Sports & Outdoors
Black Sandy State Park
Under $25A Montana state park on the western shore of Hauser Reservoir, popular for boating, fishing, camping and water skiing.
Photo: Montanabw, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Cropped and resized.
ToursOutdoor AdventureHistory BuffFamily Favorite
Gates of the Mountains
Ride a two-hour boat cruise through the limestone canyon on the Missouri River that Meriwether Lewis named in 1805.
3131 Gates of the Mountains Rd · Helena, MT
About Gates of the Mountains
Gates of the Mountains is a canyon on the Missouri River north of Helena, named by Meriwether Lewis in 1805 for cliffs he judged to rise 1,200 feet from the water. Tour boats leave the marina for a cruise of about two hours between walls of gray Madison Limestone. Along the way you pass Mann Gulch, site of the 1949 fire that killed 13 smokejumpers, and pictographs painted on the rock. Bighorn sheep, mountain goats, eagles and otters may be spotted from the deck.
- #boat tour
- #missouri river
- #lewis and clark
- #canyon
- #wildlife viewing
Printable maps
What's around here?
The closest stops to Gates of the Mountains, ordered by straight-line distance.
6.7 mi awaySwitch it up: Sports & Outdoors
- Museums
ExplorationWorks
Under $25A hands-on science and play museum for families in Helena, Montana, with exhibits spread over two floors.
17 mi awaySwitch it up: Museums
- Sports & OutdoorsOutdoor Adventure
Montana's Yellowstone Country
No admission feeRegional tourism office promoting south central Montana's five counties and the northern gateways to Yellowstone National Park.
17 mi awaySwitch it up: Sports & Outdoors
- SightseeingHistory Buff
Montana State Capitol
No admission feeTour the copper-domed statehouse and see Charles M. Russell's 25-foot Lewis and Clark painting in the House chamber.
17 mi awaySwitch it up: Sightseeing
- SightseeingHistory Buff
Grant-Kohrs Ranch National Historic Site
No admission feeTour a working cattle ranch from the open-range era, with a historic ranch house, living history and walking trails.
47 mi awaySwitch it up: Sightseeing
- MuseumsHistory Buff
Old Montana Prison Museum Complex
Under $25Five museums inside a former territorial prison, covering Montana history, antique cars and vintage toys.
48 mi awaySwitch it up: Museums
