Entry No. 24 — the Helena file — filed under: outdoor-weird

Gates of the Mountains Boat Tour

Meriwether Lewis named this stretch of the Missouri in 1805 because the 1,200-foot limestone walls seem to swing open and shut like gates as your boat rounds the bends, never revealing the way through until you are nearly upon it. The 120-minute cruise threads a canyon where bighorn sheep and mountain goats pick across the cliffs and bald eagles, golden eagles, ospreys, and peregrine falcons ride the updrafts overhead. Tours have run here for well over a century.

The move: Book an afternoon cruise and watch the canyon walls appear to close behind you as goats scramble on the cliffs above.

• 📍 Helena (Upper Holter Lake)
• 💸 Free
• ⚡ Up for anything
• 🌗 Outdoors

Where: Gates of the Mountains Marina, 3 miles off I-15 Exit 209, ~20 miles north of Helena, MT

Hours: Added 2026-06-24 — confirm current hours before you go.

⚠ Seasonal or scheduled — always check before you go.

Plan a visit & invite your people →

Proof: source 1 · source 2 · source 3 · source 4

last checked: 2026-06-24