Travel Suggestions

All the travel suggestions below assume that you begin your trip in Great Falls heading northeast on US Highway 87. This way you reach the three ferries from the north side of the Missouri River. A Montana highway map will help you follow the tour.

Great Falls

1.	Lewis & Clark Interpretive Center - Opened in the summer of 1998. A first-class effort and, arguably, the star attraction of Great Falls. Located on the banks of the Missouri River with access to miles of walking and bicycle trails.
2.	C. M. Russell Museum - View many fine examples of Russell's art, as well as the studio where he created most of his work and the house where he lived much of his life.

Carter - Drive northeast from Great Falls on US 87 for 26 miles. Not much here except a tiny town and the Carter ferry, where you can talk to the operator about local history and current road conditions. It's the closest ferry to a big city.

Fort Benton - As much history as you're likely to find in one small town, only 15 miles beyond Carter. In the early years of white settlement in Montana, steamboats from St. Louis disgorged their cargo here. There's a newly-restored historic hotel on the waterfront, and a spectacular Missouri River viewpoint just west of town on Highway 87.

Virgelle - You have to look sharp to find either turnoff to Virgelle. The first one is marked as "Missouri River Canoe Company," and the second with the name of the town. Start searching about 25 miles from Fort Benton. Here you will find the Virgelle Merchantile Antique Store, Bed & Breakfast, and the Missouri River Canoe Company - all run by 2/3 of the adult population of Virgelle (pop. 3). Virgelle is a bona fide ghost town and ferry crossing located between Fort Benton and Big Sandy, a few miles off US Highway 87. Not open during the winter.

Big Sandy -  Once you regain US 87, Big Sandy is only a short drive up the road. A small town with a unique highway rest stop, in the middle of town in the parking lot of a grain elevator. Excellent views of the Bears Paw mountains, sight of the surrender of Chief Joseph and the Nez Perce to the U.S. Army. [The easiest route to Lewistown, in the geographical center of the state, is a 100 mile drive south of Big Sandy (about 55 miles on gravel roads). Cross the Missouri at the Judith Landing Recreation Area, at the site of the former PN ferry, and be rewarded with spectacular river and canyon views (Judith River) on the drive into Winifred; from Winifred, Lewistown is a short 35 min. drive south on paved roads.]

Havre - The next stop on your tour, and the first place after Great Falls with a good choice of motels, is Havre (about 35 miles NE of Big Sandy). Don't miss Havre Beneath the Streets, a guided tour through faithfully-restored early businesses located under the streets of downtown; includes a saloon, general store, dentist's office, soda fountain, bakery, bordello and more.

Chinook - You can actually reach the McClelland (Stafford) ferry direct from Havre, but local folks recommend driving to Chinook and starting south on state highway 240, visiting the Bears Paw battlefield on the way. You're headed for the most remote of the three remaining Missouri River ferries, 79 miles from Chinook. The first 26 miles are paved; the other 53 are not. The last six miles are gumbo clay, from the top of the bluff to the river bottom. When the clay is wet, the surface is treacherous, and you may not be able to reascend the bluff. 

Note on your Montana highway map that all ferries can also be reached from the south side of the river. In terms of distance from a paved highway, however, only the McClelland (Stafford) ferry is more readily accessed from the south side, via the small town of Winifred.

Montana Twilight