Missouri River Expedition

Canoeing the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail on Montana's Wild & Scenic Upper Missouri River.
5-Day (60 Miles) of easy floating (no rapids) and luxury "safari-style" camping.

If rivers could talk, the Missouri would tell a story few other rivers could match. Along her banks are the threads of every major theme of people's history on the Western Plains - the Indian cultures, white man's exploration, the fur trade, the steamboat era, the collision of white expansion with the Indian's last stronghold and the resultant military occupation, and finally, the establishment of permanent white settlements, the range-cattle industry and farming.

Learning about these themes in a fun, informative manner is the goal of our Missouri River Expeditions. To help bring a part of the river's history alive, we'll travel in 34' canoes that replicate those of the early voyageurs, or fur traders. As well, most departures are designated as "Journeys of Discovery" and are accompanied by talented authors and historians with specialized knowledge of the area. This factor alone sets our Missouri Trips a world apart from most others.

Our voyageur canoes are similar in size to the dugouts used by Lewis and Clark's Corps of Discovery. Each will carry up to 14 paddlers and two talented guides, making the perfect platform for spinning yarns and pointing out the many points of interest along the way. (We also offer the option of smaller 17' Mad River canoes for those with prior canoeing experience.) The smooth and pleasant current with no rapids make this a trip anyone in reasonable physical condition can enjoy.

Our adventure begins when we meet you in Great Falls, Montana. (The series of five Great Falls required nearly a month-long portage for Lewis and Clark's Corps of Discovery.) We recommend that you arrive early the day before your trip begins to visit the superb U.S. Forest Service Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center. The life-like exhibits are arranged in the chronological order of the Corps of Discovery expedition and highlight many of the Indian Tribes encountered. Visiting the Center is helpful in understanding the history we encounter and is an inspirational beginning for our own adventure.

The trip departs from Great Falls for a one-hour drive to the charming and historic town of Fort Benton, located on the banks of the Missouri. Here we make a quick stop to see the town and then drive to a scenic viewpoint of the confluence for the Missouri and Marias rivers (a critical decision point for Lewis and Clark). We arrive at our put-in at Coal Banks Landing where we enjoy lunch, followed by a brief orientation and safety talk. We board our canoes around 2:00pm and begin paddling to our first night's camp. Our camp boat has traveled ahead and set up a luxury camp including all tents.* We arrive in time to enjoy hors d'oeuvres as the low-slung sun casts golden hues on sandstone cliffs. After a bountiful dinner, the day ends with stories and songs around a crackling campfire. (*trips with 8 or less guests will not have a camp boat that goes ahead of the group.)

On day two, as the sun rises, your guides prepare a hearty breakfast, we break camp and launch. The river carries our canoe from its wide, meandering valley into the famous White Cliffs area - a deep, rugged gorge where the Missouri has cut through the sedimentary floor of an ancient inland sea. Steep, eroded cliffs reach a depth of nearly a thousand feet and reveal 10 million years of geologic history. Wind and water have eroded the sediments, creating massive rock crags and magical castles of dazzling white sandstone looming above the river. The journals of Lewis and Clark are filled with superlatives describing these wonders.

As we continue downstream, our itinerary allows plenty of time ashore to explore. We hike the Eagle Creek area, where Lewis and Clark camped on May 31, 1805, viewing the alcoves, amphitheaters and sandstone cathedrals of the

White Cliffs. Further on, we gaze upon Citadel Rock, a massive igneous intrusion, immortalized by German Prince Maximilian's artist Karl Bodmer in 1833. We hike to the Hole-in-the-Wall and surrounding coulees where some locals claim Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid hid with Kid Curry in the late 1890's.

As we explore, we also see evidence of the Indians who lived here - the Blackfeet and Gros Ventre. We see their teepee rings - circles of stones that were used to hold down buffalo hide tepee covers - from over a century ago. We talk about the other tribes - the Salish, Nez Perce and Shoshone - who came here from the Rockies to hunt buffalo. We learn the story of Chief Joseph's band of the Nez Perce who crossed the Missouri in September of 1877, near the end of their tragic 1200-mile flight for freedom.

As the Indians were moved to reservations, white settlers began to homestead the land. They struggled in a harsh, lonely environment. Today, almost all these homesteads have been abandoned, but as one walks through the empty corrals, tool sheds and cabins, it seems as if these pioneering souls left only yesterday.

Summer days on the Missouri are typically hot and dry and the cool river water welcomes swimmers. Above us soar golden eagles, hawks and falcons. Feeding from the river we see osprey and herons. Cottonwood, juniper and pine grow along with sagebrush, cactus and wildflowers, providing food and shelter for beaver, antelope, deer, elk and bighorn sheep.

After several dream-like days, we reach our take-out shortly after lunch, returning to our hotel in Great Falls by late afternoon.

We are proud of our unique 5-day itinerary that goes beyond the point that most other trips end, adding 12 miles of river beyond Judith Landing to give you a look at the stunning Missouri River Breaks, also known as "the Badlands". This added length allows us to visit several more Lewis and Clark campsite locations and more homesteads.

We invite you to float the Upper Missouri with us. A place where every paddle stroke and footstep resonates with history and wonder.

From Great Falls, MT
ZZ-Canoe-MT01
2006 Rates and Dates:
5 days/ 4 nights 
$ 1,295
Every Sunday June 11 - July 2 and Aug 20 - Sept 10
and
5 days/ 4 nights 
$ 1,395
Every Sunday July 9 - Aug 13

Trips begin/end in Great Falls, Montana. We feature guest historians on most trips. * Special pricing for kids age 5-9, (limited availability)

 

  .Meals:
The quality of our food reflects the quality of the wild and remote environment of the Upper Missouri. We hand-select the freshest fruits and vegetables we can find and pack them carefully in huge ice-coolers. Likewise, these coolers carry fresh dairy products and meats. From these ingredients we prepare bountiful, healthy meals. Cornish game hens stuffed with wild rice and served with broccoli with beárnaise sauce. Baked Idaho trout, served with green beans and Idaho mashed potatoes. Juicy Montana rib-eye steak, fajitas, or made-on-the-river lasagna are a few other possible entrees. Big salads of vegetables and fruit add color and variety to every meal. Desserts are made each evening in our Dutch ovens and range from double fudge brownies to pineapple upside-down cake. We serve juice each morning and moderate amounts of bottled wine with dinner. We also provide two beers and two sodas or juices per person per day. As well there's always plenty of cold water, lemonade mix, tea, coffee and cocoa. You're welcome to bring your own beverages or alcohol as well. We always have plenty of ice to keep your drinks cold.