Missouri Headwaters State Park, Three Forks, MT.

I have seen and crossed the Missouri River in many places, but this is where the mighty river starts. The Jefferson, Madison, and Gallatin Rivers (named by Lewis and Clark) merge to form the 2,300-mile Missouri River.

President Jefferson charged Lewis and Clark to explore the Missouri River and especially determine if it would lead to the Pacific Ocean, i.e., look for the Northwest Passage. The explorers discovered that it didn’t. And you can stand on the very ground where members of that expedition stood in July of 1805 and recognized the headwaters of the Missouri River. That is an awesome feeling.

It was at the headwaters that Sacagawea, a Shoshone, recognized the area as the homeland from which she had been captured as a child by the Hidatsa. She helped the expedition find the Shoshone people. The expedition acquired horses from the Shoshone and made it across the Rockies and to the Pacific Ocean.

The 532-acre park, established in 1957, has a campground and many trails, well-marked and documented: Gallatin River Trail, Fort Rock Trail, Pictograph Trail, Ling Rock Trail. And a few other important places with access to the river.

My favorite trail was the trail that surmounts the Fort Rock. The huge limestone rock, a butte really, gives a great view of the surrounding countryside and especially the Gallatin River, which runs alongside it.

Enjoy the video of my visit to Missouri Headwaters State Park. Pause the video as needed to read all the explanatory posters and plaques.
   • Missouri Headwaters State Park, Three Fork...  

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