Gates of the Mountains

The Gates of the Mountains tour begins at a marina in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains of Montana, between Helena and Great Falls. Here visitors can board an open air boat for a two hour cruise along the Missouri River to see the towering walls of limestone that impressively stand along the shores of the river. These rock formations were named the “Gates of the Mountains” by Meriwether Lewis himself, back in the 1800’s. In addition to the spectacular tower of rock along the riverbank, visitors may also get a glimpse of bighorn sheep and mountain goats, deer, otters, mountain lions, black bears, ermine, beaver, ospreys, eagles, vultures, falcons, and other species of wildlife. There is a picnic area where the boat makes a 15 minute stop, or guests can choose to picnic, swim, fish or hike to Mann Gulch and pick up a later boat for the return trip. There are also Indian pictographs painted along the rock walls that hug the coast.