Sport & Outdoor
Outdoor AdventureMontana's Yellowstone Country
FreeRegional tourism office promoting south central Montana's five counties and the northern gateways to Yellowstone National Park.
Photo: Montanabw, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Cropped and resized.
ToursOutdoor AdventureHistory BuffFamily Favorite
Gates of the Mountains
Gates of the Mountains is a tour in Helena, MT, part of the Missoula and Anaconda guide. Cost: $25 to $50. Boat tours run late May through mid-September.
3131 Gates of the Mountains Rd · Helena, MT
Why you should go…
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
What's around here?
The closest stops to Gates of the Mountains, ordered by straight-line distance.
17 mi awaySwitch it up: Sport & Outdoor
- SightseeingHistory Buff
Montana State Capitol
FreeTour 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
FreeTour 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
