James Kipp Recreation Area and Campground

Map Location

Maps detected!

---

This page uses Google Maps. The map will be loaded from Google-Server and some of your data may be used by Google. In order to see the maps, please click accept. You can also click here to see further information related to this.

Deny Accept

Categories:

RV Parks and/or Campgrounds,  Lewis and Clark Expedition,  Boating/ Boating Tours/ Water Craft Rentals,  Camping,  Fishing/ Fishing Access Sites,  Recreation Area,  Swimming,  Bird and Wildlife Viewing

Keywords:

• James Kipp Recreation Area Campground, 
• Montana Recreation Areas

General info

This is a key access point for the Upper Missouri National Wild & Scenic River. For centuries, Native Americans were attracted to this area to gather plants and hunt game. The Ancient camps and bison kill sites here are evidence of human dependence along the river corridor.

Lewis and Clark and their Corps of Discovery passed here on May 24, 1805, during the second year of their adventure. They camped just 2-1/2 miles downriver. The members of the expedition averaged about 13 miles a day by sailing, poling, and mostly pulling their boats upriver against the formidable currents. In July 1806, Captain Lewis and his party returned down the Missouri through this area.

Few names stand out in Missouri River history than James Kipp. Born in Montreal in 1788, he was a fort builder, fur trader, and steamboat captain. In 1831, he established Fort Piegan near Loma, 128 river miles upstream from this spot. It was the first American Fur Company trading post established on the Missouri west of Fort Union. He made the return trip the following spring with more than 4,000 beaver pelts and other furs in tow. After 41 years in the fur trade business, he retired in 1859. Today, this stretch of the