Montana's Wild & Scenic Upper Missouri River
Trip Overview
“Eventually, all things merge into one, and a river runs through it. The river was cut by the world's great flood and runs over rocks from the basement of time. On some of the rocks are timeless raindrops. Under the rocks are the words, and some of the words are theirs. I am haunted by waters.”
— Norman Maclean, A River Runs Through It
The Missouri River is the longest river in North America, and one of the longest in the world, even though its lower section is named the Mississippi. The Upper Missouri National Wild and Scenic River flows east for some 150 miles through some of the wildest, loneliest, and most historically significant stretches of open space in the lower 48. This desolate and fissured landscape is known as the Missouri Breaks. Meriwether Lewis called this country "scenes of visionary enchantment"—an appraisal that still holds true today.
The section from Fort Benton to Coal Banks is studded with islands and riverbanks alive with wildlife and various birdlife. Deer, pronghorn antelope, bighorn sheep, elk, and 212 species of birds call this place home. Its scenic sweep through some of Montana's best riparian habitat is matched only by its place in the heart of the country's historic westward expansion—Lewis and Clark made their way past the same wilderness bluffs some 200 years ago.
When we aren’t playing on the water we will take the time to explore the narrow canyons, sandstone arches, and the same shorelines where Lewis and Clark made their camps. In the spectacular White Cliffs area we will make the climb to the famous Hole-in-the-Wall. In other wilderness areas we will discover ravines, abandoned homesteads, and the remains of native Indians in the form of rock circles.
All trip participants will be picked up at one pm. at the Great Falls Airport on September 12th. We will then be shuttled via private van to our riverside camp for the night near Fort Benton. On September 20, all participants will be shuttled back to our original campsite near Fort Benton. On the 21st everyone will be dropped off at the airport in Great Falls early in the morning.
“Eventually, all things merge into one, and a river runs through it. The river was cut by the world's great flood and runs over rocks from the basement of time. On some of the rocks are timeless raindrops. Under the rocks are the words, and some of the words are theirs. I am haunted by waters.”
— Norman Maclean, A River Runs Through It
The Missouri River is the longest river in North America, and one of the longest in the world, even though its lower section is named the Mississippi. The Upper Missouri National Wild and Scenic River flows east for some 150 miles through some of the wildest, loneliest, and most historically significant stretches of open space in the lower 48. This desolate and fissured landscape is known as the Missouri Breaks. Meriwether Lewis called this country "scenes of visionary enchantment"—an appraisal that still holds true today.
The section from Fort Benton to Coal Banks is studded with islands and riverbanks alive with wildlife and various birdlife. Deer, pronghorn antelope, bighorn sheep, elk, and 212 species of birds call this place home. Its scenic sweep through some of Montana's best riparian habitat is matched only by its place in the heart of the country's historic westward expansion—Lewis and Clark made their way past the same wilderness bluffs some 200 years ago.
When we aren’t playing on the water we will take the time to explore the narrow canyons, sandstone arches, and the same shorelines where Lewis and Clark made their camps. In the spectacular White Cliffs area we will make the climb to the famous Hole-in-the-Wall. In other wilderness areas we will discover ravines, abandoned homesteads, and the remains of native Indians in the form of rock circles.
All trip participants will be picked up at one pm. at the Great Falls Airport on September 12th. We will then be shuttled via private van to our riverside camp for the night near Fort Benton. On September 20, all participants will be shuttled back to our original campsite near Fort Benton. On the 21st everyone will be dropped off at the airport in Great Falls early in the morning.