Distinctly Montana Magazine

D I S T I N C T L Y M O N T A N A M A G A Z I N E • S U M M E R 2 0 2 2 64 TOWER ROCK STATE PARK AND GATES OF THE MOUNTAINS The next leg of the trip veers south on Interstate 15 toward the capital city of Helena, passing by Tower Rock State Park near Cascade. Not only did this commanding, 400-foot ig- neous rock formation serve as a landmark for the Corps of Discovery, it was also a guiding light for Native tribes, trad- ers, and fur trappers. Visitors can access the park via Old US Highway 91 approximately 8 miles south of Cascade. The interstate winds along the route of the Missouri through Wolf Creek Canyon, then begins a gradual ascent toward the 28,465-acre Gates of the Mountains Wilderness Area. Take Exit 209 to reach Upper Holter Lake, where boat tours take visitors down the Missouri through a spectacu- lar gorge. True to their name, the towering, 1,200-foot-high cliffs seem to open up at the last moment, granting travelers passage through the walls of rock. Lewis named the landmark when the expedition traveled through the passage on July 19, 1805. Today, the Gates of the Mountains Wilderness Area boasts more than 53 miles of hiking trails and ample opportunities for camping, fishing, and wa- tersports. CRIMSON BLUFFS AND MISSOURI HEADWATERS STATE PARK The Corps of Discovery continued rowing against the Mis- souri's current as they traveled south from the Gates of the Mountains, passing through the Canyon Ferry area toward present-day Three Forks. Along the way, in the daybreak hours of July 24, 1805, they came upon "a remarkable bluff of a crimson coloured earth…intermixed with stratas of black and brick red slate," Lewis wrote in his journal. This area, now known as the Crimson Bluffs, remains nearly identical to the display the expedition witnessed that morning. The 43-mile self-guided auto tour of the Crimson Bluffs area is accessible by heading east out of Helena on US-12 east/US-287 south. Turn west onto River Road just north of Townsend and follow the route along the river. Much of this portion of the road is unpaved. Head east at the junction of River Road and MT-285 to re- turn to US-287 southbound. HEADWATERS STATE PARK TOWER ROCK STATE PARK MISSOURI RIVER NEAR GATES OF THE MOUNTAINS GATES OF THE MOUNTAINS WILDERNESS AREA

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