Hiking in Missouri River Three Forks to the Montana-North Dakota border: trails, map and practical info

The Landscape Along the Corridor

As the Missouri moves southeast and then east across Montana, the character of the land changes considerably. Near Three Forks and through the upper stretches, the river valley is flanked by rolling hills and agricultural land, with riparian zones providing habitat corridors for wildlife. Further east, the river cuts through the Missouri Breaks — a rugged, remote landscape of eroded badlands, coulees, and dramatic bluffs that rise sharply above the water. This section is among the most wild and least-developed parts of the entire river.