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1997 Map of Bannack

Name: 1997 Topographic Map of Bannack
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 2002
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 2002

About this map

Bannack anchors the southwestern portion of this map, established at the site of Montana's first major gold discovery along the banks of Grasshopper Creek. By the late 1990s, the area is preserved as Bannack State Park, protecting the remains of the territory's original seat of government. The surrounding landscape of Badger Ridge and Badger Pass is dense with the legacy of the 1860s gold rush, evidenced by an extraordinary concentration of named lode and placer claims.

Mining history is etched into every canyon, from the Priscilla Mine and Golden Leaf Mine near the townsite to the more remote Del Monte Mine and Blue Dot Mine. Significant landmarks like Road Agents Rock and Hangmans Gulch hint at the era's reputation for lawlessness and the eventual rise of the Vigilantes. This survey, revised by the Dillon Ranger District within the Beaverhead National Forest, documents the complex network of mountain roads like Bannack Road that once connected these productive gulches to the outside world.