Gates of the Mountains Boat Tours near Helena Montana

The only way to see the limestone cliffs of the Gates of the Mountains Wilderness is the way American explorers Meriweather Lewis and William Clark saw them - by boat. Whether by commercial or private boat, most trips to the cliffs on the Missouri River start at the Gates of the Mountains Marina, 20 miles north of Helena, Montana.

Lewis and Clark first laid eyes on the impressive 1,200 foot high cliffs in 1805, as they attempted to traverse the United States of America on the Missouri River. Lewis described them as the "gates of the Rocky Mountains" in his diary, and the name stuck. But Lewis and Clark were hardly the first visitors to the the Gates of the Mountains. Pictographs on the shoreline near the cliffs are from Native Americans who called this spectacular area home for centuries before the first American explorers arrived.

Aside from the breathtaking scenery along the gentle Missouri River, visitors to the area can expect to see an abundance of wildlife. Bighorn sheep and mountain goats roam the craggy cliffs of the wilderness area and eagles and osprey glide overhead. Access by commercial or private boat is made from the Gates of the Mountain Marina, a short drive from Helena, Montana and three miles off of Interstate 15.