As the big Missouri passes Fort Benton on its downriver journey, it enters a unique region where it flows silently through a magnificent landscape barely touched over time. Here it commences its role as the centerpiece of a new national monument and is protected forever.

Rick and Susie Graetz, longtime outdoor photographers and travelers, have captured the essence of the Wild and Scenic Missouri River like no others. Their exquisite photography is, in itself, a visual treat, and combined with their essays on the past, present and future of the 149 miles of river, the reader is fully satisfied.
65 color photos.

Montana's Upper Missouri National Wild and Scenic River is a one hundred forty-nine mile wilderness stretch of the Missouri River that has changed but little since Lewis and Clark first saw it in 1805. In addition to the river corridor's incredible beauty, it played a major role in the settling of the West, and there are scores of important historic sites along its banks, including Indian encampments, Lewis and Clark campsites, steamboat landings, fur trading post sites, and abandoned homesteads. The Upper Missouri is the premier section of the Lewis and Clark Trail, which stretches from St. Louis to the Pacific coast. The Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument includes the Upper Missouri National Wild and Scenic River, as well as tens of thousands of acres of wilderness public lands adjoining the river corridor. The core of this book is a 'history digest', which locates important historic sites along the river, and provides a narrative describing the history of each site. When combined with the Bureau of Land Management maps for the river, floaters can relive the history of the Upper Missouri, while enjoying the beauty and peacefulness of the river. Additional chapters describe the river's geology, wildlife, and provide tips for individuals planning to float the Upper Missouri.

The Lewis and Clark Expedition ranks among history's greatest adventures: In the early 1800s, when the vast western territory of the United States was largely unexplored, Meriwether Lewis and William Clark, along with the Corps of Discovery traveled into the unknown and mapped a route across the country and back. Today, modern-day explorers can retrace the route with Traveling the Lewis and Clark Trail. In this expanded, thoroughly updated Bicentennial edition, veteran guide and travel author Julie Fanselow provides comprehensive information on activities, attractions, visitor amenities, and more for every state along the route. Inside you will find: history of the trail; suggested itineraries; where to go, what to see, and where to stay; detailed maps. Whether you are planning to cover a segment or the entire route, let Traveling the Lewis and Clark Trail show you how to make the most of your trip.

Montana's rivers hold a wealth of riches - something for everyone. The history buff can follow the routes of Lewis and Clark along the Missouri, the Jefferson, the Beaverhead, the Bitterroot rivers and experience others that the explorers named - the Marias, the Judith, the Gallatin, the Madison, the Dearborn, the Smith. The paddler looking for awesome whitewater finds it on the Gallatin, in the Madison's Beartrap Canyon, and the Clark Fork's Alberton Gorge. The Red Rock, the Swan, and other streams provide opportunities for birders, photographers, and wildlife watchers. Anglers can cast from a boat into the pools and riffles of Rock Creek, the Big Hole River, and many more. In this updated guide to Montana's rivers, Hank and Carol Fischer provide details on where to go; optimal flows, access points, and the river miles between them; which maps to bring along, and who to call for up-to-the-minute information on floating conditions. Paddling Montana makes the information easily accessible and can help you plan your next Montana river trip.