Ft. Benton to Coal Banks Landing (40 Miles)
Coal Banks Landing to Judith Landing (47 Miles)
Judith Landing to Kipp Rec. Area (60 Miles)
We've done the Coal Banks Landing to Judith Landing both times(have heard it is the most scenic stretch) have seen all the campsites, and advise you to follow our same itinerary for maximum awesomeness of experience.
As I understand, the river moves about 3-4 miles per hour during normal times, but spring melt had it running about twice that. The river is muddy, but once the water returns to normal, it becomes nice and blue again.
Even with the high water, it's still a class 1 the entire way - paddle if you want to, but mostly we just connect the canoes and float it.
The first campsite that we stay at is Little Sandy, and is about 5 river miles from the put in at Coal Banks
We do it this way so that we can put in in the late afternoon on the first day and just have a hice short leisurly evening cruise. The evening light is nice and it makes for a very pleasant introduction to the river
Rolling on the river
The wall coming up on the right. Tons of little birds nest in here and little baby bird heads are poking out all over the wall. It's very noisy and fun to watch as you float past.
Maximum enjoyment
We all got a little nervous hearing thunder and seeing some big clouds rolling in just before pulling up to Little Sandy(first nights campground)
Arrival. My sweet sweet wife working her magic while I set up the tent and take some pictures. Sara is the one you want with you on any backwoods adventure, because when it's time to eat, you'd never know you were away from a kitchen. She has outdoor cooking down to an art form.
Then we all watched the river for a bit, discussed the game plan for the next day and went to bed.
Then the clouds rolled in and it rained all night.
