Beginning with Lewis and Clark’s 1805 expedition through the mountains and canyons of southwest Montana to the discovery of gold, silver and copper sixty years later, the Montana story lives on in the nearby ghost towns and mining camps, and in the historical landmarks of Helena, Montana.

Canyon Ferry was one of the three ferries, or “crossings,” that transported people from the mines and ranches across the Missouri River to Helena. In the early 1950s, the Canyon Ferry Dam was built, creating the 27-mile- long Canyon Ferry Lake.