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LEWISTOWN, Mont. – Visitors can enjoy early springtime outdoor fun when two Bureau of Land Management campgrounds and related facilities in the Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument reopen next month, officials with the BLM’s North Central Montana District announced, today.

Campgrounds at the James Kipp and Coal Banks Landing recreation areas will be first to emerge from winter and reopen their gates on April 1.

James Kipp Recreation Area is situated along the Upper Missouri River where U.S. Highway 191 crosses the river valley in central Montana. There are 34 no-hookup campsites that can accommodate trailers or recreational vehicles (RVs) up to 40 feet in length. Each site has a designated fire ring and picnic table. The campground is equipped with vault toilets, trash dumpsters and an RV waste dump. All sites are first-come, first-served.

Coal Banks Landing Campground is the starting point for many river trips within the Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument and features 20 first-come, first-served campsites.

"Monument staff put in significant effort to clean up after winter," said Becky Cooper, monument manager. "As long as the weather remains favorable, most visitor facilities at these two locations, including the newly constructed boat ramp at Coal Banks Landing, should be available starting in April."  

The new boat ramp at Coal Banks Landing was constructed during September-November 2024 to improve motorized and non-motorized boat access to the Upper Missouri National Wild and Scenic River. Over the past 30 years, an attached bar located upriver from the original ramp grew, resulting in reduced flows and increased sediment deposition within the channel beyond the ramp. The new boat ramp was constructed at the upriver end of the campground and has room for both jet boat and canoe launching. The old boat ramp is still available for use by non-motorized vessel operators.

Regardless of the type of vessel or launching point, boaters entering the river at Coal Banks Landing will have a short distance to travel to reach the iconic White Cliffs section of the Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument.  

All boaters should remember that the water is extremely cold and fast-flowing this time of year. For safety’s sake, make sure all boat occupants wear a U.S. Coast Guard-approved lifejacket.

Operators of all types of vessels should know and follow the rules for watercraft in the Breaks, and practice safe and courteous boating, so everyone on the river can enjoy this scenic national treasure. View or download our Boaters’ Guide - https://www.blm.gov/sites/default/files/documents/files/Boaters%20Guide%20JL%20to%20Kipp%202017%20508%20COMPL.pdf

For more information, call the Missouri Breaks Interpretive Center at 406-622-4000, or visit the monument’s webpage https://www.blm.gov/programs/national-conservation-lands/montana-dakotas/upper-missouri-river-breaks.

-BLM-