Bannack: From gold town to ghost town

Placer gold was discovered in Bannack in July 1862 and the town boomed. Judging from the great brochure we got, it has a rich and colorful history. Today it's empty except for the (rare) pygmy rabbits which have taken over. We have another couple hundred photos, but it's tough to decide! We spent several idyllic days camped here on Grasshopper Creek and aside from a couple of tourists each day, we had the town to ourselves (unlike the summer months) ... and we loved it. Most of the buildings were open and accessible, so we rate this the best ghost town we've been in.

A deer across the street "posing" in front of the buildings.

They also liked our campsite.

Famous Hotel Meade

 Jimmy in jail!

You could see the gallows from the barred jail window!

"Brother Van's church"

Bunnies had the run of the old town.

View of the town from the "old" cemetery.

Jimmy having fun.

Picture taken from up a hill where the old still was.

"The roads and boardwalks are deserted. The doors sway in the wind. There are no children laughing and adults gossiping. The gold rush is long over. It is but a memory left in old dusty journals. With nightfall the spirits return to tell their tales." Sue Kaiser

We roamed over the old town and its surrounding hills, alongside its creek, hearing ghosts whisper in virtual asides. What a grand time we had!