Mark your calendar for our Jefferson River Chapter of the Lewis and Clark Trail Heritage Foundation (LCTHF) Annual Meeting, coming up Sunday December 8th, in the earthlodge at River Camp! We poured an earthen floor in the lodge this summer, and it really looks great!

      The Jefferson River Chapter brings together supporters from near and far who are passionate about conservation, recreation, and history on the Jefferson River segment of the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail.

      We are an inclusive group with diverse interests in canoeing, kayaking, camping, fishing, walking, birding, and mushrooming along the Jefferson River. Come join us at the Annual Meeting to build community and learn what we can do to take positive action together!

      We will host the meeting, enjoy a tour of camp, roast a lamb over the outdoor fire, and have a feast! Please bring any complementary dishes to complete the potluck dinner. Also, please bring your own dishes, plus a chair if you have one.

WHEN: Sunday December 8, 2024 @ 1 p.m.
WHERE: In the earthlodge at River Camp:

                Green University LLC
                2 McKeown Lane
                Cardwell, MT 59721

1 p.m. Lamb Roast / Potluck Dinner
2 p.m. Camp Tour
2:30 p.m. Jefferson River Chapter Annual Meeting
    - Minutes from the last meeting
    - Treasurer's Report
    - Chapter Elections
    - Chapter Business
        - Sharing Montana Region Members
        - $10K Matching Challenge
        - Conservation Trade-up Challenge
        - Silver Star FAS Tree Planting: Next Steps
        - Inventory of River Hazards
        - Property Search Update
        - Point of Rocks: Revive site development and bank stabilization with BLM

      Please RSVP so we have an approximate idea of how many people will be attending.

      And please invite anyone who might like to join us. Thank you!!!

Saturday - Sunday July 26 - 27, 2025
Jefferson River Canoe Trail Annual Trip
Williams Bridge to Missouri Headwaters

      The Jefferson River Canoe Trail retraces by water an essential segment of the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail along the entire length of the Jefferson River in southwest Montana.

      The Lewis and Clark Expedition towed dugout canoes up the Jefferson River in 1805 in search of a navigable water route to the Pacific. Most present-day travelers prefer to follow the trail in reverse, floating down the Jefferson River in search of fun and fishing. The entire length of the river is Class I water, suitable for beginning paddlers, except during runoff season in spring.

      The Canoe Trail includes a network of multipurpose campsites on public lands on the Jefferson River. The public may float into these sites for primitive camping along the river. At each camp there are opportunities for such activities as bird watching, mushrooming, hiking, and fishing.

      This year we will pick up where we left off last year, launching from Williams Bridge (mile 20) and paddling the lower Jefferson River to Missouri Headwaters. Along the way on Saturday we will visit Philosophy campsite (mile 17 and stay overnight on Drouillard Island (mile 9). On Sunday we will visit Shoshone Landing (mile 4), then continue downstream to the Jefferson's confluence with the Madison River, marking the beginning of the Missouri River. We will take out downstream at Missouri Headwaters Fishing Access Site. (We may need to do something entirely different if the lower river is closed for replacement of Old Town Bridge.)

      This event is hosted by the Jefferson River Canoe Trail. The campout is open to members of the Jefferson River Canoe Trail, as well as members of the Bozeman Kayaking and Canoeing Meetup Group, Green University alumni, and anyone else who would like to join us.

      In lieu of a fee for the campout, we would be grateful for generous donations to the Jefferson River Canoe Trail to support work to secure additional public campsites along this segment of the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail.

Jefferson River Chapter LCTHF
PO Box 697
Pony, MT 59747
Contact Us

Become a Member
Join us today!

Sunday April 28, 2024
Shoshone Landing Work Party

      Come join us for a day of work and fun! Last year we replaced the field fence along the southeast side of Shoshone Landing. This year we will replace the wire fence along a portion of the southwest side of the propety. The fence posts are in good shape, but we'll need to strip off the wire and apply new fencing.

      The existing fence consists of woven field fence with a couple strands of barbwire along the top. The surrounding ranch landowner would like to see similar fencing for the upgraded fence, since the woven wire prevents dogs from dashing through the fence after his cattle. The terms of the access easement from the road into Shoshone Landing dictates that we are responsible for upkeep up the fence.

      We will meet at Shoshone Landing by 11 a.m. Please bring any fencing tools you have, such as wire cutters, hammers, gloves, etc. Additional fence posts would be immensely helpful. Upon completion of the project we will enjoy an early spring potluck and barbecue.

      Note that the Old Town Bridge adjacent to Shoshone Landing has been condemned and closed. Construction of the replacement bridge will begin soon.

Jefferson River Chapter LCTHF
PO Box 697
Pony, MT 59747
Contact Us

Become a Member
Join us today!

Conservation Trade-up Challenge!
Trading a book for land for a campsite on the Jefferson River Canoe Trail
Chapter president Tom Elpel's personal fundraiser for the Canoe Trail.