I recently read a news story about the American Prairie Reserve donating land to the State of Montana for establishing a State Park at the confluence of the Judith River and the Missouri.

It was mentioned that this would be Montana’s 56th State Park. Wow. I had no idea there were that many. Looking up the list online, I found that I had visited less than twenty, so there is more work for me to do, more road trips to take. Fifty-six parks in fifty-six counties? No, that would be too orderly. Better do some research on that concept.

There are a couple of State Parks at the west end of the Gallatin Valley that nicely complement each other and provide great opportunities for recreation, especially in the early spring. They are the Headwaters of the Missouri and the Madison Buffalo Jump. The two parks are just over ten miles apart and can easily be visited in one day. Both are approximately thirty miles from Bozeman.

Generally speaking, the Buffalo Jump is a hiking park, while the Headwaters offers many activities. These include hiking and walking, boating, fishing, camping, biking, picnicking, and touring historic sites. While the Buffalo Jump can be explored in an afternoon, it is possible to spend an entire weekend checking out the Headwaters.

The west end of the Gallatin Valley has a different micro-climate than that of Bozeman. It is drier and a bit warmer. Golfers in Three Forks brag about playing a round in January when Bridger Creek Golf course is a ski trail. Thus, in spring it is possible to enjoy these two parks with a dry trail walk, while Bozeman and even Belgrade snooze under a blanket of snow.

The Madison Buffalo Jump State Park is located seven miles south of the Logan Interstate 90 exit. Turn off like you are going to the landfill, then drive on a good gravel road to the park entrance on the east. The parking lot is ample, and a small picnic area is adjacent. The Park is open dawn to dusk year round. No camping is allowed.

The Park was established in 1966 after archaeologists discovered masses of bones at the base of the cliff, and tipi rings nearby. It has been determined that the jump was used by Native American tribes for as long as 2000 years. Buffalo herds were funneled into the area near the cliff edge by runners and rock and log barriers. The animals were stampeded over cliffs up to 200 feet high, then butchered near camps established on the flats below. After the Montana tribes acquired horses 200 years ago, the site was no longer used.

The Park boasts several miles of trails that are conveniently arranged in loops. The loop from the parking lot up to the top of the cliff and back down is around a mile and a half. The vegetation is typical of the area, mostly sagebrush and juniper. The views are expansive from the top. On a weekday, you’ll most likely have the whole place to yourself; even on the weekends it is not crowded. Spring or fall are the best times to hike here. It will be cooler—and summer brings out snakes. Not much has changed in this place since 1966 or even since the Indians used it for their living hundreds of years ago.

Turning north at the interstate exit at Logan and taking the frontage road west takes you to the Headwaters Park. To be honest, the solitude, the hiking, and the story of the Buffalo Jump draws our attention only occasionally. But we journey to the Headwaters several times each year. The main attractions, of course, are the rivers.

Headwaters is the kind of place whose reputation proceeds it. Long before Lewis and Clark arrived, it was a central corridor and a gathering place for the Indian tribes of the region. The various tribes, including the Blackfeet, Crow, Shoshone, and others, used the Three Forks of the Missouri for camping, hunting, and, occasionally, as a battleground. During their winter sojourn with the Mandan tribe in the Dakotas, the Captains questioned the Indians and  Canadian trappers incessantly about the geography of the land farther west. Their primary objective was to locate a navigable water route to the Pacific Ocean. In those centuries, rivers were the highways of trade and travel. Thomas Jefferson and Lewis and Clark pored over maps that contained large blank areas. They employed an imaginary, hopeful geography that navigable rivers, flowing near the Continental Divide, existed close to each other. The expedition, though, had to travel through reality, arriving at the Headwaters in July of 1805.

“...believing this to be an essential point in the geography of this western part of the continent, I determined to remain at all events until I obtained the necessary data for fixing its latitude Longitude &c.” Meriwether Lewis thus described the arrival of the Corps of Discovery at the Three Forks of the Missouri. Today, two hundred and twenty years later, that sense of history remains. Realizing the importance of the place, the two Captains named the rivers accordingly. The southwest branch, the most promising for their journey, they named for Jefferson, the President. The southern tributary for James Madison, the Secretary of State, and the southeast river for Joseph Gallatin, the Secretary of the Treasury.

Driving into the park, the confluence of the Jefferson and the Madison is easily reached by car. Just a short walk leads to a large iron engraved sign, which quotes Jefferson’s instructions to the Expedition. It could be a romantic illusion, but gazing into the rivers I always see little whirlpools at the point where the waters join. Right here, on a float it is possible to leave the final point close to the shore of the Jefferson and briskly paddle across the flow of the Madison to a takeout at the steep bank. Or simply ride the waves of either stream into the official beginning of the great Missouri River. About a half mile downstream, the Gallatin adds its flow and the three forks are complete.

This history and sense of participation any float of the rivers provides is dramatic, but not close to all that the Headwaters Park has to offer. Just prior to the confluence lot, the campground entrance turns in on the same side of the road. There are nineteen sites with various amenities. Many are tucked away in the trees, enabling a private spot. There are other historic sections including the site of Gallatin City, an early settlement. At the campground is located a large cottonwood dugout canoe similar to those that the explorers paddled. A long butte named Fort Rock by Lewis, who thought it would make a good location for a stockade, is braided with hiking trails and, from the top gives great views, especially of the Gallatin River as it flows past on the south side.

There is a large grassy picnic area downstream from the Gallatin confluence, and more walking trails. Fishing is a popular pastime on all four rivers, with trout and whitefish prevalent. Raptors, including bald eagles are common. Witnessing an osprey diving for a fish is an amazing experience. High limestone cliffs guard the river at the east end of the park. One of these, above the Gallatin, was climbed by Lewis to provide him with perspective in describing the layout of the rivers and the land below.

One of our favorite activities, especially when the yards and fields of Bozeman remain under spring snow, is riding the bike trail. The paved route begins near the Headwaters campground and leads back to the park entrance. It crosses the highway and then the Madison River on a hike and bike bridge. The trail then rounds the Three Forks ponds and merges into town. With a bit of route finding it is possible to meander through on peaceful city streets and locate the trail on the west side, near the rodeo grounds. From there, it runs out to the Drouillard fishing access near US 287. There and back is a 14 mile ride with a stop for ice cream or lunch in town almost mandatory.

The fishing access is named for George Droulliard, who was a hunter for Lewis and Clark, and later lost his life to the Blackfeet while trapping in the area. It is a great spot to put in on the Jefferson and float down to the confluence, or on to the entrance of the Gallatin. A good afternoon’s float, with time for fishing, and even stopping for an island picnic. In late spring, look out for the ground nests of Canada geese and their large eggs!

Either or both of these parks can provide a welcome break from the late winter, early spring Bozeman routine. Give them a visit and they will probably become a routine stop, as they have for us.