Expedition event could crowd Missouri River

GREAT FALLS — Outfitters and federal land officials are expecting a surge of recreational floaters on Montana’s Wild and Scenic portion of the Missouri River this summer that could compensate for last year’s lackluster traffic.

The river could have a special draw this year for the Lewis and Clark bicentennial, especially this summer’s Fort Benton-Great Falls Explore the Big Sky Lewis and Clark event.

“We have been gearing up for this for a long time,” said Don Sorenson, an owner of the Virgelle Mercantile and Missouri River Canoe Co. Sorenson said he’s expecting about 1,000 people around Virgelle in June. The National Wild and Scenic River portion of the Missouri extends downstream from Virgelle, north of Fort Benton.

Turnout at October’s Circle of Cultures event in North Dakota drew about 50,000 people, said Dick Fichtler, head of the Bureau of Land Management’s bicentennial efforts in that state, Montana and South Dakota. Fichtler said organizers were expecting about 30,000.

“We were cautious about Great Falls, but based on Bismarck, it looks like the people want to come out here and see the expedition route,” Fichtler said. “I’m starting to think we are going to see some pretty significant numbers.”

In 2003 a record number of recreationists floated the Wild and Scenic stretch of the Missouri, or about 600 more people than 2002. Last year, about 40 fewer floaters were recorded. Officials speculated that the 2003 wildfire season in western Montana may have driven more tourists east.

Visits to the area also spiked in 1998 and 1999, and officials attributed that to the popularity of historian Stephen Ambrose’s best-selling book on the Corps of Discovery, “Undaunted Courage.”

Since then, between 5,000 and 6,000 floaters have been recorded annually on the river downstream from Fort Benton.