Missouri River Confluence Backcountry Trail

Where the Yellowstone dumps into the Missouri near the Montana line, this gnarly backcountry trail drops through cottonwood bottoms and climbs chalky bluffs that Lewis and Clark sketched in their journals. The 18-mile route requires serious clearance to navigate washouts, fallen timber, and creek crossings that turn into axle-deep mud traps when the rivers run high. Buford trading post ruins and old homestead foundations emerge from prairie grass like ghosts.

Difficult rating demands high-clearance 4WD with skid plates and recovery gear — this isn’t weekend warrior territory. Spring flooding makes sections impassable until July, and you’ll want low-range gearing for the steep riverbank climbs. No services for 40 miles, so carry extra fuel, water, and repair supplies. The payoff is pristine river country where eagles nest and you might not see another human for days. Come prepared or stay home.