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Getting Here
Fort Benton is located in north central
Montana. The nearest international airport is at Great Falls, 38
miles upstream. Interstate 15 goes through Great Falls as well.
State Route 87 brings you to Fort Benton from the southwest or
from the northeast if you are traveling Route 2. Amtrak stops in
Havre 70 miles to our north. We offer shuttle service from the
airport and the train station. Northwest has several daily flights into Great Falls. Rental cars and
vans are available in Great Falls (Dollar Rent A Car
1-406-453-3535 or Thrifty Car Rental 1-406-454-2277)
Lodging:
Most folks spend a
night before and after their trip in either Great Falls or Fort
Benton. We have several establishments we can recommend.
Fort Benton:
Grand Union
Hotel
#1 Grand Union Square
Toll Free 1-888-838-1882 local 406-622-1882 www.
grandunionhotel.com
Award winning luxurious accommodations. Montana’s oldest
operating hotel built in 1882 and completely restored to its
former glory in 2000.
Offers: The Union Grille Restaurant and Bar and Outdoor
Riverside Patio.
Offers discounts to our guests.
Pioneer Lodge
1700 Front Street
406-622-5441
Located in the historic T.C. Power Building
Franklin
Street Guest House
1105 Franklin Street
406-733-2261
Rent the entire house
www.fortbenton.com/franklin/index.htm
Great Falls:
Best Western Heritage Inn
1700 Fox Farm Rd.
1-800-548-8256 local 406-761-1900
Offers: Airport and in-town van shuttle service. Secure luggage
storage. Restaurant and Bar. Pool/Hot Tub/Fitness Room.
Offers discounts to our guests.
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Canoe
Trip Personal Gear
At every stop on your canoe trip you will need to
step into water half way to your knees. Be prepared to get
your feet wet. Old sneakers will work, so will your basic
sandals but if they fit loosely you may loose one. River
guides wear Chaco continuous strap sandals, they never
slip off and wear like iron, but are expensive at $50-80.
Each person on our canoe trips will be provided
with one large dry bag 16” in diameter by 28” high.
This bag will hold all your clothes and your sleeping bag.
You will also have a medium dry bag 12” by 28” to keep
the things you will need during the day, such as,
raingear, hiking shoes, etc. All your gear must fit into
these two bags. Outdoor clothing suitable for our canoe
trips can be found at mail order retailers such as L.L.
Bean, REI, EMS, or NRS. Locally, our personal favorite is
Big Horn Wilderness, 202 5th St. South, Great
Falls, Montana.
Quick drying layers from underwear to hat will keep
you the most comfortable. For a 4- day warm season canoe
trip in addition to underwear and swimwear, you will need
1 or 2 T shirts, a long and short sleeve shirt, a pair or
two of shorts, a pair of long pants, raingear (top &
bottom), sturdy hiking shoes, river sandals, a fleece
jacket, and a hat that won’t blow away. A 32 oz. wide
mouth Nalgene water bottle is handy, they are widely
available or we have them for sale. Spare sunglasses, a
flashlight, camera, film, a daypack, round out the necessities.
Cool
Season Considerations
Early and late season trips
(May-mid June and September-mid October) require warmer
clothes.
Knee high rubber boots with thick
wooly socks will keep your feet warm on cool mornings when
getting in and out of the canoes. Think layers in the cool
season, light to medium long underwear, warmer pants and
shirts, fleece jacket or vest, wind/waterproof pants and
jacket, gloves, and a hat.
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