The Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument stands as a testament to the untamed beauty and rich history of Montana. Designated in January 2001, this spectacular monument safeguards 149 miles of the Upper Missouri River, its dramatic adjacent ‘Breaks’ country, and significant portions of Arrow Creek, Antelope Creek, and the Judith River. Extending from the historic town of Fort Benton, Montana, to the Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge, this expansive area offers an unparalleled glimpse into America’s natural and historical past, much of it preserved in its original, rugged state since the pioneering journey of Lewis and Clark.
The monument encompasses six wilderness study areas, the Cow Creek Area of Critical Environmental Concern, segments of the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail and the Nez Perce National Historic Trail, and the Fort Benton National Historic Landmark, among other significant features.
A Land Shaped by Time: Geological Wonders of the Missouri River Breaks
The valley of the Upper Missouri River is a living museum, continually shaped by powerful geological forces over millions of years. Approximately 90 million years ago, vast oceans covered present-day Montana, teeming with life and bordered by active volcanoes. Rivers consistently carried mud and silt, depositing these sediments in layers on the ocean floor. Over immense periods, these sediments were compressed, solidifying into the distinctive sedimentary rocks seen today.
Later, immense glaciers advanced southward into Montana, drastically altering the landscape. These colossal ice sheets redirected the Missouri River, forcing it to carve new channels through ancient stone and sediment. Concurrently, molten magma from prehistoric volcanoes cooled and hardened into igneous rock, while the uplift of the ocean floor gradually drained the interior seaway. These newly exposed landforms have since been subjected to relentless climatic forces – rain, snow, wind, ice, and intense heat – sculpting the sedimentary and igneous rocks into extraordinary cliffs, canyons, pillars, and spires that line the river’s edge, creating the iconic landscape known as the Breaks. The dark hues of ancient volcanic features starkly contrast with the lighter shales and sandstones, resulting in breathtaking vistas.
Echoes of Early Inhabitants: Native American Heritage
For thousands of years, the area now known as the Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument provided a vital home for numerous Native American tribes. Among them were the Blackfeet, Gros Ventre, Assiniboine, and Crow, with other tribes like the Shoshone, Cheyenne, Sioux, and Nez Perce frequently traversing and utilizing the region. Despite its seemingly sparse appearance, the Missouri River landscape offered abundant resources crucial for daily life, including diverse plant and animal species.
These first peoples thrived by following the immense bison herds across the prairie, supplemented by game like elk and deer. Plants such as willow and snowberry provided both nutritional and medicinal needs. The Missouri River served as a crucial route for trade and transport, and its tributaries often defined tribal boundaries. A major center for Native American trade along the Missouri River was located in the Dakotas region, around its great bend. Here, large, walled villages of Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara people on bluffs and islands housed thousands and later became significant trading posts for early French and British explorers and fur traders. The introduction of horses by Europeans dramatically transformed the native way of life, enabling greater travel distances, enhancing hunting, communication, and trade.
The Pathfinders: Lewis and Clark Expedition
The Missouri River served as an unrivaled route for western expansion. From May 24 through June 13, 1805, Meriwether Lewis and William Clark spent three intense weeks exploring the segment that is now recognized as the Upper Missouri National Wild and Scenic River – a premier component of the Lewis & Clark National Historic Trail. Captain William Clark famously described portions of the badlands as the “Deserts of America,” believing no part could ever be settled due to its lack of water and timber, and its rugged terrain. Conversely, on May 31, 1805, Lewis marveled at the sandstone white cliffs, remarking on their “most romantic appearance” and describing “elegant ranges of lofty freestone buildings, having their parapets well stocked with statuary” and “scenes of visionary enchantment.”
A critical moment occurred on June 2, 1805, when the Corps reached the confluence of the Missouri River with another large river they named Maria’s River (now the Marias River). This site, near Loma, Montana, became known as Decision Point. Faced with a pivotal choice, Lewis meticulously documented the challenge in his journal on June 3: “An interesting question was now to be determined: which of these rivers was the Missouri…” After extensive exploration, careful river observations, and applying their educational backgrounds, Lewis and Clark spent slightly more than a week to confidently determine the correct southern route, guiding their epic journey onward to the Pacific Ocean.
Frontier Commerce: The Fur Trade and Westward Expansion
Following the Lewis and Clark Expedition, the Blackfeet Indians initially resisted European encroachment into their territory. However, the American Fur Company eventually succeeded in opening the upper river to trade in 1831, establishing Fort Piegan at the mouth of the Marias River, and later Fort McKenzie. The Missouri River quickly emerged as a primary artery for westward expansion. The burgeoning fur trade laid much of the groundwork, with trappers exploring the region and blazing new trails. Pioneers embarked on westward journeys en masse from the 1830s, initially by covered wagon, then increasingly by steamboat.
Former Native American lands were gradually settled, leading to some of the most enduring and violent conflicts in American History. A notable account of this era comes from Swiss painter Karl Bodmer, who journeyed across the American West in 1832 with German Prince Maximilian of Wied. Their expedition up the Missouri River by steamboat, documented through Bodmer’s remarkable paintings, captured vivid images of Native American cultures and breathtaking landscapes, including the sculpted rock formations of the White Cliffs and Citadel Rock that still appear much the same today.
The fur trade spurred a series of forts along the river. Fort McKenzie was abandoned in 1844, followed by Fort Chardon (1844-1845), Fort Lewis (1845-1846), and ultimately Fort Clay, which was renamed Fort Benton in honor of Senator Thomas Hart Benton of Missouri. Established in 1846, Fort Benton quickly became known as the “birthplace of Montana,” a thriving center where Native Americans and white fur traders exchanged pelts and hides for goods like clothing, arms, and liquor.
The Gold Rush Era and Settlement
The navigability of the Missouri River to Fort Benton was conclusively proven in 1860 by the steamer Chippewa, just in time for a new wave of development: the Montana gold rush. Significant gold discoveries were made at Grasshopper Creek in 1862, Alder Gulch in 1863, and Last Chance Gulch in 1864, transforming Montana’s landscape. The fur trade era waned as the mining era began, bringing heavy river traffic of steamboats carrying men and supplies to the goldfields, and returning downriver with precious cargo. For instance, in 1866, Grant Marsh transported 2.5 tons of Confederate Gulch gold dust, valued at $1,250,000, making it the most valuable cargo ever to travel down the Missouri River.
Fort Benton boomed as a transportation hub, with the familiar saying “All trails lead out of Fort Benton.” It served as the anchor for the Mullan Road to Fort Walla Walla in Washington, the Fisk Wagon Road to St. Paul, Minnesota, and routes to burgeoning gold mining towns like Helena, and the crucial Whoop-Up Trail into Canada, all sustaining its prosperity. Concurrently, the Homestead Act of 1862 encouraged settlement, granting Americans 160 acres of undeveloped land west of the Mississippi River, leading to the rapid settlement of prime lands along the Missouri River.
Conflict and Conservation: Preserving the Legacy
The late 19th century brought further conflicts, including the flight of the non-treaty Nez Perce tribe in 1877 from their homelands in Idaho, Oregon, and Washington, attempting to reach Canada through Montana. Their journey tragically ended with their surrender just 40 miles south of the Canadian border in the Bear Paw Mountains, concluding a harrowing 1,170-mile chase.
Today, the Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument serves as a vital protected area, preserving the awe-inspiring landscapes, rich biodiversity, and deep historical narratives of this remarkable region. It stands as a powerful reminder of America’s westward expansion, the resilience of its native peoples, and the enduring beauty of its natural wonders. Visitors can explore a landscape largely unchanged since Lewis and Clark first navigated its waters, offering a profound connection to the nation’s past and an unparalleled opportunity for recreation and reflection in an unspoiled wilderness.
