Learn and Explore

The Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument is rich in natural, cultural, and historical features that highlight its unique significance. Key areas include the Upper Missouri National Wild and Scenic River, the Lewis and Clark and Nez Perce National Historic Trails, six Wilderness Study Areas, the Missouri Breaks Back Country Byway, and the Cow Creek Area of Critical Environmental Concern—all contributing to the monument’s distinctive character.

Bordering the final stretch of the scenic river is the Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge, home to native prairies, forested coulees, and badlands famously captured in Charles M. Russell’s artwork. The refuge is managed primarily for wildlife, supporting elk, sharptail grouse, and other species, while also preserving cultural and paleontological resources and offering recreational opportunities.

Across the monument, visitors encounter signs of the region’s geologic history, Native American heritage, Lewis and Clark’s expedition route, early homesteads, and modern ranches. Many public lands are interwoven with private property, where multi-generational ranching families have played a key role in preserving the landscape’s unique character and values.

History

As a route of western expansion, the Missouri River had few equals. Lewis and Clark spent three weeks, from May 24 through June 13, 1805, exploring the segment that is now the Upper Missouri National Wild & Scenic River. Today this portion is considered to be the premier component of the Lewis & Clark National Historic Trail. Captain Clark wrote about the badlands saying, "This country may with propriety, I think, be termed the Deserts of America, as I do not conceive any part can ever be settled, as it is deficient in water, timber, and too steep to be tilled." Of the White Cliffs, Captain Lewis wrote, "The hills and river clifts, which we passed today exhibit a most romantic appearance . . ." and described " . . . eligant ranges of lofty freestone buildings, having their parapets well stocked with statuary . ." and ". . . seens of visionary enchantment (sic) . . . ." They spent days at the mouth of the Marias River trying to resolve the dilemma of which river to follow.

During the years following the passage of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, the Blackfeet Indians showed such an uncompromising hatred for Europeans that the Blackfeet effectively prevented the penetration of their territory by trappers. The American Fur Company was finally successful in opening the upper river to trade in 1831. In that year they established Fort Piegan at the mouth of the Marias River. The following year they moved eight miles up river and established Fort McKenzie. In 1844, McKenzie was abandoned and operations were moved down river to the mouth of the Judith River, and Fort Chardon was established. In 1845, Fort Chardon was abandoned and Fort Lewis was established a few miles above Fort Benton. In 1846, Fort Lewis was abandoned and they moved a few miles down river and established Fort Clay. At a Christmas party in 1850, Fort Clay was renamed Fort Benton.

The confluence of the Judith and Missouri Rivers was the setting for two important peace councils. In 1846, Catholic missionaries Father Pierre-Jean de Smet and Father Nicholas Point celebrated Mass for the Flathead and Blackfeet tribes to pacify relations between these traditional enemies. In 1855, Washington Territorial Governor Isaac Stevens conducted a treaty council with the Blackfeet, Flathead, Gros Ventre and Nez Perce. This treaty established boundaries and provided for railroads, roads, telegraph lines and military post access across what is now northern Montana.

Geology

Today's river traveler sees many widely contrasting scenes. The wide, fertile valley below Fort Benton differs considerably from the scenic white cliffs down river from Coal Banks Landing. The stark, rugged badlands below Judith Landing present still another vista.

The valley of the Upper Missouri is a living museum, the product of many events over time. The land was originally laid down in horizontal layers, the sediments and shorelines of a great inland sea that once covered most of the Great Plains. These layers have since been folded, faulted, uplifted, modified by volcanic activity and sculpted by glaciers. Erosion then added to the variety seen along the river today, a landform known as the Breaks.

Erosion has cut through the layers deposited by the great inland sea which covered the area for about ten million years (starting some 80 million years ago). The shoreline of the sea migrated back and forth across the area in response to climatic changes and shifts in the earth's crust. Marine deposits, materials that settled out of the water to the bottom of the sea, resulted in beds of shale. Just like the oceans of today, sandstone layers were deposited along shorelines and river deltas. The river's downcutting through this "layer-cake" of sandstone and shale has exposed some ten million years of geologic history.

Erosion also washed away the soft sediments from around the harder volcanic materials that were extruded into cracks in the shales and sandstones. Consequently, walls or "dikes" stand out from the surrounding bottom lands and valley slopes. At places, large intrusive plugs capture the traveler's attention. The black color of these volcanic features contrasts sharply with the lighter colored shales and sandstones.

Wildlife

Forty-nine species of fish (ranging from 1/2-oz. minnows to 140 lb. paddlefish) reside in the river. Anglers are most likely to catch goldeye, drum, sauger, walleye, northern pike, channel cat, carp, and small mouth buffalo. Of the six remaining paddlefish populations in the United States, the Upper Missouri's appears to be the largest in average size. Generally only taken by snagging in the spring during upstream spawning runs, they are excellent table fare. Occasionally floaters may see these lunkers roll on the surface. Other unusual species in the river are the endangered pallid sturgeon and shovel nose sturgeon.

Shoreline areas provide habitat for soft-shelled turtles, beaver and a wide variety of waterfowl.

The riparian zone immediately adjacent to the river bank is the most important vegetative type in the river valley. Riparian habitat, like that along the Upper Missouri, makes up less than 1% of the vegetative mosaic of the west, yet a greater variety of wildlife species depend upon it than any other vegetative type in the West. The riparian zone is a complex ecological community. It is fragile and its survival depends upon many of the natural forces that at first glance appear to be quite harsh.

A dynamic and essential element of the riparian zone is the river itself. Both vegetation and wildlife in this area are dependent upon normal fluctuations in water height and silt load and the river's tendency to meander. High flows recharge groundwater to levels needed by riparian vegetation and deposit nutrient rich soils across bottom lands. The river's meandering builds new gravel bars, islands, and new bottom lands to replace those that have become too high and dry for riparian vegetation.

Most of the 60 species of mammals, 233 species of birds, and 20 species of amphibians and reptiles that inhabit the Upper Missouri River valley are dependent in one way or another upon the riparian zone. Among the more common species are white-tailed deer and pheasant. While at one time they only visited the area during the late fall and winter, bald eagles are again nesting in cottonwood snags.

Between the riparian zones and the valley slopes are the bottom lands. One of the most common species living here is the prairie dog, a critter that is especially popular with visitors from outside the region. Mule deer and sharp-tailed grouse are also found in the valley slopes and coulees.

The plains above the valley provide habitat for antelope and sage grouse. Elk and bighorn sheep use a variety of these habitat types.

A very special place in the cross-section of the river valley is the cliff faces. Nooks and crannies in the cliffs provide perching and nesting habitat for the many raptors that inhabit the river area. Among them are the sparrow hawk, prairie falcon, and golden eagle.

In addition to those mentioned above, you might also see pronghorn antelope, coyotes, mountain lions, red fox, badger, raccoon, skunk, beaver, porcupine, muskrat, numerous waterfowl, songbirds, raptors and reptiles.

Wild and Scenic River

The Missouri is the longest river in the United States, flowing more than 2,500 miles from its source on the eastern slope of the Rockies near Three Forks, Montana, to its confluence with the Mississippi River at St. Louis, Missouri. Congress designated 149 miles of the Upper Missouri as a component of the National Wild and Scenic River System in 1976, calling it an irreplaceable legacy of the historic American west. Congress further stated that the river, with its immediate environments, possesses outstanding scenic, recreational, geological, fish and wildlife, historic, cultural, and other similar values. BLM was directed to preserve the Upper Missouri River in a free-flowing condition and protect it for the benefit of present and future generations.

The UMNWSR boundary starts at Fort Benton, Montana, and runs 149 miles downstream ending at the James Kipp Recreation Area.

For more information visit the Upper Missouri National Wild and Scenic River page.

Wilderness Study Areas

Cow Creek WSA
This WSA covers 34,050 acres on the north side of the Missouri River. Of this total, 21,590 acres were recommended as suitable for wilderness designation. The size of the area, opportunities for solitude and primitive recreation, and the attractiveness of the setting combine to provide excellent wilderness quality. A diversity of recreational opportunities makes this area excellent for primitive recreational use, and a four-mile long sheer wall of sandstone is an outstanding scenic feature.

Woodhawk WSA
This WSA covers 4,800 acres on the south side of the Missouri River. More than 90 percent of the WSA is within the UMNWSR corridor, located in a very rugged portion of the Missouri Breaks. None of this WSA was recommended for wilderness designation because of the combination of small size and configuration of the WSA which are affected by offsite sights and sounds and have a high potential for natural gas development. This WSA does not contain outstanding primitive recreation opportunities.

Stafford WSA
The WSA covers 10,200 acres on the north side of the Missouri River. Approximately 5,060 acres along the southern boundary of the WSA lay within a wild segment of the UMNWSR corridor. None of this WSA was recommended for wilderness designation due to a variety of resource conflicts and manageability concerns including a high potential for natural gas development. The WSA contains few opportunities for outstanding solitude and primitive recreation. However, the area is very scenic and rugged, combining steep slopes with narrow ridges.

Ervin Ridge WSA
The WSA is on the south side of the Missouri River and contains 5,150 acres. Just over 3,900 acres are within the UMNWSR corridor. None of this WSA was recommended as suitable for wilderness designation due to the high potential for natural gas development and the potential for wilderness management conflicts. The small size of this area, along with terrain that opens to major off-site influences just beyond its boundaries, limits the opportunities for outstanding solitude to isolated areas in the deeper drainages. The area also lacks outstanding opportunities for primitive recreation, the scenic quality is lacking for designation.  

Dog Creek WSA
This 8,100 acre WSA is on the south side of the Missouri River. About 3,500 acres of the WSA are within the UMNWSR corridor. None of the WSA was recommended as suitable for wilderness designation due to a combination of the unit's small size, the cherry-stemmed road running through the WSA, and several resource conflicts. It has a high potential for natural gas reserves. The WSA does not contain outstanding primitive and unconfined recreational opportunities but does have colorful broken topography. It also contains several prehistoric occupation sites. During the steamboat era, woodhawkers (wood cutters) cut timber to fuel steamboats plying the Missouri River.

Antelope Creek WSA
The WSA covers about 12,350 acres on the north side of the Missouri River. Of this total, 9,600 acres were recommended for wilderness. This WSA offers outstanding opportunities for solitude and provides a diversity of primitive recreational opportunities such as hiking, photography, hunting, and rock climbing. The area is rich in historical significance, including Kid Curry's outlaw hideaway.

Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument and Wild and Scenic River Flickr album