Missouri Headwaters State Park
|
Missouri Headwaters State Park
|
||
 Confluence of the Madison River and Jefferson River |
||
| location | Gallatin County in Montana (USA) | |
| surface | 215 ha | |
| Geographical location | 45 ° 53 ' N , 111 ° 33' W | |
|
||
| administration | Montana Dept. of Fish, Wildlife and Parks | |
The Missouri Headwaters State Park is located 5 km east of Three Forks in Gallatin County of the US state of Montana . The two rivers Madison River and Jefferson River unite in the 215 hectare state park and form the origin of the Missouri . One kilometer downstream, the Gallatin River is the first major tributary to flow to the Missouri within the park . On July 28, 1805, Meriwether Lewis and William Clark arrived at the site with their team as part of the Lewis and Clark Expedition .
The oldest human traces in the area can be dated back 11,000 years. Before the arrival of Lewis and Clark, the Indian tribes of the Bannock , Blackfoot , Crow , Salish and Shoshone were among the returning users. The old names of the rivers were replaced by Lewis and Clark with the names of prominent politicians of the time that are still valid today. Originally named after the berries growing along its course, the river was renamed Gallatin River after Treasury Secretary Albert Gallatin . The river, which flows straight for long stretches, was named Madison River after the Secretary of State and later US President James Madison . With the naming of the Jefferson River the president Thomas Jefferson should be honored. In 1940 local citizens donated the first 8.5 hectares of land to the state to preserve the historic square. In 1957 the area was declared a Missouri Headwaters State Park. In the 1960s, the park was expanded by over 200 hectares and various paths and recreational facilities were created. On October 9, 1960, the Three Forks of the Missouri National Historic Landmark was also established.
There are various recreational opportunities in the state park. These include fishing, boating, hiking and biking trails, picnic areas, camping, and tours of the area.
References
- ↑ Listing of National Historic Landmarks by State: Montana. National Park Service , accessed August 17, 2019.
- ↑ Archived copy ( Memento of the original from May 21, 2007 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ http://fwp.mt.gov/mtoutdoors/HTML/articles/2004/MissouriHeadwatersSP.htm
- ↑ http://montanakids.com/things_to_see_and_do/state_parks/missouri_headwaters.htm
