Camping Trip to a Great Ghost Town! - Bannack, Montana

What happens when the sheriff is the leader of a murderous gang? Do you like ghost towns? We visited Bannack, MT, one of the best preserved ghost towns you can find, and tell the story of it's violent past, which led to the hanging of Sheriff Plumber and his gang of cutthroats, 25 men in all. The town was founded in 1862 and Plummer was hanged in 1864. It's part of our history and you can tour this incredible place! There is plenty of camping for all types of RVs in this beautiful area of Montana. Also, we found a fantastic "Taco Bus" in Dillon, MT with incredible Mexican food that we highly recommend!
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[@DanPopeko]

Great video. Very interesting.

[@gonagain]

Thanks for watching Dan!

[@explorer867]

Fun to see the old ghost town. It's amazing to see just how well preserved it is. Informative video Rick.

[@gonagain]

Yeah, that place is really interesting. Thanks Rob!

[@mmkiehn]

Can't believe its been 54 years since I first visited Bannack as a youngster. Thanks for restoring old memories.

[@arithia5874]

Wonderful, interesting, and we'll done review and tour. Thanks much!

[@eileenallemm1835]

I've been to Bannack back in early 90s nice to see it again thank for the tour.

[@gonagain]

It's nicer now Eileen, all the graffiti has been removed and it's manned by park rangers.

[@julierawlins5984]

Another great video. Thank you.

[@midway241]

I love this video. I love history and great stories of old abandoned places.

[@davedawe2420]

Excellent video. Thanks for the tour.

[@29roadie17]

Thanks for sharing your adventure. Very well preserved history. Looks like a great day for a visit. Thanks for the tip on the food truck too. They are on my list now.

[@sasquatch885]

That looks awesome. Amazingly well preserved. Another good reason to visit Montana! 👍🏻

[@mygarden365]

Thank you for the tour . Your videos are very well done.

[@gonagain]

Glad you like them!

[@RVingwithG]

Glad to see you out on the road!

[@gonagain]

Us too!

[@alfonsocasillas7290]

It looks like you guys were really hungry thank you for sharing

[@grannianni7681]

Thanks for the tour, that was a great video! Y'all stay safe Blessings

[@gonagain]

Thank you Granni!

[@SoonerGirlTravels]

Awesome video. I love looking at old places like this and wondering what it was like back in the day

[@gonagain]

Me too. I guess in some ways it was better, but then I think about it being 20 below zero and there not being indoor plumbing.

[@sharonsteele8915]

Beautiful old building.. thank you for the tour..

[@gonagain]

You're welcome Sharron, thanks for watching!

[@lyndarandall211]

Thank you again for a great video. I love the old buildings and the architecture. They did a great job keeping the buildings up too. That meal looked fantastic 😋 Take care and stay safe 🤗🐞

[@gonagain]

Thanks for watching Lynda!

[@markleaman8313]

Thanks for that Guys, I found it profoundly interesting, as well as educational. See ya on the next one, Cheers!

[@gonagain]

Awesome, thank you Mark!

[@moretoexplore6736]

I love Montana! Coming there (not as far as Bannack though) over Labor Day weekend. Planning to explore it more next year! Thank you for another informative video!

[@gonagain]

Thanks for watching Robin and enjoy your visit.

[@royhawkins9499]

Thanks for sharing enjoyed seeing the town, may need to add it to list of places to visit.

[@gonagain]

You should! That whole area of Montana is interesting.

[@The15secondsOfame]

Best channel!❤️

[@scenicdriveways6708]

Wow guys! Jo-Ann and I really enjoyed this video. We love visiting old towns like that. I'm going to have to put Bannack, MT on my bucket list. Have a great weekend. JT

[@gonagain]

There's a lot to see up here in Montana and you guys would love the trip.

[@scenicdriveways6708]

@@gonagain I've been to Montana a lot of times , but never really past the Billings area. ( except when we drove to Missoula, MT to buy our RV. Interestingly enough , my wife and I were going to move to the Bitteroot Valley area when we left the east coast , but when we researched the cost of living and the jobs available , we didn't feel we could make a living there. So we settled on Sheridan, WY instead. There is a lot we'd love to see in Montana. We may look for a work-camping gig there sometime? ( Jo-Ann is actively seeking remote work she can do on the computer , that will allow us to travel more. )

[@therongill8199]

Love that area of Montana. Been to Bannack about 4 years ago. Very interesting place. Will have to try out the Mexican food from the Bus in Dillon for sure. Thanks for sharing your story.

[@gonagain]

You should! That bus is owned and operated by Mexicans who know how to cook.

[@gregoutdoors7]

Very nice and interesting Rick and Linda 👍🏻😎 Thanks

[@gonagain]

You're welcome Greg.

[@miask]

Great tour Rick. The hotel must have been spectacular in its day. Thank you for taking us along! Hi Linda! Be safe…

[@gonagain]

Yes, I'll bet it was.

[@sickman1655]

Their you are again. You guys make such good videos. If we had not seen this, we would have never have seen their. The places of old are our favrite. We have so much history all around us. Great documentary, we really enjoyed. Always leave us envious that we are not their. Your videos give us the travelers weeby jeebys, especially as winter sets in. Gota go gota go !

[@gonagain]

Thank you for watching. We just like poking around in old places and seeking out the history. Stay warm.

[@mysticalmisfit1332]

🙌🏽🙌🏽 Wow, thanks for taking us along! Very interesting! You had me at tacos🌮🤤😃 Definitely have to check it out😊

[@gonagain]

I'm already planning our next excursion to take in that taco bus again.

[@kathybowen708]

Great Scott ! Kathy's been following me around all afternoon with a rope dragging behind her ! I gotta go hide ! Later ! Your good friend Vinny in good old Fla .

[@gonagain]

She learns fast!

[@brendar.8185]

I really enjoyed this video. Was visiting MT in 2008 and didn’t get to Bannack but did visit Virginia City and this video reminds me of visiting there. Good memories and a great video… Thank you.

[@gonagain]

Thanks for watching, Brenda!

[@malindawray6182]

Ty for the video not now a days stay safe

[@msgtjim4692]

Thanks for sharing this. This is only about a 5 hour drive from my location in Idaho. I'm thinking a short road trip in the next couple of weeks is on my agenda.

[@gonagain]

Don't forget the taco bus!

[@lindagolden9892]

Rewatching some vids today. I found this video to be quite interesting as I totally enjoy roaming through old ruins while imagining life back then. I’d luv to hear the stories those walls might reveal. ⛏

[@gonagain]

Yeah, you get the same feeling that we do in trying to imagine what their life was like.

[@tomburson5554]

One of my favorite places to visit

[@arnoldseay9118]

It’s really interesting to see old towns and ghost towns. Few are as well maintained as Bannok. I grew up in an old ranch house similar to some of those places. I remember the layers of wall paper and the old lath and plaster. Some of the craftsmanship in those old houses was amazing. All hand crafted. I remember a wooden keg of the old square nails in our barn. Looks like some parts of this country want to go back to no law and order. They might find out about vigilante justice. Interesting vlog.

[@gonagain]

I'm afraid you're right about the law and order and I hope things don't pan out that way. Thanks for tuning in Arnold!

[@1robertmkelly]

Looks like a very interesting town, especially with a little of the history to spice it up. This is the kind of place, I would love to visit, away from the crowds at the National parks

[@gonagain]

I agree, I prefer places without the crowds too.

[@taco472]

Did someone say “tacos “....??? If that Taco stand wasn’t famous it is how. Food looked great 👍🌮🌮🌮. Kool history lesson,thanks.

[@gonagain]

We're definitely going back. Thanks for watching Taco 47.

[@tomburson5554]

Really like the hospital/ doctor’s office!

[@user-kv9jw3ph2s]

Love the video. That first floor BR may have been the owner's quarters.

[@gonagain]

Could be. thank you.

[@CITAP1]

Great video! Love historic sites. Note To yourself, get camera light for those dark spaces... We made steak burritos for lunch today too. You chose wisely. Take care you two kidz...

[@gonagain]

I need a decent light for sure.

[@Cockeyed_Den8213]

Hello again Gonagain nice to see you two hope all is well with you both. I would love to have that stove I love to cook I have had 5 grills going at one time. I would only need that one stove. I love old house's I guess because I grew up in one not as old as these but close.. Nice little trip Thank you for sharing We hope your tomorrow is better than your today was.

[@gonagain]

Thanks Den. Yeah, that must have been quite the stove.

[@hairydogstail]

There is a picture of the late Leo Musburger in the gift shop, who was my grade school principle in Bonner Mt. His nephew is Brent Musburger, the sports caster. Leo retired after 1974 school year. The picture shows him as a young man as a teacher in Bannack. He was a good man and friend. My wife and kids always went to the Ghost walk in Bannack during the Halloween season. It became a yearly visit. A great place to go as a family.

[@gonagain]

The Ghost Walk in Bannack would be a lot of fun, weather permitting.

[@tomburson5733]

I’ve been there, lived in Helena for 8 years. My wife & I visited several places. Wish I never left.

[@gonagain]

Sometimes, in the middle of February, I wonder...

[@dncook1955]

Excellent job. great history lesson. Send me a taco!!!

[@tonyyost7125]

Another great video......t

[@gonagain]

Glad you enjoyed it, Tony. Thank you.

[@karlcostigan7633]

Wow, sure beats the heck out of my local Tombstone for well preserved but we still do inhabit Tombstone and it never was really a ''ghost town'' per se. On my bucket list, Thanks

[@gonagain]

We really enjoyed Tombstone this past winter. At first I was put off by the commercialism, but the businesses are of the type that stays true to the towns history and the buildings are still there with their rich history. You can open the same door that Wyatt did! I'd stop there again.

[@Perry3377]

Wild, Big sky Montana.... How did you guys end up settling in Montana? Someday we plan on visiting the west. Thanks for the historical adventures. Safe travels Perry

[@gonagain]

While living in Hawaii, I accepted a job here in Montana and thought it would only be temporary, but we liked it so much that we decided to stay. It has it's down side though and it's called "Winter"!

[@markhopper4600]

So just think 1 US Marshall covering two huge states, a judge not legally sworn and a crooked sheriff. Either fight or flee......guess there were not many options back then. Hard life, hard times.....Another great tour me amigo!

[@PilotMcbride]

Great stuff guys, very nice episode, enjoyed it immensely. Well, I'm on the repair now after spending a couple of weeks in a big smoke hospital as my initiation into the "Zipper Club". Cheers guys, stay well.

[@gonagain]

What happened Pilot?

[@PilotMcbride]

@@gonagain Double bypass + other remedial work mate. Just catching up on missed vids. Take care!!

[@gonagain]

I hope you're doing well.

[@PilotMcbride]

Gonagain the surgery was great! Didn’t feel a thing. Recovery is long and , well, let me put it this way, AAGGHH 😂😂😂. Still got 2 weeks to go before I can drive again, can’t chop wood or drive a truck for another 10, a lot of restrictions and 2hrs travel for specialist backup. Hadn’t had a haircut for 20 years then was listening to the radio and they were discussing mental health and a movement to promote some fundraising called “Mullets for Mental Health”, you know like Magyver & Mel Gibson for this month. So I thought why not........ Got my haircut on Thursday, heartache Friday, operated on 10 days later, out last Sunday, no mucking around, 😂😂 Haircuts are dangerous to your health, 😆😆 👋👋👋

[@gonagain]

@@PilotMcbride Samson got his hair cut and look what happened to him! Glad to hear you're ok though so just take it easy and get your strength back.

[@UncleBuckle50]

I can't believe you ate the whole thing!

[@gonagain]

Couldn't help myself, it was really good.

[@galardmills5306]

You didn’t show us a single outhouse! And I’m certain that the hotel had a couple of three holers. When I walk through hotels I imagine the chamber pots, plain enameled ones and fancy porcelain ones. And the chamber maids who had to empty them every morning, and clean them. Can you tell I appreciate indoor plumbing? Especially in the winter! Bannack reminds me of South Pass City, WY. Now that you teased it, I’m looking forward to stopping in Bannack!

[@gonagain]

This is the best ghost town that I've seen, mainly because the state takes good care of it and it's not commercialized in any way. There's an awful lot of houses and buildings that I didn't have time to show you there so you do need to visit yourself.

[@SamuraiMama]

Thanks for the tour! Even though I've been there, I forgot all that stuff haha.

[@gonagain]

You should go back so that you can visit the taco bus.

[@SamuraiMama]

@@gonagain sounds like a good plan!

[@gsp49]

That first building reminds me of the house I grew up in south Georgia, but my home place was much older with Georgia marble floor. Still there, because Sherman didn't go that far south, from Macon on up the houses were burned during the war, the wells poisoned, young men shot, women raped, food and livestock stolen, the only reason the north won. The kitchen area was usually separate from the rest of the house, God forbid having the stinky outhouse indoors. The moral decline, and the decline of family values in this country started when they moved the bathroom indoors, and family members could smell each other's ...

[@billwilliamson9842]

I have a cousin that lives in Dillon, I'll have to see the ghost town and chomp down some good food from that bus whenever I get out that way. great video

[@gonagain]

Thanks for watching, Bill. We love the Dillon area, those 2 ghost towns and good food, how can you go wrong with that?

[@billwilliamson9842]

@@gonagain Yep and I love the fact they let you walk around in those old places, touch stuff, pick stuff up etc Hopefully people don't remove things though. Soon as I get my bus campable i'll be lookin to hit the road, love it here in se ky which has all its own sorts of things to discover but the trails here are pretty darn rough to go on with anything but a 4wd 4 wheeler or a mini bike if your back can handle that, just lift and carry it over the bad spots. One thing i wish was available is a 50 state fishin license, be nice to be able to wet a line whenever you come across a nice place.

[@everintransit4240]

The chimney inlet is high so the stove pipe can be longer providing more area for radiant heating.

[@gonagain]

That's right, they knew how to get the most out of those wood stoves.

[@randybusbee3456]

I would love to do what you guys are doing, your videos are the closest way for me to escape from my monotonous life of hard work. Getting nowhere in hot miserable FLA.

[@gonagain]

I hope you can break away one of these days.

[@richardg442]

Looks a fun place to go. At around 5:40 there's a voice that doesn't sound like yours. It sounds like it says "We do" or something like that. Ha, maybe you were being "followed."

[@tomburson5733]

Cold there in the winter!

[@gonagain]

Yep, it certainly is. I call that season "Arizona" and try to head there to thaw out.

[@shopart1488]

Maybe they had something there with the wood base for the brick chimneys. Sure has lasted a long time.

[@gonagain]

Sure has. Thanks for watching.

[@garretlewis4103]

Very cool place. I am surprised it is all opened up for you to go through. I figured they would be concerned about people vandalizing and messing stuff up. Ok, should have waited to the end. It being a state park explains a lot. Is it a state park just for the town or can you camp there too?

[@gonagain]

It's located outside of town and there is a state park campground located onsite as well as numerous National Forest Campgrounds within easy driving distance.

[@simonemueller7693]

Absolutely with the stove it’s the coup de grace

[@MegaBait1616]

Just in your beautiful state on a 9,000 mile trip around the US. Wished I knew bout this place, Be Well............

[@gonagain]

Nice trip! Well wishes.

[@MegaBait1616]

@@gonagain , thanks took a good month to do. I've been to most states flying but ya really get to talk to people when you drive. Be Well.

[@donmthg]

That's not too far from me. I'll have to drag the camper there in next season and see the place. Pluss, fish the stream.

[@gonagain]

It's a really nice area, have fun!

[@donmthg]

@@gonagain I am over in Emigrant, Paradise Valley. Have you guys been in that area? There's plenty of off the beaten path places to drag your camper to.

[@gonagain]

Paradise Valley is correctly named because it's so beautiful there. We haven't camped in that area yet though.

[@tomburson5733]

Garnett is another interesting place

[@gonagain]

Yes it is, with camping nearby also.

[@sickman1655]

Kinda funny, When we bought our house we were told it was 50 back in 2000. In 2010 we did some renovating and found that the house was not a house at all. When we removed siding found 3 lairs lapped wood cut and ripped on site. Walls are 6" thick and solid. So old and hard you cant even drive a nail into it to hang a picture. Turned out some where back in and around the 1900s our house was not a house, it was a wheel repair shop. Like alot of shops there was alot of junk. Most of the property has several feet of fill but up close to the house you find litter from as far back as the mid to late 1800s. My favrite is the old bottles. No plastic or aluminum so everything was glass. Wheel repair must have been painful because laudanum bottles are common. Lol As we pulled apart the structure found all sqaure nails. Very hard to remove them. I saved a bunch and mounted on a plaque. Reminds me how deceptive things can be. Never know whats behind that facade.

[@gonagain]

What an interesting place. Makes you wonder about the people who have lived there.

[@miket8324]

Rick do you think the high ceilings allowed for tall windows to bring in more light? Also the windows over the doors look to help pass light from room to room. What do you think?

[@gonagain]

No Mike, the high ceilings are known to be for cooling and the transom door for cross ventilation in those old buildings. Can you imagine not having any insulation at all? Holy moly.

[@jimv.661]

A place without police.....hmm.....Seattle? Portland? Ha! Always liked those dovetailed log cabins. They really stood up to time. A ranch I hunted in NW NE had an old abandoned log cabin. The entire inside was papered in German newspapers from the 1880s. The Catholic Mission had owned it for 99 years before they sold it in the late 1980's so I've always wondered if the cabin owners were the one's that passed the ranch on. And while I'm on nostalgia, cast iron stoves always remind me of a friend's father and grandparents. His grandparents homesteaded a ranch in Wyoming. My friend's father was born premature and the doctor told his grandmother with would be best if she just set the baby aside and let him die. She couldn't do it and kept the baby in a shoebox up in the warming part at the top of the woodstove. She fed him with a dropper. My friend's father was always on the mean side.

[@gonagain]

He was lucky that he lived! Cool story and thanks for sharing. I know that Nebraska was settled by a lot of Germans back in the mid to late 1800s.

[@mercibeaucoup2486]

🙌🏻

[@the4thj]

OH VERY COOL! Have you been to Bodie California?? EDIT: Only go in summer the weather is way more unpredictable than Montana.

[@gonagain]

Not yet, but one of these days because that area looks interesting.

[@Davis2you]

Hey I’m building a trailer similar to yours, I’m curious what kind of flooring you put in the trailer? And is it waterproof thanks

[@gonagain]

The floor we have is just the original factory floor that we painted with "porch and floor" enamel. Every couple of years we give it a fresh coat.

[@franknowakowski3103]

3-7-77. still on the MT Hwy Patrol shoulder patch.

[@gonagain]

That's right!

[@franknowakowski3103]

@@gonagain only one other LE patch with an inference to an illegal activity besides the MHP; Salem Mass. has a little witch on a broomstick , thew infamous witch trials.

[@gonagain]

@@franknowakowski3103 That's interesting Frank, thanks.

[@wrbruce6100]

I could see why everyone in that ghost town was mean didn’t see any outhouses. I was seventeen before we had air condition. Could you imagine the person standing over that big stove and cooking in the heat of summer and serving up big piping hot cups of coffee to the customers. Of course people back then were for real tough not make believe. Take care my friend, always like you videos.

[@gonagain]

Thank you for watching WR!

[@tomburson5554]

Bannock use to be the capitol!

[@williamcrawford7982]

All gone,food that is.

[@rogerdalemckinney2889]

That old stove is worth a fortune

[@tomburson5554]

Mine is still open, still mining gold!

[@gonagain]

I didn't know that, thanks Tom.

[@rogerharris8081]

The date of 1865 for the construction of the hotel, O.K. got that. What were the dates that the town cleaned up their plumbing problems? Oops, I mean Plummer problems!

[@gonagain]

The town itself was founded in 1862 and Plummer was hanged in 1864. Thanks Roger!

[@tomburson5733]

Did you pan for gold while you were there?

[@gonagain]

No we didn't, but you can!

[@nickmad887]

Thank you see you later.

[@gonagain]

See you later, Nick!

[@gringo3009]

Beer and good Mexican food is proof that God loves us! (Or something like that.)

[@billygall1937]

You folks still camping this year in2021.

[@gonagain]

You bet! We spent January in Arizona and are planning other trips as well.

[@malindawray6182]

What state is this

[@gonagain]

Montana

[@malindawray6182]

Ty God bless

[@Andrea.7678]

Why didn’t they stay is it that bad there Montana

[@gonagain]

That's what happens when the gold runs out, people seek opportunities elsewhere.

[@Andrea.7678]

@@gonagain It’s so beautiful there when I watch your videos I get a sense of freedom thank you

[@jamesbailey4374]

Intro is awesome but loud like ads

[@gonagain]

Thanks for the input James, I'll work on it.

[@jimstone5401]

They forgot to add the horse poo-doo for authenticity.

[@gonagain]

That could be remedied. lol!

[@billygall1937]

By the way I don't know how to get your answers.

[@gonagain]

Hello Billy, answers to your KZbin comments should appear where you see the "Notifications" bell in the upper right hand corner on your screen on your KZbin home page.

[@seymourwrasse3321]

the lawmen of the day sometimes worked both sides of the street

[@gonagain]

True, our MT history has a famous/infamous lawman who led a gang of outlaws.