Jefferson River

Listing Overview:

Lewis and Clark named this river after President Thomas Jefferson because it carried the greatest volume of water at that time compared to the nearby Madison and Gallatin rivers. The Jefferson River begins where the Big Hole and Beaverhead rivers intersect and flows north through agricultural areas and limestone cliffs, and into the cottonwood bottoms near Three Forks, where it meets the Madison and Gallatin rivers to form the Missouri River.

The Jefferson River is rated as Class I water for recreational purposes. The river is suitable for floaters and beginning paddlers, except during high water flows in the spring.