The river is unique for containing segments of all three Wild and Scenic River classifications (Wild, Scenic, and Recreational).
This is the river that Lewis and Clark saw, and in the Breaks, it looks much the same as it did when they hauled their keelboats against the current. The Upper Missouri is a slow, muddy, magnificent beast of a river, carving its way through a hundred and forty-nine miles of white sandstone cliffs, deep coulees, and cottonwood bottoms. It is the finest multi-day canoe trip in the American West. Period.
There are no rapids here. The water moves at a walking pace, maybe three or four miles an hour. The challenge is not technical water, but the sheer, beautiful isolation of the place. Once you launch at Fort Benton or Coal Banks, you are committed. The wind will howl up the canyon, fighting your progress. The mud on the banks will swallow your boots to the knee. But when the sun drops behind the rimrock and the cliffs glow like hot iron, and you are sitting by a driftwood fire listening to coyotes yip in the distance, you will understand why this place was worth saving from the dam builders. It is a piece of the original, unbroken prairie. Treat it with the reverence it deserves.
Put-in / access: Fort Benton Canoe Launch (47.8183, -110.6669) or Coal Banks Landing (47.7431, -110.2214)
Take-out: Judith Landing (47.7289, -109.6331) or James Kipp Recreation Area (47.5819, -108.6836)
Difficulty: Class I (Flatwater)
Mileage: 149 miles total (Fort Benton to James Kipp)
Season: May through September.
Hazards: Wind is the primary hazard. Upriver winds can bring forward progress to a dead halt. Deep, sticky mud at the landings.
Permits: $5 per person per day BLM river use fee. Large groups (30+) require a Special Recreation Permit.
Guided trips: Yes. Upper Missouri River Guides and Missouri River Outfitters.
Camping: Developed campgrounds at Coal Banks, Judith Landing, and James Kipp ($20/night). Primitive, dispersed camping is allowed anywhere on public land along the corridor.
Visitor Access
- Nearest town: Fort Benton
- Difficulty: Class I
- Season: May-September
- Mileage: 149 miles
- Permits & fees: River Use: $5 per person per day. Campgrounds: $20 per site per night at Coal Banks, Judith Landing, and James Kipp. Groups over 30 people require a Special Recreation Permit. Commercial operations also require a Special Recreation Permit.
- Hazards: Submerged rocks, tree snags, and powerful undertows may occasionally lurk beneath the surface. At ferry crossings (river miles 39.1 and 101.8), watch for low-hanging cables and strong currents; avoid the upstream side due to strong undercurrents. Be aware of rattlesnakes, slippery/crumbly sandstone, and symptoms of hypothermia or heat exhaustion. Sudden storms, strong winds, hail, and flash floods are possible.
- Guided trips: Yes - available through local commercial outfitters offering canoe rentals, fully guided canoe trips, motorized boat trips, and vehicle shuttles.
- Camping: Camping is allowed in developed campgrounds or at dispersed, undeveloped sites on public land anywhere along the river corridor. Campsites are first-come, first-served. Developed boat camps with vault toilets and fire rings are available in the White Cliffs section. Campgrounds at Coal Banks, Judith Landing, and James Kipp cost $20/site/night. Portable toilets are mandatory for overnight campers. Confirm current flows, closures, AIS inspections, and land-manager rules before you put in. Cold water and wood hazards kill—this guide is informational, not instruction.