Nevada City Ghost Town•Montana

00:00     Title
00:16     Virginia City
11:41     Nevada City
18:41     Fin

​Nevada City is literally located right next door to Virginia City, so both of these famous Montana ghost towns can easily be toured in one day. The old placer gold fields are located next to Nevada City and there are active claims that are open for visitors, which means any extra daylight hours can be spent panning for the shiny metal. Volumes of old west history took place in this area and a lot can be learned about the past, so a trip to Nevada City and Virginia City is guaranteed to be a fulfilling experience!

A previous article details old Virginia City and the Boot Hill Road Agent Graveyard, which are a great place to start the day. Virginia City ended up being the commerce center for this territory, so it naturally became a bigger town than Nevada City. This still holds true in modern times and the old historic main street area offers plenty of shopping and dining options. Doing the museum tour in Virginia City will answer all questions, while providing valuable insight. 

Nevada City was founded earlier than Virginia City and the overall look is far more rustic. Montana was still an unsettled territory when gold was discovered nearby in Grasshopper Creek back in 1863. Grasshopper Creek soon turned into the boom town of Bannack and it did not take long for prospectors from Bannack to discover gold near a small fur trapper outpost in the Crow Territories back then. The newly formed gold camp later became Nevada City. 

Nevada City eventually turned into a prosperous commerce center of its own, but the mountain man roots of this old settlement helped to retain its rustic character. The old town building materials are mountain man style split wood and timber poles, which are a world apart from the refined look of Virginia City. Nevada City is as rustic as it gets and this old ghost town truly is representative of just how untamed and lawless this region once was.

There is plenty to see and do in Nevada City even though the old historic main street area is only a couple hundred yards long. Many old restored buildings are scattered throughout town and guests can even book an overnight stay in the old original miner cabins. Basically, old Nevada City is managed as an outdoor living museum with accommodations that offer a chance to step back into the days of the old wild west. 

The sound of walking on the wood plank sidewalks definitely adds to the charm in Nevada City. This historic destination will appeal to old west ghost town aficionados, because it is one of the rare examples that boasts mountain man heritage. Both Nevada City and Virginia City can be done as a day trip, yet for those who want to live the old west experience to the fullest, there certainly are some interesting lodging options in this mining camp!