Montana’s name is derived from the Spanish word montaña, which means mountain. She is also known by several nicknames, including “Big Sky Country,” “The Treasure State,” “Land of the Shining Mountains,” and “The Last Best Place.”
Montana is a land of spectacular mountains and plains. From the outstanding geological features of Yellowstone to the majesty of Glacier, Montana’s National Parks will inspire and astound you. You’ll see an abundance of wildlife – antelope, elk, moose, mountain goats, bighorn sheep, eagles, trumpeter swans, bears, wolves, and more.
Visitors will also enjoy adventure and excitement in the Old West by seeing the historic mining camps of Nevada City, Bannack, and more.
Montana has something for everyone, providing memories you will never forget.
Enjoy your travels in Montana, and welcome to the Big Sky Legends.
Kathy R. Weiser-Alexander
Editor
Montana Flag – Under the word “Montana,” on a blue field, is the state seal. The seal shows some of Montana’s beautiful scenery and tells what people were doing in pioneer times. The pick, shovel, and plow represent mining and farming. In the background, a sun rises over mountains, forests, and the Great Falls of the Missouri River. A ribbon contains the state motto “Gold and Silver.”
Categories:
Montana Ghost Towns & Mining Camps
Articles:
Barker & Hughesville – Ghost Camps in the Little Belt Mountains
Bitterroot Valley, Western Montana
The Bozeman Trail – A Violent Path to the Gold Fields
Adventures on the Bozeman Trail
Coolidge – Tumbling in the Forest
Comet – Silence on the Eastern Slope
A Day’s Drive With Montana Cowboys
Discovery of the Rocky Mountains
Garnet – Montana’s Best-Kept Ghost Town Secret
Ghost Town Ghosts in Bannack, Montana
Granite – Montana’s Silver Queen
Hecla Mining District in the Pioneer Mountains
Marysville – Growing Once Again
Nevada City – Outdoor History Museum
Nez Perce National Historic Trail
Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument
Virginia City, Montana – A Lively Ghost Town
The Writing of Jerry’s Riot: The True Story of Montana’s 1959 Prison Disturbance
© Kathy Alexander/Legends of America, updated November 2022.