Easy paddle on the Missouri River near Toston MT

Update June 25: I've now canceled our reservation for this cabin, due to lack of interest. Anyone who wants to use it for a personal trip might have a chance of renting it via Recreation.gov for the dates that I reserved it for our group.

UPDATE June 20: I have a schedule conflict so in a few days I will cancel this MeetUp event and the rental of this cozy basic Rillway cabin near Townsend (the reservation is in my name and paid with my credit card).

The cabin is currently booked solid - virtually every day this summer. It's about 14 miles East of Townsend with a creek and a natural rock wall in the backyard.

https://www.recreation.gov/camping/campgrounds/234565

If anyone wants to use this cabin (available for Friday July 12, Saturday 13 & Sunday 14) contact me soon and we can arrange a time for me to cancel and you quickly rent it online.

Steve (SteveH59718@gmail.com)

I think I'm one of just two people in our group who have paddled this easy stretch of the river and last summer I scouted a very small very basic campground about a mile north of where the river flows into the reservoir. A year ago four of us happily stayed in this cabin when we got rained out / snowed out of the trip and we took a slightly longer but scenic drive to soak at White Sulphur Springs and driving down towards Livingston but turning off near WillSall to take Bridger Canyon road into Bozeman.

If anyone is interested in doing this type of event on their own, contact me via SteveH59718@gmail.com

There are several possible variations for this event. The river level is regulated by the Toston Dam just a few miles upstream.

a) if plenty of outflow from the dam, then a nice safe easy long paddle ending at the highway overpass at Townsend MT ( the take out is immediately after the bridge so stay close to river right)

b) if you have friends with sailboats on Canyon Ferry Reservoir, perhaps continue ten minutes to the open water, become guests for the sail to the other end while drinking cold beer (which is what we did some years ago)

c) if drought type conditions exist then just do the lower half taking out at the bridge at Townsend)

d) if a freak snowstorm hits in July, or if you think of another excuse, perhaps drive the scenic hill over the road to White Sulphur Springs and soak in the commercial but nice hot waters. For your benefit we organizers tested this location (it might also have had something to do with the snow pellets).

Most will want to make it a long one day event from Bozeman, but some can make it an overnight trip - on your own for campsites.

Note: Streamflow is regulated by Toston Dam just a few miles from the normal put in at the Toston Bridge on the Missouri River.

If drought conditions exist, the river might be shallow with slow paddling. If so we might arrange to do only the upper half or the lower half. Scout on line for the small fishing access site. "York’s Islands Fishing Access Site reopened Apr 4, 2023"(extra credit if you know who York was)

Update January 13: On January 12 Steve secured rental of a small cabin 15 miles from the takeout. Search for Rillway Cabin Montana