.
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