Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
except federal holidays) is a spectacular area for naturally inspired recreation. Some 232
bird species have been recorded at the refuge, including 53 that are rare or considered ac-
cidental. The refuge was founded in 1935 to protect the majestic trumpeter swans, which
are still happily in residence. Up to 2,000 tundra and trumpeter swans gather in the refuge
in early fall along with 50,000 ducks and geese. Springtime provides opportunities to see
(and hear!) nesting sandhill cranes. Hunting and fishing are permitted at specific places
and seasons within the refuge, but regulations change frequently and can be found through
Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks (406/444-2535 or 406/444-2950 for out-of-state licensing,
www.fwp.mt.gov
)
. One of the few marshland wilderness areas in the country, the area is in
its original natural state. Physical facilities are kept to a minimum, and formal trails are not
maintained or designated. This is a place to get away from the crowds and explore at your
own pace with minimal impact. To get to the refuge, turn off I-15 at Monida and drive 28
miles east on the gravel and dirt road.
Another 57 miles east of Dillon are Virginia City and Nevada City, two thriving ghost towns
left over from Montana's glorious gold-mining era. In May 1863, a party of six prospectors
left Bannack after a string of bad luck. While they set up camp for the night along Alder
creek, the men discovered what would become one of the richest gold deposits in North
America. Nine camps grew up along the creek almost overnight, the largest of which would
be named Virginia City.
Within a year, the town had upward of 10,000 residents and became the first territorial
capital. It was also the site of the state's first newspaper, the first public school, and the
first Masonic Lodge. The town's history is intertwined with the Vigilantes of Montana, the
group that would hang Sheriff Henry Plummer, among others, in 1864.
By 1875, much of the mining activity in the region had abated, and Virginia City's pop-
ulation had dwindled to less than 800. Over the years, as new technologies developed, in-
cluding the mining dredges, the area was mined over and over for traces of what might be
left. Still, between 1863 and 1889, some $90 million worth of gold had been extracted from
the region. Today, that amount of gold would be worth $40 billion.
