Upper Missouri River Breaks

Lewis and Clark’s White Cliffs by canoe.

From Fort Benton the Missouri runs 149 miles through a national monument that looks much as Lewis and Clark described it, with white sandstone cliffs, homesteads and open prairie. Most paddlers take the White Cliffs section from Coal Banks Landing to Judith Landing over three or four days, camping on public land along the way. The current is gentle, Class I, but it’s remote, with sudden storms and wind and almost no drinking water.

At a glance

Monument river miles

149, Fort Benton to James Kipp

White Cliffs section

Coal Banks to Judith Landing, 47 mi

Pace

15–20 mi/day; summer current about 3.5 mph

Rapids

Class I

Fees

$5/person/day river use; $20/night at developed campgrounds

Permit

None; registration encouraged; groups over 30 need one

Good for

Beginner, Intermediate

What’s here

• Flatwater
• Multi-day trips
• Paddle-in camping
• Guided tours
• Boat rentals
• Wildlife
• Fishing

Rentals, guides and shops

• Upper Missouri River Guides

  Fort Benton outfitter running guided canoe trips of one to seven days, with gear and meals included.

• Missouri River Outfitters

  Canoe and kayak rentals and tours from Fort Benton.

Where to stay

• hotelGrand Union Hotel

  Montana’s oldest operating hotel, built in Fort Benton’s steamboat days.

  Fort Benton
• b&bVirgelle Merc

  B&B rooms in an old mercantile plus era-style homestead cabins, near Coal Banks Landing.

  Near Coal Banks Landing

Nearby

• Missouri Breaks Interpretive Center · Fort Benton

  BLM center in Fort Benton with exhibits, river maps, boater guides and current conditions.

• Decision Point · Below Fort Benton

  Where the Marias meets the Missouri and Lewis and Clark spent days choosing which river to follow.

• Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center · 50 min drive

  Forest Service center on the expedition, in Great Falls.

• Historic Fort Benton · Fort Benton

  Old steamboat town where the monument’s river miles begin.

Getting there

• Great Falls International (GTF) · about 50 min drive
• Great Falls · about 0.75 hr
• Helena · about 2.25 hr
• Billings · about 3.5 hr

Directions in Google Maps