Benton RV Park and Campground

Fort Benton once was one of the biggest inland ports in the USA, where fortune hunters flocked to where gold was found and where steamboats chugged regularly along the Missouri River. Stroll along the historic steamboat levee and the first bridge to span the river, before a day or two around Fort Benton's museums or a restful hour by the waterside to look out for a bald eagle soaring overhead. Canine fans should (or possibly shouldn't; you might howl) go and see the statue of faithful hound Shep, who waited at the depot for his deceased master for five and a half years before being killed by an incoming train. Sniff. The town is on the Lewis & Clark National Historic trail (all 3,700 miles of it) and the 1,170-mile Nez Perce National Historic Trail following the attempt of the Nez Perce indigenous tribe to get to Canada; follow either from Fort Benton for hikes of a couple of hours or more. Fort Benton is also an access point for the stunning Upper Missouri River Break National Monument, running alongside 149 miles of the Missouri River to include six wilderness areas: this is very much another must-see.