5 Best Sights in USA

Paddling the 3½-mile isolated portion of the Clearwater River, you may see moose and will likely see songbirds, great blue herons, and belted kingfishers. The Seeley Lake Ranger Station has free maps and directions to launch and land for the two-hour trip. A 1.5-mile hiking trail allows you to walk back to pick up your car.

The tame, deserted Judith flows more than 60 miles from the Lewis and Clark National Forest through arid plains and sandy mesas before emptying into the Missouri. The scenery is stunning, but the variably low water levels and stifling hot summer sun are not conducive to float trips. This is, however, excellent fossil-hunting ground, and the Judith River Dinosaur Institute sponsors frequent digs here. Most of the land surrounding the river is private, though, so check before you start wandering the banks looking for bones. As always, remember to leave fossils where you find them, and report anything significant to the Dinosaur Institute.

Flowing out of the Helena National Forest in the heart of Montana is the 60-mile Smith River. Like most other waterways in the state, it fluctuates with the seasons, ranging from a trickle in September to a raging torrent in June (thanks to the melting mountain snowpack). Although the river is popular for numerous activities, including camping on its banks, fishing, and swimming, the most prevalent activity on the Smith is floating. Motorized watercraft are not allowed. One of the best put-in spots is in White Sulphur Springs, about 2½ hours south of Great Falls. The best take-out spot is at Eden Bridge State Fishing Access, about 20 miles south of Great Falls. Floating is so popular, in fact, that Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks limits the number of groups boating down the river and has a lottery system for floating permits. (It also prohibits dogs.) Most trips take four days. Despite the river's popularity, this is still Montana, and the sense of serene isolation that comes from the sight of towering mountains and open prairie will far outweigh any annoyance at seeing a few other boats during your journey.

At Green River mile marker 193, you arrive at the middle of Turnhole Bend, a large bend in the river. The bend is so nearly complete that someday in the geologic future, the river will erode the neck of the bend away entirely, cutting Turnhole Bend off from the backcountry. Downstream 0.2 miles on the south side you will find Turnhole Spring, an outlet of an underground waterway. This spring creates a bluehole, or deep spring, so large that before the turn of the 19th century, steamboats plying the Green River with passengers and cargo would use this natural "turn hole" to turn around.

In 1805–06 Lewis and Clark explored the upper Missouri River and camped on its banks. Today the stretch designated the Upper Missouri National Wild and Scenic River runs 149 miles downriver from Fort Benton. Highlights include the scenic White Cliffs area, Citadel Rock, Hole in the Wall, Lewis and Clark Camp at Slaughter River, abandoned homesteads, and abundant wildlife. Commercial boat tours, shuttle service, and boat rentals—including rowboats, powerboats, and canoes—are available in Fort Benton and Virgelle. Be aware of seasonal restrictions that prohibit motorized boats and limit campsites on the river.