Secondary Highway 357 (S-357). In Alder, MT 287 leaves the valley of the Ruby River and heads east through Alder Gulch, a narrow valley along which the highway ascends the more moderate mountains between the Tobacco Root Mountains to the north and the Gravelly Range to the south. The length of the valley is filled with tailings, or small hills of mining waste left behind by gold dredge placer mining over decades of mining. The highway passes through the village of Nevada City, the site of the Finney House and the Dr. Don L. Byam House. MT 287 follows the Alder Gulch Short Line Railroad, an isolated narrow-gauge railway, until the route reaches Virginia City. The highway enters the town on Nevada Street but mainly follows Wallace Street through the Virginia City Historic District, a National Historic Landmark preserving buildings of Montana's second territorial capital. MT 287 leaves Virginia City and ascends to its highest point along Daylight Creek. The highway descends into the valley of the Madison River along Eightmile Creek. MT 287 meets the northern end of S-249 (Varney Road) where the highway curves north on arriving at the Madison River. The highway enters the town of Ennis along Bauer Lane and curves east onto West Main Street before reaching its eastern terminus at US 287, which heads north and east along Main Street. History The corridor through which MT 287 passes was part of two migration routes along which settlers rushed to attempt to make their fortunes during the Alder Gulch gold rush that started in 1863. Virginia City was the target of both routes; the new town became the second capital of the Montana Territory in 1865. Settlers from the east followed the Bozeman Trail through Wyoming and eastern Montana, including the namesake city, and settlers from the south used the Virginia City branch of the Montana Trail from Utah and Idaho. After 10 years, the initial gold boom had ended, and the territorial capital moved to Helena in 1875. A second period of gold extraction came at the turn of the 20th century, when mechanical gold dredges arrived to tear up Alder Gulch to gather more gold. Gold dredge placer mining and some lode mining formed the basis of the area's economy until the gold ore was mostly exhausted; the dredge tailings along Alder Gulch remain a visible reminder of the area's mining past. No