Upper Missouri River Breaks: the route, the season and the permits

Most parties run the White Cliffs section from Coal Banks Landing to Judith Landing, then continue into the Breaks to James Kipp if they have the days. Launch registration is required, water is scarce, and the wind runs upstream most afternoons. Fort Benton is the upstream start for full-length trips and the location of the monument's interpretive center.

The monument spans 149 miles of Wild and Scenic river; Coal Banks to Judith Landing is the popular 47-mile section.

Parties launch at Coal Banks Landing and take out at James Kipp Recreation Area; the route map lists every agency-sourced coordinate in between.

Open the Upper Missouri River Breaks route map · compare it with the other nine trips

• Coal Banks Landing to Judith Landing — the White Cliffs section, ~47 miles
• Judith Landing to James Kipp Recreation Area — the remote Badlands reach
• Fort Benton to James Kipp — the full ~149-mile monument traverse

Best window: May – September.

No fee or lottery for private groups under 20, but self-registration at the launch point is mandatory for all river users — it is the BLM's only safety record that you are on the river.

BLM — Upper Missouri River Breaks FAQ ↗

Full permit page for this trip

• Summer heat over 100°F with almost no shade
• 'Gumbo' bentonite mud after rain — impassable on foot and at landings
• Strong upstream wind that can stop a canoe dead
• No cell service for most of the 149-mile corridor
• Prairie rattlesnakes in tall grass and rock crevices
• Deadfalls and sweepers, especially below Judith Landing

The Missouri runs heavily silted. Settle the sediment with alum before filtering, or carry all your drinking water from the launch. Check BLM flow advisories before committing.

Carry a satellite communicator. The BLM Lewistown Field Office is the managing contact; leave a detailed itinerary with someone ashore. Rescue on the remote reaches is measured in days.

• White Cliffs section · 4 days — Coal Banks Landing to Judith Landing — the iconic white sandstone formations and the Hole-in-the-Wall hike.
• The Badlands reach · 4 days — Judith Landing to James Kipp — wilder, more remote scenery and higher wildlife density.
• The whole 149 · 7 days — Coal Banks Landing to James Kipp — white cliffs and badlands in one continuous week on the river.

Build your own dates in the Upper Missouri River Breaks trip planner

The largest bighorn sheep herd in the lower 48, plus elk, mule deer, bald eagles and — below Judith Landing — growing numbers of bears.

Fire pans and portable toilet systems are required for all overnight trips, and all human waste and trash pack out — the riverbank ecosystem is fragile desert.