Horse Prairie Valley

Once the domain of Shoshone, Bannock and Lemhi Indians, this quiet corner of southwest Montana witnessed some of the state’s earliest recorded history.
In August of 1805, Lewis and Clark reached the end of their navigable water route to the Pacific when they met the confluence of Horse Prairie and Red Rock creeks that formed the Beaverhead River. Today, the two creeks run into Clark Canyon Reservoir and the Beaverhead flows out of the lake. Following the banks of Horse Prairie Creek, they headed west to what is now Lemhi Pass in search of Sacajawea’s kin, the Shoshone, to trade for horses and to continue their journey on land. After securing the animals, they cached their boats and provisions on the west side of the pass and crossed the Continental Divide into what would become Idaho.
Trappers followed in their footsteps, but no permanent settlements were created. On July 28, 1862, however, the country changed forever…GOLD was discovered in Grasshopper Creek and Bannack was born. In 1864 it was named Montana’s first Territorial Capital. The town held 3,000 people with another 2,000 scattered up and down the gulch. By 1865 though, the treasure in Bannack was playing out and it lost its capital status to the newly created Virginia City, site of the biggest gold strike ever in Montana…Alder Gulch.
In its short life span, Bannack was the old west of legend. For awhile it was a lawless haven for outlaws including the infamous Sheriff Henry Plummer and his gang. Shoot-outs in the streets and saloons were common and cowboys, Indians and drifters converged on this rough mining camp. In response to the many killings and robberies, the Vigilante movement was spawned here.
Today’s Bannack (named with a misspelling after the Bannock Indians) is a true ghost town. Save for a few Fish, Wildlife and Parks employees, the almost 60 buildings still standing…hotel, churches, houses, saloons, and stores…are void of people. These are the original structures and preservation efforts have been unobtrusive. This silent place, a part of Montana’s birth, is very worthwhile to see; your imagination brings it to life. Bannack is west of Dillon off Hwy 278.
Then there is the nearby landscape…Horse Prairie Valley, the Tendoy, Pioneer and Beaverhead mountains and Clark Canyon Reservoir all south of Bannack and the East and West Pioneer mountains to the north. Some of the oldest and largest ranches in Montana sprawl across the valleys and foothills. The first cattle to arrive in Montana grazed in the Beaverhead Valley near Clark Canyon. And the remnants of the Bannack Freight Road, established in 1862, from Corrine, Utah to Bannack, can still be seen. Negotiating parts of it today (ask in Bannack) makes one realize how tough things were in those early years in our state.
Grant, an old stage stop, sits out on the flats of Horse Prairie along Hwy 324 twelve miles from Bannack. The former Grant Hotel from stagecoach days is now quiet and the major structure in this place of 25 people. It’s a sometimes-small hotel with dining room, bar, four antique filled guest rooms and a wealth of history. From Grant, 21 miles west takes you to 7,373-foot Lemhi Pass and the Beaverhead Mountains. Clark Canyon Reservoir, with its good fishing, between Monida Pass and Dillon on I 15, is seven miles east of Grant.
From Grant, access into the Tendoy Mountains is easy. The tops are relatively flat, open, and grassy. But this place isn’t wilderness and is honeycombed with roads, most are of the 4wd variety. One even leads to the top of the highest point, 9,571-foot Sourdough Peak. Inquire at the Forest Service or BLM offices in Dillon for maps and information. Most of the Tendoys are in public ownership.
For more of a roadless experience, travel 25 miles north of Bannack to Polaris and Elkhorn Hot Springs in the Grasshopper Valley. This handsome bottomland separates the East and West Pioneers. Trails from it lead to many high lakes (86 of them) and summits over 10,000 feet. Torrey and Tweedy top 11,000 feet. Some of the world’s oldest stands (500 years) of lodgepole pine grow in these mountains and arctic grayling fish inhabit some of the lakes.
Rustic Elkhorn Hot Springs, built in 1922, offers two outdoor hot pools, cabins, and rooms for those not wanting to camp out. Maverick Mountain Ski Area is just down the road.
You can camp in Bannack and on public lands. The Forest Service publishes a good map for this area … Southwest Montana – West Half. Check at a local USFS or BLM office first and if you can’t get it, call the Beaverhead National Forest in Dillon at 406-683-3900. For accommodations- Elkhorn Hot Springs (800-722-8978), Grasshopper Inn at Polaris (406-834-3456) and Horse Prairie Hilton Inn (406-681-3144).