The evening of July 19,1805, was a hot one in the wilderness that would later become Montana. On the Missouri River, not far from present day Helena, the hardy members of the Lewis and Clark expedition toiled to move upstream. Rock embankments made towing from shore impossible, and the deep channel forced the men to row rather than pole their boats forward.
Suddenly, there loomed before them towering rock formations unlike any they had ever seen. From both sides of the river, limestone cliffs rose to a spectacular height of 1200 feet. "In many places," wrote Meriwether Lewis, "the rocks seem ready to tumble on us." At each bend in the waterway, great stone walls seemed to block passage, only to open like gentle giant gates as the expedition drew near. In his journal, Meriwether wrote: "I shall call this place: "GATES OF THE MOUNTAINS".
The name stuck, and for nearly two centuries travelers have ventured down this stretch of the Missouri to marvel at its natural wonders. Today, most visitors enjoy the beauty of the Gates of the Mountains from aboard one of three tour boats – the "Pirogue" (named after the boats used by the Expedition, pictured above), the "Sacajawea" (named after the only women and indigenous person on the Expedition), and the "Hilger Rose" (named after Nicholas Hilger, who began the tours in 1886 on a vessel named "Rose of Helena").
The 120-minute cruise starts at our marina, just 3 miles off Interstate 15 in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains between Helena and Great Falls, Montana. Aboard a comfortable open-air boat (covered in case of rain), you’ll glide through magnificent country Meriwether Lewis would still recognize if he could return.
Great towering walls of limestone still stand guard over the river. Bighorn sheep and Mountain Goats scamper in the rocks high above the water. Ospreys, eagles (bald and golden), vultures and falcons (peregrine and prairie) still soar on the updrafts. The canyon is also home to otters, deer, squirrels, ermine, beaver, mountain lions, black bears and other wild creatures. The life list for bird species is over 120 right now.
At Meriwether Picnic Area, the boat stops for 15 minutes of leg stretching. If you like, you may temporarily abandon the tour here and complete the trip on a later boat. You can bring a picnic and the whole family will enjoy a day out next to the Gates of the Mountains Wilderness Area and the Missouri River. Swimming, fishing, and hiking can be engaged in.
From the picnic area you can hike to Mann Gulch, the site of the raging forest fire that killed 13 smokejumpers 50 years ago. This tragedy was the main subject matter of Norman Maclean’s book "Young Men and Fire". The story of Mann gulch is one of the more interesting stories told by the guide and pilot.
Between Meriwether Picnic and Mann Gulch the pilot will hug the shoreline to give you a look at Indian pictographs painted on the rock wall. Proof that indigenous people lived here long before Meriwether named it the Gates of the Mountains.
The tour’s main attraction, though, is the inexhaustible scenery – wooded slopes, rugged rock formations, and the placid beauty of the timeless Missouri.
